Differential Fell Out of Housing

mistermeeseeks

mistermeeseeks

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Aurora, CO
I'm doing a gear change on my 97 TJ (Dana 30) and when I loosened the bolts on the bearing cap the differential fell out without even touching it. I have watched tons of instructional videos on this and removing the differential is never easy. This has me concerned. Is this an indicator of the shims being wrong?

Background: I've had this Jeep for a few years and I've driven it in 4WD many times and there has never been any indication that anything was wrong with the differential. No weird noises or anything.
 
The first time I opened my Dana 30 to install a lunchbox locker I had the same thing happen. It didn't appear anyone had ever been in to it, but I bought it used, so am not 100%. When I did my regear I picked up a HP Dana 30 and it was the same way. Again, I had no history in the axle and somebody could have pulled the carrier at some point.
Since your doing a gear change it really doesn't matter. You will be adjusting the carrier shims to set you backlash and preload. Best of luck with your gear change.
 
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06lj said:
The first time I opened my Dana 30 to install a lunchbox locker I had the same thing happen. It didn't appear anyone had ever been in to it, but I bought it used, so am not 100%. When I did my regear I picked up a HP Dana 30 and it was the same way. Again, I had no history in the axle and somebody could have pulled the carrier at some point.
Since your doing a gear change it really doesn't matter. You will be adjusting the carrier shims to set you backlash and preload. Best of luck with your gear change.
Click to expand...

Many people have been inside this differential before. It's obvious by extra sealant. It also has 250k miles so who knows
 
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mistermeeseeks said:
This has me concerned. Is this an indicator of the shims being wrong?

Background: I've had this Jeep for a few years and I've driven it in 4WD many times and there has never been any indication that anything was wrong with the differential. No weird noises or anything.
Click to expand...

Doesn't matter now since your doing a gear change. Just make sure you set it up correctly and it wont happen again(y)
 
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mistermeeseeks said:
I'm doing a gear change on my 97 TJ (Dana 30) and when I loosened the bolts on the bearing cap the differential fell out without even touching it. I have watched tons of instructional videos on this and removing the differential is never easy. This has me concerned. Is this an indicator of the shims being wrong?

Background: I've had this Jeep for a few years and I've driven it in 4WD many times and there has never been any indication that anything was wrong with the differential. No weird noises or anything.
Click to expand...

What diff are you running? Locker?
 
my Dana 30 carrier did not fall out with the caps removed. I had to stuff a rag in between the pinion and ring gear and spin the yoke to get the carrier to pop out.
 
I'll see your diff falling out and raise you with bearing races falling off the carrier.

The Dana 35 in my Sahara I'm pretty sure had been worked on by someone who thought gears were a plug n play operation or were just trying to get it sellable, and made setup bearings because they didn't have a press and just left it that way. I drove it about 300 miles home and it wasn't the noisiest axle I've ever heard, but I got into it for other reasons and found that, and just ditched the whole thing for a 44.
 
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freedom_in_4low said:
I'll see your diff falling out and raise you with bearing races falling off the carrier.

The Dana 35 in my Sahara I'm pretty sure had been worked on by someone who thought gears were a plug n play operation or were just trying to get it sellable, and made setup bearings because they didn't have a press and just left it that way. I drove it about 300 miles home and it wasn't the noisiest axle I've ever heard, but I got into it for other reasons and found that, and just ditched the whole thing for a 44.
Click to expand...

Yep, same thing with my Dana 35 when I re-geared. Mine had not been previously opened with 100k on it, and the carrier dropped right out and one of the carrier bearings fell off in the process, the other bearing I pulled off by hand.

It’s not that uncommon.
 
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Painfultruth said:
Yep, same thing with my Dana 35 when I re-geared. Mine had not been previously opened with a 100k on it, and the carrier dropped right out and one of the carrier bearings fell off in the process, the other bearing I pulled off by hand.

It’s not that uncommon.
Click to expand...

I don't know the history of my 35 but I know it wasn't original because the Jeep had a Dana 44 according to the build sheet, and the 35 had labels from a paint marker, typical of the way salvage yards label parts. My guess is someone ran the 44 out of oil and ruined it and did the cheapest possible fix with a junkyard axle.
 
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