axle virgin needs help

Ok so I just picked up my new factory Dana 44 out of an 87 XJ today and I'm going to re-build and re-gear it myself or atleast try to anyway haha. So I need any advice and tricks that anyone knows. Also I heard that you can find out the gear ratio of a set of gears if you look on the ring itself its supposed to be stamped in there. Is this true? If so what numbers on there are the gear ratio? Also can someone give me a good suggestion on what I should set the backlash to? Its going to be my daily driver as well as go off-road. I'm going to put 4.56 gears in it because when the axle goes in I'm going to put on some bushwackers and some 33s. I would really like to see a good write-up or article on a step by step of setting a dana 44 diff. or a similar one. Anything is helpful.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=d44+gear+install
www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/D44_buildup/D44.html
www.pirate4x4.com/articles/tech/billavista/Gear_Setup

Start there. If you have specific questions after, someone can help you. All of your ring and pinion specs should come in the installation manual you get with the gears you buy.

...you plan on doing your own gears? yet call yourself an axle virgin?
bravo.... keep us updated on how that works for ya....

doing gears is best left up to experts. i love doing my own stuff. but gears suck!

first axle i ever did was my 30, second was my 8.25. not hard at all, definitely do it out of the vehicle though...

it's not impossible for you to learn how to do your axles, BUT...............it's not something you will learn in 5 minutes, or have the tools for. if you want to learn how to do it properly, you should get the factory service manual. read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, and read some more in books, internet and other places. then go to the dealership and talk to some of the mechanics there, and then go and read again. then start looking at tools. the tools will not come cheap, but if you have multiple jeeps, and know you will regear all of them, then the tools might actually pay for themselves. now if this is a once in 5year type mod/repair, then i would highly recommend taking it into a shop.

I know this kind of thing is much better being left to the professionals but I was a Chrysler automotive student at a tech college my freshmen year. I only left because I was 19 lived with my parents still and had an urge to party and grow up so I left and I am now trying to get a 4 year degree but I plan to go back and I would like to have my own shop one day. So I have a talent for this kind of stuff not to brag but I do. But I also know its a learning experiance kind of thing so I am not going to rush this at all I have about a year or so before I need new tires (I have 31s now) and when I wear those out I'm going to put on some bushwackers and run 33s which I will need 4.56 gears for. So I am going to take my time with this and not rush it and do all my HW and make sure it is done right thats why I put up this thread. I am also doing this myself because I don't have the kind of money to pay a professional thats why I searched out and factory Dana 44 instead of having one built. Trust me if I had the money I would just call up Currie and order up a set of Dana 44s and call it a day haha. but thanks again for all the advice and keep it coming and I will try to keep yall updated.

P.S. Any advice on tear down like what i should check and mark would be much appreciated too.

i had confidence in you, till you talked about doing your homework....

is your homework done? obviiously not.....
dont mean to be a dick.... but yeah
first step is reading, and i dont mean proofreading the post you made asking how to do it


(PS, i didnt tell you to search!)

Holy run-on sentence with diarrhea of the keyboard!

My CJ was previously owned by someone who thought he "did his homework" - I think it became pretty apparent that he did "something else" as well. Cost me over $1,000 to fix his "homework" when my rear axle 'sploded on the road. The only salvageable part was the axle itself; everything internal got hosed. I'm lucky it happened under 20mph or I could have lost control pretty easily.

Think about that if you're going to take any shortcuts on the project.

Jim www.yuccaman.com

X2 on precision tools being expensive! i can't remember what kind of variance you have doing the gears, but it is very small.

There is nothing hard about doing gears that a basic understanding of measurement tools can't fix.

I bought all the stuff I needed at harbor frieght for 50 bucks. You don't need perfect expensive tools to get good results one time.

He asked for some information and it was provided. If he decides after researching the basics that it's above his skill level, so be it. I don't see any reason to beat the guy up because you don't think you're capable of doing it, so neither should he.

Thank you Redheep I do believe I cant do it. And like you said if after time I feel like I can't do it then I will admit defeat and take it to a professional. Thanks you for your honest opinion and help.

To the rest of everyone unless you have some helpful advice that is not negative please do not respond to this thread just click the little X at the top of the window and move on with your day. I am simply asking for some genuine help and advice from my fellow jeepers who have done their own axles. I have had this happen before where a simple question gets turned into a huge on-line argument over something stupid. I had a thread that turned into an argument over me using IM/text message short hand. Therefore now I make sure to type as well as I can to avoid another argument. Please I am just looking for help not criticism. Also I have done a search on some of the questions I have asked and did not come up with much that helped so please do not tell me to do a search as I have already done that.

XCM I wasn't talking about school HW I was talking about doing research on how to do an axle rebuild and gear change. If you don't have any helpful advice please don't respond and leave room for helpful jeepers to leave a response.

Yucca-Man I am sorry to hear about your misfortune but I do not plan on selling my jeep anytime soon so if it blows up its my problem and ill just throw the old 8.25 back in and fix the 44. Thanks for the warning though I will definately make sure to do this right so that that does not happen.

