Vtx531
TJ Addict
They were sent usps and tracking says it should arrive Monday Jan 20. Slower than I would have hoped. Are you going to get two or four?
Good news is the $10 amazon seal installer showed up a couple days ago
2003 TJ Dana 30 axle guides
- Thread starter Sinister1957
- Start date
They were sent usps and tracking says it should arrive Monday Jan 20. Slower than I would have hoped. Are you going to get two or four?
Good news is the $10 amazon seal installer showed up a couple days ago
So these go on the outer opening of the axle tube? Won't that just low-key trap water & debris in the tube since these things will effectively put a big lip on the end of the axle tube? Also, how much clearance do they give the axle shaft? I ask, because the front axle shafts don't actually rotate purely along their axis, which is among the reason why front outer axle seals are a horrible idea.
Unless the subject has deviated from the original picture, they go on the spline end of the shaft to hold it up and guide it into the seal.
Vtx531
TJ Addict
No, not the outer opening. My understanding is that they go on the axle shaft, one near the splines, one maybe more near the center. It just allows you to insert the shaft through the tube without having the splines accidentally touch the dirty inside part of the tube and bring debris with it into the differential. Then they just spin harmlessly with the axle inside the tube after installation. They are just to help during installation.
My main concern is cleanliness of the splines, not guiding into the hole.
Clean the splines before you slide it in then? When I install axle shafts, I always have a paper towel in the hand i am guiding the shaft with. As the shaft goes in the tube, the paper towel wipes any other debris away. I think we're way over-complicating this.
I thought the purpose of these rings was to not allow the splines on the axle to damage the diff seals. This one time, at Band Camp, I replaced an axle ujoint. Short time after that I had diff fluid coming out the axle. I had to go in and replace the seal that I knicked. I was more careful installing the axle afterwards.
If you really want it all to be clean, then open up the pumpkin and clean it all out. The axle shafts spline into the carrier so they never move relative to one another, so really you're concerned about picking up gunk on the splines and having that junk push through the carrier to the pumpkin. So clean the pumpkin after you install?
Hmm, is that not a possibility? The FSM states: "Install axle shaft assembly into the housing and differential side gears. Avoid damaging the axle shaft oil seals in the axle housing." I figured I somehow damaged the seal.
You looked at the seals before you installed them. That forcing cone is there for one reason only, to guide the end of the shaft through the seal and minimize the possibility that you damage it. The FSM says to avoid damage but it doesn't tell you what that means. How can you cause damage when that forcing cone is there?
Instead, what typically happens is the diff is overfilled. When the shaft is removed, the excess oil runs out into the tube and eventually makes its way to the end where the owner sees it and then thinks they nicked a seal.
When you installed the new seals, what did you do differently when you installed the shafts to prevent nicking them a second time? I'll bet good money you did it exactly the same way that you did the first time because there is almost no way you can do it differently.
You looked at the seals before you installed them. That forcing cone is there for one reason only, to guide the end of the shaft through the seal and minimize the possibility that you damage it. The FSM says to avoid damage but it doesn't tell you what that means. How can you cause damage when that forcing cone is there?
Instead, what typically happens is the diff is overfilled. When the shaft is removed, the excess oil runs out into the tube and eventually makes its way to the end where the owner sees it and then thinks they nicked a seal.
When you installed the new seals, what did you do differently when you installed the shafts to prevent nicking them a second time? I'll bet good money you did it exactly the same way that you did the first time because there is almost no way you can do it differently.
Damn, as usual your explanation makes a lot of sense. I guess I did a bunch of work for no reason. It was still a good experience. Thank you.
Vtx531
TJ Addict
Looks like the forcing cone makes seal removal trickier. Any tips for that part of the job?
Vtx531
TJ Addict
They came today. The fit is pretty loose. I was hoping it would fit snuggly. It *might* work as-is just to give it a little buffer to help with install. Or maybe I'll tape it on or add a couple zip ties on each side just to help keep it from sliding back when the axle is inserted. Not exactly how I was picturing this.
Vtx531
TJ Addict
The bolt was seized - I used an angle grinder to cut it loose but I couldn't get in tight enough to cut all the way through so I needed a way to rotate it. If the Jeep was on a lift I could have just rotated it down but I'm on jack stands and the floor got in the way. So I cut the bar off. In hindsight, I should have cut the nut side of the bushing first and then I could have used the hex head to rotate the bar down easier and then twisted it off easy without having to cut 100% of the way through.
Turns out the bushing was still solid and so was the ball joint side but I am refreshing the whole front end (and everything else really) so I decided to replace. Didn't need to though.
Well actually it makes sense to me I read JK Dana 30 axles slightly larger diameter...I guess you can make it work maybe some black tape around axle where guide sits.
I may man up and go without them.
I bought a brush to really clean tubes.
I only have a one car garage and my bimmer takes the winter off in there, so I have to work outside and the coldest days are coming up. I have everything I need but this may not get done till March.
Let me know how it goes.
Vtx531
TJ Addict
Ya, good to get that tube cleaned out whether you decide to use the guides or not. I maybe spoke too soon about them being loose. Yes, they are loose but when I tried to insert the axle, the ring sort of drags along the bottom and folds down forward. There is enough pressure on it from the weight of the axle to keep it in place. I think it is going to work really well. Not so sure you need two of them for the short drivers side but might be nice to have two on the longer passenger shaft.
And this is what were are trying to avoid! All that crap that can be put into your gear oil if you acidentally touch the shaft to the inside of the tube during install.
And this is what were are trying to avoid! All that crap that can be put into your gear oil if you acidentally touch the shaft to the inside of the tube during install.
I used a 4ft piece of 3/4 i.d. pipe to knock the seals out.
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