89 Comanche Dana 30 Hub Bearing

[NC Toy Boy]

Hi Jeepers, Newbie 89 Comanche (Pioneer ?) Owner.... I am trying to identify the Correct Front Dana 30 Wheel Bearing Hubs on my Comanche. The Axle may have been changed by the previous owner.. The cover has 30-7AF BC. I am Pretty sure that the hubs are still 5 x 4.5" Pattern..... I have not found any numbers on the  current 3 hole Bearing/Hub Assemblies.

Edited March 1, 2022 by NC Toy Boy
Pictures added

[The86manche]

Does it have a center axle disconnect on the passenger side of the axle tube?

[gogmorgo]

Do your brake calliper brackets bolt on or are they cast into the knuckle? If they bolt on, get the hubs for an ‘89, if not, you’ll need the ‘91+ style. 

[NC Toy Boy]

I will take another look at the axle and get more Pics. Thanks!

 

[NC Toy Boy]

20 hours ago, gogmorgo said:

Do your brake calliper brackets bolt on or are they cast into the knuckle? If they bolt on, get the hubs for an ‘89, if not, you’ll need the ‘91+ style. 

They Appear to be cast into the knuckle... I added more pics...

[NC Toy Boy]

21 hours ago, The86manche said:

Does it have a center axle disconnect on the passenger side of the axle tube?

I don't see a center axle disconnect... I added more pics...

[gogmorgo]

10 minutes ago, NC Toy Boy said:

They Appear to be cast into the knuckle... I added more pics...

The other tell is the back of the calliper, the later style has two narrow rectangular windows, the early one has one big round(ish) one.

I wouldn’t recommend using the CAD as a tell. The early XJ/MJ Dana 30 didn’t come with a CAD, and neither did the select-trac XJ with the NP242, plus the CAD carried over for a few years past the change to the new knuckle/brake/hub combination. There’s also nothing preventing someone from swapping early to later style knuckles on an earlier axle. Either way though, your pics don’t really show the CAD area very well, it would be in the middle of the passenger’s side axle.

You’re definitely wanting the later hubs. My preference is the Timken 513084, or you could just get them for like, a ‘95 XJ if you prefer to walk into a parts store without confusing the staff. Note you’ll also need the later brakes when it comes time to change them.

[75sv1]

As for the 'later' hub bearings, I'd include SKF. Also, about 1999 to 2000 they changed to ones with less height width. You just have to use the same rotor from the same year. Also, the later ones, 2000+ are used in WJ Big Brake upgrades. I have used Moog (Mexico) and F.A.G. Hub Bearings. I did not have an issue with either. Then again I used a Chinese one and it held up with the MOOG. 

    I do see three bolts with the 12 point heads. That leads me to believe you have hub bearings. I could be wrong though. 

[The86manche]

1 hour ago, gogmorgo said:

The other tell is the back of the calliper, the later style has two narrow rectangular windows, the early one has one big round(ish) one.

I wouldn’t recommend using the CAD as a tell. The early XJ/MJ Dana 30 didn’t come with a CAD, and neither did the select-trac XJ with the NP242, plus the CAD carried over for a few years past the change to the new knuckle/brake/hub combination. There’s also nothing preventing someone from swapping early to later style knuckles on an earlier axle. Either way though, your pics don’t really show the CAD area very well, it would be in the middle of the passenger’s side axle.

You’re definitely wanting the later hubs. My preference is the Timken 513084, or you could just get them for like, a ‘95 XJ if you prefer to walk into a parts store without confusing the staff. Note you’ll also need the later brakes when it comes time to change them.

My 86 has factory CAD. Or are you meaning 84?

But fair point either way.

[gogmorgo]

2 hours ago, The86manche said:

My 86 has factory CAD. Or are you meaning 84?

But fair point either way.

I guess I could’ve been clearer there. I was referencing the ‘84-‘86 models as not having a CAD, although I think it had more to do with the transfer case in question than specific production dates, and I think the CAD was mostly a 231 thing, although I have no hard data to back it up.

Either way, there’s enough non-cad D30’s floating around with the early style steering knuckles and enough CAD axles with the later knuckles to make it an unreliable way to tell which knuckles, bearings, and brakes you have. Year isn’t a good indicator either bot just because they could be swapped, but also because the 2wd applications hung onto the early knuckles for a while after the 4x4’s switched, just to confuse things. Much better to look at the components themselves.

Early steering knuckles with bolt-on calliper brackets:

Later knuckles with integral calliper brackets:

 

Early calliper with single large window:

Later calliper with two windows:

[Pete M]

my 86 mj was a 207 and had a cad.  but early years were a bit nutso.   

[gogmorgo]

Yeah. I've got an axle that as best as I can tell was pulled from an '86 as well, but it's non-CAD. High pinion, early knuckles, small ujoints. Came with an AMC 20 supposedly out of the same truck. I guess the only way I'd know for sure that it's from an '86 would be to open it up and get date codes off the gears, but also all the early XJ's I remember seeing in wrecking yards had non-CAD axles, not that I've seen many or actually been checking them all, just a trend I'd been noticing.

But I'll fully admit I'm making assumptions based on anecdotal evidence with that. And we're getting pretty far .

[ghetdjc320]

Unit bearings from 90-99.5 should all have the same offset and lug stud length. Later models had a different offset and rotor but can also be swapped together. They also have longer wheel studs. Pre 90 is a mixed bag but the unit bearing 3 bolt pattern is the same through all the years. Knuckles can be swapped back and forth as well with the accompanying mods