mj frontend?

[kawliga]

I just installed a 8.8 axle with 4.10 gears in my ,97 xj. The cherokee had 3.55,s. Was planning in just buying new matching gears for the front till i found out the carrier needs replacing to go to4.10's. My question is, can i use a unknown year mj front carrier and gears? There is a mj at the local jy with a four cyl. The guy who runs the yard said if i could use the entire frontend, he'd make me a good deal. Thanks in advance.

 

[FlexdXJ]

I just installed a 8.8 axle with 4.10 gears in my ,97 xj. The cherokee had 3.55,s. Was planning in just buying new matching gears for the front till i found out the carrier needs replacing to go to4.10's. My question is, can i use a unknown year mj front carrier and gears? There is a mj at the local jy with a four cyl. The guy who runs the yard said if i could use the entire frontend, he'd make me a good deal. Thanks in advance.

If the MJ had 4.10's you could. Once you go past 3.73's you need to buy a new carrier. You might as well buy a new carrier for 3.73 and up gears and go from there! I don't think they are terribly expensive.

 

[kawliga]

Would you swap gears and case into my frontend. or put my axles in the mj frontend?

 

[XJ&CHZ4ME]

You could go either way. The MJ will have the vac-disco D30 where your 97XJ does not. I, as well as others, prefer the vac-disco housing b/c it has a cast UCA mount verses the stamped metal UCA mount on your XJ alxe. You can take the MJ housing w/ gears ane pull the axle shafts and replace them w/ your XJ shafts which will give you the larger u-joints and also allow you to run a 1-piece axle on the passenger side of the MJ axle. You will want to replace the axle seals if you do this to the proper size, but is easy enough to do. The MJ brakes will need to stay with the MJ axle unless you swap over your knuckles from your XJ to get those brakes to work on the MJ axle. All of this sounds like more work then it really is, it is in fact an easy swap to do w/ minimal tools.

 

[lawsoncl]

Lots of good advice so far.

The MJ axle should bolt right up and the 4-cyl is most likely 4.10 gears. I'm not sure if your 97 is a low pinion, but I believe the MJ will be a more desirable high pinion if you're lifted. I don't think I'd worry too much about swapping the shafts over if you're not doing much hardcore wheeling.

Watch that your front drive shaft doesn't end up too long as bottoming that out on a landing will crack the xfer case.

 

[stewie]

the 97 came with a HP D30. the MJ may, or may not be vac disconnect. the MJ was in production until 92 so there is a chance (slim though) that it may not be disco axle.

setting up used gears sucks. no mater what they will be noisy because they are used. setting up gears is a form of exact science and requires a few specialty tools and the proper expertise. thats why it costs so much to have someone set them up for you. the easiest and cheapest way is to swap in the MJs front axle (verify that it is 4.10 before swapping it in) and use your outer knuckles, brakes and shafts. it sounds like alot but it is quite easy. while you have the axle out you might want to replace the axle side UCA bushings. its much easier to do with the axle out of the vehicle than it is with them in there and its cheap insurance

 

[kawliga]

Thanks guys, Im gonna check the mj's gears are and grab it if they are 4.10's.