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[Mattg]

Hello this is my first post on the forum and I am hear for so information off you clued up folks! I have a 1995 jeep cherokee xj 4.0l petrol. I moved it 100 yards the other day and the diff decided to give in, now all you can hear are the rear gears grinding!! So I am wondering do I repair the diff are upgrade the axle ie  swap! I have read that the ford do one that is stronger but narrower and the jeep also have a stronger one but are hard to get hold of. I don't no what axel it is but I assume it is the Dana 35


also if I change axle how easy is it to do? Will I stay on leafs Are move on to coil overs?
Thanks Matt

[wildwood]

second hand one from same model from scrap yard...... Is cheapest route......You could keep yours after the swap and do an exploratory....to see if worth saving.....

Stay leaves........ Or sell complete cherokee and get grand cherokee.......also the cheapest option...

[Cockney Boy]

Hi Matt

Welcome to the forum, and judging by your picture, It was goin to happen sooner rather than later. The amount of crud and oil tells me you've got a diff full of old oiI and god knows what and it probably goes to the end of the shafts too. Wildwood speak with amazing clarity and truth, get a secondhand one or complete XJ (there cheap and plentiful) and just swap it out.

While your at it change the front too as I'd bet its in a similar condition

[Jeepjedi]

Thats a bitch but get it fixed as WW says, and welcome to Birtys young padwan

[bigjeepzj]

welcome  and

[UKJeeper]

  I'm not seeing the picture where you've actually taken the cover off to see what's wrong.

[Mattg]

Sorry I have not took it apart yet i was just showing what type of axle it was didn't want to take it apart if I was going to get a lot of responses saying change the axle to a different one! I will get some more piks up tomorrow! How do you get the diff and half shafts out?

Thanks matt

[Mattg]

Also am right in saying its a Dana 35?

[UKJeeper]

With respect, you might want to reconsider the upgrading idea. It's a bit "running before you can walk", imo.

As you're a 'noob' (again, with respect), learn about what vehicle you have, it's strengths and weaknesses, and how to repair it. You don't even know what's "broken" yet. Trying to swap in an 'upgraded' axle will probably be more work than fixing what you've got.

Tbh, chances are good you'll have to take the diff apart in the 'new' axle (to match the gear ratios), so you may as well take this one apart.
After learning how. At least get the cover off (drain the oil!) and take pics. Let the dogs see the rabbit so to speak.

Except bull dog. He's useless!

[Mattg]

I understand what you are saying I am going to get it apart tomorrow look what is properly the matter with it its just that I just don't want to keep money into the same components after reading lots of thing on the Internet about these axles as in the near future when all the little niggles are sorted out it will be lifted with bigger wheels on

[IrishCJ6]

I understand what you are saying I am going to get it apart tomorrow look what is properly the matter with it its just that I just don't want to keep money into the same components after reading lots of thing on the Internet about these axles as in the near future when all the little niggles are sorted out it will be lifted with bigger wheels on

Yep the D35's are the weak link in that truck but as the others have said upgrading is a lot of work and by the sounds of your posts it doesn't sound like you have the skill set required to undertake this task (no offense), so that means you will be having to palm off this job to an expert and that will cost big time. I have similar issues with my truck as the big engine/power and small D30 front axle is a bad combo, I've broken it already but have repaired it again and now I'm just  little more cautious with it and know it's limitations. I suspect you will just have to do the same. Saying that there are a lot of axles out there for you truck and you may just have to keep a couple of spares handy.

[wildwood]

Axle shafts on your Dana 35 are held in by C clips of about 1/8" thickness......this will then allow you to pull shafts
Keep shafts if you replace axle as these shafts are the week links so you'll then have spares.

If you want to go bigger tyres......
try this
The 2.5 petrol cherokee has 4.10 ratio which is good for upto 33 at least and will give your XJ on 31s a real get up and go.

worth buying a pair from a wrecker.or a complete engineless car......

[Mattg]

well got the diff apart a lot easier than i thought it would.I found the problem after all the teeth from the spider gears come out as i was draining the oil. all the spider gears are knackered









After cleaning everything up the axle, ring and pinion gears are in good order so where can i buy a new set off gears from all i can find are from the states?
I don't want to go buy a 2nd hand diff cause 2 miles down the road the same problem will happen knowing my luck so i am looking for new gears.
has anyone on here done a axel swap? and what work was involved? i have a friend that is a welder and fabricator and another that is willing to help with the mechanical side of things! i am looking in the near future to be running a 4inch minimum lift and 33x12.5.15 and i dont want to go playing off road and every time i take it home have to change the diff cause they are made out of cheese!

thanks matt

[Delk]

Spider gears are spider gears. Get a set of second hand gears or a complete axle from a breaker and be happy for awhile. This way you have time to figure out if and what upgrade you want to do. If you want you could go with a Locrite or Aussy locker that replace the spiders. This way you get a small upgrade and better traction.

Beware of looking for problems on the internet especially when you start looking at the extreme. You will find plenty of people who will complain that the stock axle keeps breaking because they have a v8 and 44 inch tires. Unless you are going extreme with big money the stock axles should do you just fine.

[Jeepjedi]

I have some old school D44's PM me if ya want them, they need a little TLC but ratios are the same and strong as fook, put em on the back burner 

[Mattg]

Pm sent

[Jeepjedi]

Pm answered )