High pinion Dana 30 front axle build for LJ

Spencer C

Spencer C

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Tallahassee, FL
Happy Quarantining everyone! In order to celebrate being in the house all the time, I want to get started on a High Pinion Dana 30 front axle build to swap into my 2004 LJ. There is a 1995 Cherokee at the Pick N Pull near me. Might stroll over there to see if the front axle is still there. Am I correct in saying that the 95 Cherokee front axle is what I’m looking for?

Also, please feel free to include any other info I should know for this build. With this build I plan on putting a truss on it, chromoly axle shafts, new gears front and rear, front locker, and run 35s. Thanks!
 
Been researching the same. I think you should be able to use 92 - 99 XJ Dana 30 housing as you will be doing aftermarket shafts so don’t have to worry about smaller u-joint in earlier models.

You can tell from photos I have saved I’ve been looking into same thing. Just haven’t brought myself to click the order button just yet. Some of this probably isn’t necessary but that’s what comes from boredom as result of not being able to leave house. I can find all kinds crap that suddenly seems can’t live without LOL

Artec has sale right now for the truss and c gussets. Sale is actually on everything so if want to go all out can replace other brackets as well.
E5C7F8C5-3873-4717-858F-A15DC4EF1253.jpeg


I figure on junkyard axle doing hubs can’t hurt. Actually should probably add ball joints to the list for same reason. I think you can actually do gear kit for XJ with Dana 44 rear and is cheaper but not totally clear on differences in install kits or exactly what need when use ARB. This is from liftkits4less. Best prices I’ve been able to find right now and I think if contact online sales they might knock off few more %.
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Must be a trend! Just picked up a HP dana 30 for free off a 94 XJ. The only thing i was really looking out for was to make sure that it didn't have CAD, not sure on the years... I bought a cheap truss off Amazon, basically just a piece of 1/4 plate steel https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LFOBSO2/?tag=wranglerorg-20 . Just stripped it down and painted it. I dropped it off Friday for ARB and 5.13 gears to be installed. Went
IMG_20200414_192020.jpg
with timken hubs, and dana ball joints. Not upgrading the shafts since i can find stock shafts for cheap and i have 3 full sets as spares now.
IMG_20200414_192020.jpg
 
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It's a little extra work, but the CAD isn't that bad if you find a good deal on a CAD axle. In my area there were piles of CAD axles for $150 and non-CAD were nowhere at the yards and Jeep recyclers were wanting $500+ for them.

I just swapped everything over from my TJ axles, so I have the larger u-joints, the updated knuckles and ball joints, etc.

You can pay $40 or make your own CAD housing cover plate.

The passenger UCA mount is part of the cast CAD housing, so it's much stronger than the sheetmetal thing that comes on the non CAD axles.

Lastly, I used the outer axle seal in the CAD housing and cleaned up the spot on my TJ axle with emery cloth, and then I added another seal in the inner end of the tube where the TJ's seal would have been. The trickiest part of the whole thing is that they used 3 different thicknesses of axle tubes so there are three different possible seals to fit correctly.

By the time I sold the brake calipers, knuckles, and axle shafts out of the CAD 30, it was almost free. Then when I sold my empty TJ LP Dana 30 housing I ended up in the black (not counting the regear, new ball joints, and the new carrier of course - but that was going to happen anyway)
 
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freedom_in_4low said:
It's a little extra work, but the CAD isn't that bad if you find a good deal on a CAD axle. In my area there were piles of CAD axles for $150 and non-CAD were nowhere at the yards and Jeep recyclers were wanting $500+ for them.

I just swapped everything over from my TJ axles, so I have the larger u-joints, the updated knuckles and ball joints, etc.

You can pay $40 or make your own CAD housing cover plate.

The passenger UCA mount is part of the cast CAD housing, so it's much stronger than the sheetmetal thing that comes on the non CAD axles.

Lastly, I used the outer axle seal in the CAD housing and cleaned up the spot on my TJ axle with emery cloth, and then I added another seal in the inner end of the tube where the TJ's seal would have been. The trickiest part of the whole thing is that they used 3 different thicknesses of axle tubes so there are three different possible seals to fit correctly.

By the time I sold the brake calipers, knuckles, and axle shafts out of the CAD 30, it was almost free. Then when I sold my empty TJ LP Dana 30 housing I ended up in the black (not counting the regear, new ball joints, and the new carrier of course - but that was going to happen anyway)
Click to expand...

so what’s the deal with CAD vs. non-CAD? Why is one more preferable than the other? And how can I tell which one the axle is?
 