Also I have another question, I have noticed that axle shaft like the Alloy axle shafts look like they are painted, is this an ok thing to do? The ones that came with the axle had been removed and sat out for a while outside so there is a little bit of surface rust so I would like to clean them up and paint them. Any advice on how to go about doing this?

your asking how to clean up rusty shafts now.... if thats beyond you, i just think setting up gears will be tough... and im telling you so because you posted a thread on the interweb asking for help

my advice, is if do your damn research

xcm said:

your asking how to clean up rusty shafts now.... if thats beyond you, i just think setting up gears will be tough... and im telling you so because you posted a thread on the interweb asking for help

my advice, is if do your damn research

Click to expand...

Is there something constructive in all this or do you just pride yourself in being a jerk?

People do dumb stuff all the time like assuming that stock xj wheels will clear crown vic disc brake calipers. Then they "post a thread on the interweb asking for help." He doesn't understand a gear install and he wants to learn, so he did the same thing. Why does that make your question better than his?

There is no better teacher than experience. Everyone who's done gears did it one time for the first time. If you can read a manual, you can get the job done. If you screw it up, it costs money. No harm, no foul.

Stop the e-drama and lose the attitude, it serves no purpose here.

my question? i didnt ask one, i posted an unfavorable experience unreported on a common mod

mmhh........didn't think i was being negative. i'm all about suporting people trying to learn stuff. i was one of those people once too, and still am.

but hey that's fine. i won't help anymore. have fun. hope it works out for you.

xcm research is not only looking up stuff but asking questions too just because I asked how to clean up the shafts doesn't mean I didn't have a clue as to how to do it I was just trying to get the opinions of some more experienced jeepers. But its people like you who make this a difficult thing to do. Don't be an ass be helpful and NO! being critical is NOT in any way shape or form helpful! Now if you do not want to help and give some positive advice GET OFF THIS THREAD! This is a thread for honest helpful jeepers who love their jeeps and want to help other jeepers.

scorpio_vette said:

mmhh........didn't think i was being negative. i'm all about suporting people trying to learn stuff. i was one of those people once too, and still am.

but hey that's fine. i won't help anymore. have fun. hope it works out for you.

Click to expand...

No not you man, your advice was helpful. I and others weren't talking about you, we were referring to those like XCM up there who have been negative and critical. You were very positive and helpful so I thank you very much for that. If you have any other advice or tricks please input them. Thanks again!

For the love of god.

XCM is being VERY HELPFUL. He told you exactly what I am about to tell you.

Based on the questions and comments you posted in this thread, YOU ARE NOT READY TO DO YOUR OWN GEARS. Gears, when done incorrectly, go VERY WRONG VERY FAST. For not only your own safety but that of those on the roads with you, please seek a professional for this installation.

carrier/pinion bearing puller (not necessary, but nice) $349+

pinion depth tool (not "really" necessary, but EXTREMELY helpfull when starting with an empty housing) $329+

axle housing spreader (also not necessary, but makes for a cleaner and more quaranteed install) $249+

dial indicator w/mount (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not setup gears without one of these) $50-150+

inch LB torque wrench (try to find one starting at 10in lb, and goes in smallest increments possible) $50-300 (depending on brand)+

yoke torque tool (mostly required for axles with crush sleeves like low pinion D30's, but overall a good tool to have) $49+

Differential bible $30+

Just those few things will cost you about $1,300+. and there are still a few other tools that will be needed to make the job easier/cleaner. now granted, you can make do without a couple of those parts, but it's cleaner, safer, and alot more "proper" having the right tools.

now i won't lie. i don't have every single one of those tools. i don't have a case spreader, and i don't have the bearing puller. so when i take bearings off, i destroy them. which is why i have setup bearings (bearings honed out just far enough to install/remove by hand until final setup. then you install the real bearings)


see that's the part that alot of people don't realize when they complain that gear setups cost so much when a shop does it. if you take all the tools i listed above, and add some more other tools (plus sockets, wrenches and other tools required to remove/install the axles and everything else), and then on top of that, buy them from snapon, mac or matco tools, then you have easily over $2,000 in tools that are used ONLY to set up axles. that's why it costs so much.

so as i said earlier, if you have multiple vehicles, or can justify the cost of doing it right, then by all means go and buy it and learn how to do it. otherwise, if this is a one time deal, it might not be a bad idea to take it to a shop.

by the way, those tools can be purchased from this site.
http://completeoffroad.com/

and here is the link to that websites differential tools.
http://completeoffroad.com/wsm/c-21_differential_tools.html


here's a little tip that i like to ask people. and don't be cocky when answering this question. if you want to set up these gears and "think" you are ready, would you be willing to do it on your wifes jeep and let her drive it on the freeway at 80mph??? if you don't trust your wifes (or other most important person in your life) life with your work, then maybe you're not ready.
personally, i've done several gear setups on my wifes vehicle, my vehicle and friends vehicles. and i still don't like doing it for business, just because i haven't done that many. even though i have yet to have one of my jobs fail on me.

hope that helps.