New front axle shaft vs replacing front u joints

Thanks for the heads up. I’ll be doing this relatively soon so before I dive in it’s good to hear other people’s experiences. Good thing it’s not my daily driver so if I mess up it’s not the worst outcome
If you do mess it up and need to drive it, do not do so without the outer stub shaft in the unit bearing and torqued properly. The stub holds the two halves together and they will separate. You won't be the first to die if that happens at speed.
 
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If you do mess it up and need to drive it, do not do so without the outer stub shaft in the unit bearing and torqued properly. The stub holds the two halves together and they will separate. You won't be the first to die if that happens at speed.
Sounds like that would be bad. I will heed the advice. Thanks much
 
Yep had a buddy get told it would be fine without stub shafts. Fortunately he was still in town going slowly when both wheels fell off at once.


There must have been a time
when we could have said no.
 
I use a vise with a socket to press the caps in. I find that the needle bearings are less likely to fall out that way.
Per Spicer's instructions, mark the cap and cross to keep the caps on the same part of the trunnion they were removed from. Then push the cross up through one hole in the yoke. Set a cap carefully on the trunnion in a manner that doesn't dislocate the needle bearings. Now, while holding the cross up into the cap, take a hammer and start driving the cap into the hole. Drive it below flush (easy with a good ball pein hammer using the rounded end). Once it is below flush, flip it over and pull it halfway up out of the installed cap and put another new cap on and repeat. Before you drive the cross back far enough to get the first cap in place, put the clip on it and you'll drive the first cap back to it's correct spot against the clip.

By keeping one below flush and only pulling the cross up half way, it allows you to keep the needle bearings in place on both caps. We've done hundreds that way without ever dislodging a needle.
 
Per Spicer's instructions, mark the cap and cross to keep the caps on the same part of the trunnion they were removed from. Then push the cross up through one hole in the yoke. Set a cap carefully on the trunnion in a manner that doesn't dislocate the needle bearings. Now, while holding the cross up into the cap, take a hammer and start driving the cap into the hole. Drive it below flush (easy with a good ball pein hammer using the rounded end). Once it is below flush, flip it over and pull it halfway up out of the installed cap and put another new cap on and repeat. Before you drive the cross back far enough to get the first cap in place, put the clip on it and you'll drive the first cap back to it's correct spot against the clip.

By keeping one below flush and only pulling the cross up half way, it allows you to keep the needle bearings in place on both caps. We've done hundreds that way without ever dislodging a needle.
Exactly how I do it, but with the vise instead of hammer. Done it both ways and both work. Kind of a "whatever floats your boat" deal.
 
Seperate question since u all mentioned wheels falling off and such. The rear axle retaining bolts, there is 4, do they need to have locktite applied? Not sure on this but hoping u all may know. I replaced the rear axle shaft (the seal was bad and had a leak) I reassembled everything and torqued those bolts to 45ft lbs, as the shop that pressed the bearing and seal on looked it up and told me the spec. It just seems like not a lot of ft/lbs to me. Thanks for the help all
 
I like to smack them on a section of wood 4x4. Seems the wood helps work the u joint out more quickly than any method I’ve used before.

BFH, wood and socket.
 
Seperate question since u all mentioned wheels falling off and such. The rear axle retaining bolts, there is 4, do they need to have locktite applied? Not sure on this but hoping u all may know. I replaced the rear axle shaft (the seal was bad and had a leak) I reassembled everything and torqued those bolts to 45ft lbs, as the shop that pressed the bearing and seal on looked it up and told me the spec. It just seems like not a lot of ft/lbs to me. Thanks for the help all
Torque value is determined by bolt grade, application, and diameter. You should have put a lock nut of some kind on there or a thread-locking compound if not. Those are typically grade 8 3/8-24 hex head cap screws and that is the correct torque value for them in that application.
 
Seperate question since u all mentioned wheels falling off and such. The rear axle retaining bolts, there is 4, do they need to have locktite applied? Not sure on this but hoping u all may know. I replaced the rear axle shaft (the seal was bad and had a leak) I reassembled everything and torqued those bolts to 45ft lbs, as the shop that pressed the bearing and seal on looked it up and told me the spec. It just seems like not a lot of ft/lbs to me. Thanks for the help all
The nuts should be stover nuts meaning the hole isn't totally round and they act as a lock nut. If you felt resistance almost from the start of the threads then no you don't need it. If you used just a regular nut then I'd suggest putting some on.


Edit: blane beat me to it.


There must have been a time
when we could have said no.
 
