Moving Axles Around in the Garage

[FarFire70]

Having recently pulled out the Dana 30 and Dana 44 to clean up and repaint, I'm looking for advice on how folks are getting axles around the garage floor. I used 2 3-ton jacks together to get both out.

It worked but it was far from perfect. Seeing folks here dragging around much larger axles, I'm curious if there's better options to get the axles around, especially after I spend the time to paint them (don't want to scratch up a new paint job).

I'm pretty much in a 1 person operation when moving them around. The wife's willing to help when needed but its typically just me moving them around. The shifting weight of the pinion and finding good jack points made the 2 jack system be workable but a little sketchy at times. (Dana 30 slid down the jacks like it was sledding...)

Been thinking something simple like a furniture dolly may be an option to get them back under the Jeep but looking for ideas to simplify this process.

 

[taylormade73]

I use one floor jack under the pumpkin. Works fine for me by myself.

 

[FarFire70]

I use one floor jack under the pumpkin. Works fine for me by myself.

How about something like a Dana 30 where the weight shifts to one side? I can see trying this for the Dana 44.

 

[taylormade73]

I

How about something like a Dana 30 where the weight shifts to one side? I can see trying this for the Dana 44.

I jack it up high enough to put one hand on the handle and one hand on the long side axle.

 

[Lou]

Harbor Freight dollys.

 

[jjvw]

A couple of these.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003YHENVI/?tag=wranglerorg-20

 

[01TJ-Blues]

Put your wheels back on them and they are much easier to move around. Plus you don’t have to climb over the wheels if they were bolted up.

 

[FarFire70]

Put your wheels back on them and they are much easier to move around. Plus you don’t have to climb over the wheels if they were bolted up.

LOL! Thought I was a genius when I thought of this when removing the rear. Then I jacked it up to the level that would be needed for the tire to go on and realized it would have been too high to clear the gas tank. :foreheadslap:

 

[01TJ-Blues]

LOL! Thought I was a genius when I thought of this when removing the rear. Then I jacked it up to the level that would be needed for the tire to go on and realized it would have been too high to clear the gas tank. :foreheadslap:

Lucky for you they can be bolted on after you pulled it!

 

[D M]

A couple of these.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003YHENVI/?tag=wranglerorg-20

View attachment 234693

Hey now I dont see a handle

 

[FarFire70]

Was figuring a furniture dolly was a good idea. Maybe some added blocks to be sure the jack can get under it. Thanks for those confirming that I wasn't in left field on ideas.

Being as I have 3-4 feet of clearance on either side of the Jeep, it's helpful to have tips to help move things around it. The double jacks on an axle worked but was a pain and more time intensive than preferred. I also have old parts on the floor beside the Jeep for the jack to catch on that were an added fun obstacle for the jacks to clear....

 

[jjvw]

Hey now I dont see a handle

Tie a rope to the dolly and drag it around.

 

[Sea Cot]

HF trans jack. . . https://www.harborfreight.com/autom...450-lbs-low-lift-transmission-jack-61232.html This thing has hauled waaaay more axles and everything else than transmissions.

 

[OldGloryLJ]

I like the trans jack idea better but when I was building mine I strapped it to jack stands and the dollies underneath. Painted it while on them too. The bigger wood dollies like posted above would probably be a little more stable.

 

[someguysjeep]

i made this thing up. a length of 6" channel, a couple scraps of tube and a couple scraps of angle. i made a couple dolly boards with cheap HF casters and those go on and off depending on whether it needs to roll or remain stationary.

sometimes i get lazy and lay a few boards across my creeper and just drop it on there to move it out of the way.

 

[qslim]

Hey now I dont see a handle

For sure, you're definitely going to want a way to carry them around.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...aid-i-need-this-stuff-build.45882/post-782022

 

[Irun]

I currently have a Rubi Dana 44, Dana 30, and a 12 Bolt early Camaro/Nova rear on 3 sets of HF dollies. They fit nicely underneath the the LJ and are easy to move around. Generally, you need to add a 2x4 block, to prevent the rotors from dragging.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

Furnitue dollies work great. When I do suspension work I build a cradle to position the axle at ride height and proper pinion angle. Helps a lot with the setup, and makes them very mobile.

I just built a 14 bolt using this approach, and even with that heavy beast the furniture dolly handled the weight just fine.

 

[Lonewolf]

I built a stand from random scrap metal

 

[pc1p]

I feel like I use furniture dollies for everything BUT furniture!

I have a couple pieces of plywood and 4"x4" that sits perfect between the runners (the pieces without carpet) for when I need to keep something from falling through or adjust the height. I recently got a set of Pittsburgh/HF car dollies and those things are amazing as well.

For moving axles from garage to side yard, I have a set of rollers for just that purpose...