Dana 30 Front U-Joints?

[midnightXJ]

I have a '98 XJ with a HP Dana 30 and my front u-joints need to be replaced. Could anyone tell me how hard this is and any tips on installation would be helpful. Also is there any difference between this axle and pre-'96 when it comes to the u-joints?

Thanks,

Todd

 

[FiFo]

A 98 XJ should have a 5-297 u-joint. as for how hard it is to replace there not that hard. I did one a couple of months ago at camp using the crappy (cheap) socket set that I keep in my jeep for trail repairs. We did two on the trail last month when we had a rash of u-joint failures, again using only basic tools.

 

[Big Red]

You have Spicer 297 u-joints which are dana 44 sized. Pre 95-1/2 are the small Spicer 260's which dana 30's used until this time and early Dana 44's used as well in their early years, maybe not all of them, but Early Bronco dana 44s used the smaller Spicer 260 as well as drum brakes. Upgrade your u-joints to the newer available Spicer 760's which are a upgrade to your 297s and will fit.

Troy

 

[Timber]

For me, it was harder to get the clips out of the ears than the whole rest of the job. I have a '99, and I didn't even remove the hubs. That made it more awkward in handling the axles, but easier overall, I thought.

 

[pabloconrad]

Fairly simple.

Loosen the axel nuts (with weight on the tires), jack it up, set it on jack stands, pull the tires, pull the front brake calipers, remove the three bolts and pull the hub assembly the pull out the half-axel. Repeat on other side.

One hint: after removing the clips off the axel that hodl the u-joint into place, use some Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster and let it sit for awhile. This will help in the removal process.

Using a set of sockets, one big and on slightly smaller than the u-joint, smack it out. Put the bigger socket onto a hard surface and then put u-joint onto the socket, then use the smaller one to tap (or bang) the u-joint out.

Once you get that far, you can figure out how to pull it apart and re-install it.

 

[krelja]

Harbour freight u/ball joint tool. It is the best 40-50 bucks you can spend works great with just a socket even better with an impact wrench. I've done it with the socket and it works but why stress when it is so much easier with this tool. The only thing to watch out for is that it pops when enough pressure is built up the only thing is you don't know when that will happen and it makes your knuckles very unhappy.

http://da.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=ball+joint

the standard one is on sale its almost impossible to pass that up

 

[Rambo]

do you need to remove the c-clips in the diff?

 

[Jeepsloth]

no, 3 each 13mm bolts hold the hub and bearing assembly onto the steering knuckle.

 

[Ramsey]

a large c clamp works much better than a hammer.