Jeep Cherokee Front drive axle

greenmachine89 · Post by **greenmachine89** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 9:50 pm

I have obtained a whole axle assembly from a jeep cherokee for free, don't know the year though. I was wandering if any one knows how well a jeep axle will work in my 1989 bronco II? I know metal work very well and can modify almost any part. Is the jeep straight axle worth it? Or should I just stick to a dana 35? Also I have a dana 28 right now. The staight axle would be placed in when I do the six inch lift. If anyone knows even a hint let me know please! Thanks

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texastud1983 · Post by **texastud1983** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 3:41 pm

Yah if your good at metal work I would go for it. Can't beat the price.
I'm guessing that it is a dana 44 ,right? You can cut all of the heep, sorry I mean jeep, brackes off and weld you up set of axle wedges from James Duff for a radios arm and panhard bar set up. Or you could get you some hym joints and some DOM tubing and do a four or ever a five link. But be sure to do your research if you do decide to go down that road.
To me, the only draw back on that axle would be that the axle doesn't use locking hubs like the ford and chebies. Your axle should have a vacume operated accuator on the right hand side of the axle. On the old cherokee the axle would engage because it would get vacume from the transfer case when you shift into 4 wheel drive. I am guessing that you will be useing you stock transfer case that wouldn't work because of the vacume problem. But if you go through Quadratec they have a cable set up that would would make it work.

greenmachine89 · Post by **greenmachine89** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 8:35 am

Dang I didn't think about the whole vacume setup! I think I will go down to the nearest 4X4 shop and see what I can do about that. I might just end up junking the whole idea, rather would have a ford in there than a jeep but hey you can beat free, even if it's a heep.

texastud1983 · Post by **texastud1983** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 3:19 pm

No man, I wouldn't junk it.
I'd get a set of radios arms, some axle wedges, a panhard bar and all the brackets. Then you would be good to go. All the people that I would that have there stock axle on there jeep got rid of the vacume crap and got the cable kit for there axle. I wouldn't think that it would be all that back.
I mean you can't beat the free. You would have to pay a couple hundred bucks, if not more for another dana 44. So I would use the one you got. You can use the money you save the rebuild the one you got!

greenmachine89 · Post by **greenmachine89** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 7:34 pm

Now you're speaking my language! I work at Les Schwab Tires, so I should be able to score on some seals, hub bearings, and other items of iterest. I do like the cable Idea it sounds pretty good. The only few questions I have are about the brackest you speak of. Should I mount the axle like a ford or should I mount it like a jeep? Where might I find this cable setup?

texastud1983 · Post by **texastud1983** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:59 am

You can get that cable set up through Quadratec. You can also go to James Duff Enterprizes for the weld on axle wedges for your radius arms, which you'll have to get also. If you go with the radius arm set up you will have to get you a panhard bar (also known as a track bar) to stop your axle from going side to side. Look all over this site and you can find out all about our radius arm set ups.

greenmachine89 · Post by **greenmachine89** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 8:47 pm

I learned something new today! The front axle I have does not require any vacume or cable! The guy down at woody's 4x4 shop said that the axle works just fine the way it is! Now all I have to do is get ahold of those brackets and I will be set. I did forget to ask if it was a dana 44. I wonder... thank you so much for your help so far, I would like to know if it is a dana 44.

Bob Myers · Post by **Bob Myers** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:32 am

Chances are it is a Dana 30, non disco. Decent axle, not as strong overall as a D35 out of an explorer but a good way to get a solid axle if thats all you desire.

greenmachine89 · Post by **greenmachine89** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 7:16 pm

Good news I finally found out what axle I have. You guys have guessed and were right! I have a 1988 XJ Cherokee High pinion Dana 30 axle. Now I'm not too fond of dana 30's or jeeps for that matter so am planning on selling it or trading it for a dana 35 front end, dana 44 if I could but better chance of dana 35. So if anyone know anyone who needs my axle and has a dana 35 front end i will trade! Thanks so much for every one's help!

Bob Myers · Post by **Bob Myers** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 7:25 pm

There's a pretty good reason why you ended up with that for little or no money. Noone wants 'em. You might try NAXJA.org maybe someone there would take it off your hands. I presume you are in Washington state, and thus too far away to take advantage of either of my Dana axles that are lying about my place here in Ky. If you are going to do a solid axle, then do it right the first time and it won't need to be redone, use a 44 or a 60. If you aren't going to use a solid, then a Dana 35 from an Explorer will be better than the 28 you have now, but not a lot.
Have you actually wheeled hard enough to break the 28 yet? You will be terribly sursprised at how much punishment they will take.I have a friend in Ohio who runs a 28 and a stock 7.5 rear in "tough truck"competitons all summer long.

Phillippi · Post by **Phillippi** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:39 pm

my 28 welded with 4.56 didnt like me hitting the gas. It finally exploded in Moab. Oh well.