Last edited:
Torque value is determined by bolt grade, application, and diameter. You should have put a lock nut of some kind on there or a thread-locking compound if not. Those are typically grade 8 3/8-24 hex head cap screws and that is the correct torque value for them in that application.
Ok. Thanks I will remove the nuts and replace them. I have red thread locker, it says high heat heavy duty on it, permatex brand. Thanks for the help
 
The nuts should be stover nuts meaning the hole isn't totally round and they act as a lock nut. If you felt resistance almost from the start of the threads then no you don't need it. If you used just a regular nut then I'd suggest putting some on.


Edit: blane beat me to it.


There must have been a time
when we could have said no.
I reused the same nut that i took off. I cleaned it up and torqued it down to 45ft/lbs. I don’t know if I should get new nuts or what, but I did buy some 3/8-16 grade 8 nuts, haven’t put them on. I will get the nuts @mrblaine suggested unless these will work? Thanks
 
I reused the same nut that i took off. I cleaned it up and torqued it down to 45ft/lbs. I don’t know if I should get new nuts or what, but I did buy some 3/8-16 grade 8 nuts, haven’t put them on. I will get the nuts @mrblaine suggested unless these will work? Thanks

You need the fine threaded nuts, 3/8-24
 
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Ok. Thanks I will remove the nuts and replace them. I have red thread locker, it says high heat heavy duty on it, permatex brand. Thanks for the help
If you put red locktite on em you will need a torch to get em off again. Red is considered permanent. Blue will get the job done just fine.

In theory you should only use stover nuts once, I've reused em before but they tend not to hold as well so on something as important as keeping your axle on I'd replace em. Your local bolt store will have em I'm sure.


There must have been a time
when we could have said no.
 
If you put red locktite on em you will need a torch to get em off again. Red is considered permanent. Blue will get the job done just fine.

In theory you should only use stover nuts once, I've reused em before but they tend not to hold as well so on something as important as keeping your axle on I'd replace em. Your local bolt store will have em I'm sure.


There must have been a time
when we could have said no.
Looks like I’m getting stover nuts today and using those. Thanks everyone
 
If you put red locktite on em you will need a torch to get em off again. Red is considered permanent. Blue will get the job done just fine.

In theory you should only use stover nuts once, I've reused em before but they tend not to hold as well so on something as important as keeping your axle on I'd replace em. Your local bolt store will have em I'm sure.


There must have been a time
when we could have said no.
We use most of it, 262, 271, 272, 277, and a new one that works on oily surfaces and we remove them daily with nothing more than hand tools. I'm well aware of what Henkel says but the only ones we have found that actually require heat are the stud and bearing mount grades that are green.

We use it on wheel studs for wheel spacers, caliper saddles to knuckles, trackbar bolts, housing end bolts, etc. and we have never had to use heat to get it apart. I suspect that if you use a low grade fastener it might be an issue but very little we run into on Jeeps falls into that category. I wouldn't use it on S/S flat head with Allen drive, the bolt won't break but it will strip out the drive.
 
My main concern for that particular spot is the studs spinning in the axle retaining plate. Now I never did have a need to pull mine when I had tj axles so I'm assuming it's still studs like a jk axle. I ended up having to tack weld the original studs on mine while still on the jeep just from rust holding the nuts. Otherwise I agree 100% I've never torched it off and use it regularly.


There must have been a time
when we could have said no.
 
My main concern for that particular spot is the studs spinning in the axle retaining plate. Now I never did have a need to pull mine when I had tj axles so I'm assuming it's still studs like a jk axle. I ended up having to tack weld the original studs on mine while still on the jeep just from rust holding the nuts. Otherwise I agree 100% I've never torched it off and use it regularly.


There must have been a time
when we could have said no.
Entirely different than a TJ 44 or 35. The studs go in through the axle flange from the back side and have a flat spot on the side of the head that locks against the round side of the housing end to keep them from spinning.
 
We use most of it, 262, 271, 272, 277, and a new one that works on oily surfaces and we remove them daily with nothing more than hand tools. I'm well aware of what Henkel says but the only ones we have found that actually require heat are the stud and bearing mount grades that are green.

We use it on wheel studs for wheel spacers, caliper saddles to knuckles, trackbar bolts, housing end bolts, etc. and we have never had to use heat to get it apart. I suspect that if you use a low grade fastener it might be an issue but very little we run into on Jeeps falls into that category. I wouldn't use it on S/S flat head with Allen drive, the bolt won't break but it will strip out the drive.
Ok I used new grade c (equal to grade 8) zinc plated cone top locking nut. Used the blue locktite and torqued to 45ft/lbs. All that seems to be in. Unfortunately when putting the caliper back on, the caliper pin/bolt snapped off in the part of the axle. We used heat and got it out, but I swear I had the torque wrench set at 11 ft/lbs for that! Lesson learned again that those bolts don’t need much tourqe. Now, to find a caliper bolt.