In my opinion (having built several Dana 30's)

  • With 35's there is no need for a truss or sleeves (money spent elsewhere)
  • Tube seals are a complete waste of money (plenty online about that)
  • ARB is my locker of choice
  • Revolution gears set up easy and run quiet
  • Lubelocker gasket
  • Chromo shafts.....again, Revolution with the 1350 U-joint is the best (RCV is also considered best but some people don't the clicking often associated with them
  • Spicer ball joints
I'd get a non-cad HP30
 
Last edited:
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hosejockey61 said:
In my opinion (having built several Dana 30's)

  • With 35's there is no need for a truss or sleeves (money spent elsewhere)
  • I just installed the artec bracket kit and was impressed enough I got one for me (not a necessary but if you plan on running hydro assist at a later date it would be worth it
  • Tube seals are a complete waste of money (plenty online about that)
  • ARB is my locker of choice
  • Revolution gears set up easy and run quiet
  • Lubelocker gasket
  • Chromo shafts.....again, Revolution with the 1350 U-joint is the best (RCV is also considered best but some people don't the clicking often associated with them
  • Spicer ball joints
I'd get a non-cad HP30
Click to expand...
Why would you get a non-cad HP30? I don’t know much about CAD vs non-CAD yet or what that even really means haha and how can I tell if the axle is CAD or non-CAD?
 
Here is info I grabbed from an XJ forum section. You can spot a disconnect axle pretty easy.
Dana 30 high pinion - reverse cut - 27 spline, 1.16" diameter shafts, 7.13" ring gear - used 84-99 (some axles through 91 are vacuum disconnect, 92+ are non-disconnect, 89-95 with ABS have 5-297x u-joints, all 95+ have 5-297x u-joints, all others have 5-260x u-joints)

AC394A8D-43ED-4123-92F4-3102F6B9C5BC.jpeg
 
Spencer C said:
so what’s the deal with CAD vs. non-CAD? Why is one more preferable than the other? And how can I tell which one the axle is?
Click to expand...

The CAD refers to Center-axle-disconnect, which was a mechanism used on YJ's and early XJ's that disconnected the passenger wheel from the differential to reduce drag from driving the entire front driveline and improve mpg. It's prone to failure and doesn't really save any fuel, so it is undesirable to have an axle with the CAD apparatus.

However, by installing a non-CAD passenger axle shaft and removing the mechanism, you eliminate the only thing wrong with it.

You can tell because instead of a long axle tube, there's a cast housing on the passenger side that includes the UCA bracket.

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I agree that if you find an HP 30 in the condition you want for the price you want to pay, go for it. But if it turns out that the CAD axles might free up some money to use elsewhere, you're not really hurting anything by using the housing.
 
hosejockey61 said:
In my opinion (having built several Dana 30's)

  • With 35's there is no need for a truss or sleeves (money spent elsewhere)
  • I just installed the artec bracket kit and was impressed enough I got one for me (not a necessary but if you plan on running hydro assist at a later date it would be worth it
  • Tube seals are a complete waste of money (plenty online about that)
  • ARB is my locker of choice
  • Revolution gears set up easy and run quiet
  • Lubelocker gasket
  • Chromo shafts.....again, Revolution with the 1350 U-joint is the best (RCV is also considered best but some people don't the clicking often associated with them
  • Spicer ball joints
I'd get a non-cad HP30
Click to expand...
I have 3 bent dana 30's and they all had 33's or smaller
 
hosejockey61 said:
In my opinion (having built several Dana 30's)

  • With 35's there is no need for a truss or sleeves (money spent elsewhere)
  • I just installed the artec bracket kit and was impressed enough I got one for me (not a necessary but if you plan on running hydro assist at a later date it would be worth it
  • Tube seals are a complete waste of money (plenty online about that)
  • ARB is my locker of choice
  • Revolution gears set up easy and run quiet
  • Lubelocker gasket
  • Chromo shafts.....again, Revolution with the 1350 U-joint is the best (RCV is also considered best but some people don't the clicking often associated with them
  • Spicer ball joints
I'd get a non-cad HP30
Click to expand...
I was just looking at the chromo shafts from Revolution gear! Might be making a stimulus purchase in the near future.... haha
 
hosejockey61 said:
In my opinion (having built several Dana 30's)

  • With 35's there is no need for a truss or sleeves (money spent elsewhere)
  • Tube seals are a complete waste of money (plenty online about that)
  • ARB is my locker of choice
  • Revolution gears set up easy and run quiet
  • Lubelocker gasket
  • Chromo shafts.....again, Revolution with the 1350 U-joint is the best (RCV is also considered best but some people don't the clicking often associated with them
  • Spicer ball joints
I'd get a non-cad HP30
Click to expand...
On point!
 
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