Repairing front axle after wreck

Zwc32

Zwc32

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Joined
Jan 23, 2022
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10
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Tennessee
So I got hit in the front driver side in my 97 TJ 4cyl 5 speed. It shoved the driver side wheel back, and busted the transfer case. Even though the lady was on my side of the road and hit me while she was swerving back over, somehow they ruled it no fault so I have to fix everything out of pocket. I already know I have to replace t-case and all susp. / steering components. My question is on the front axle do I need to be looking for an entire Dana 30, or could I just replace the axle shaft on driver side.

Thanks

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As cheap and available Dana 30s are...and I guess that depends on the area...plus you have a 4 cyl and that's a sought after ratio for swaps...I'd at least look on CL and FB etc and see what your pricing and options are...

-Mac

P.S. I feel you on insurance. My neighbor borrowed my truck, rear main blew backing my gooseneck dump trailer down our shared driveway...got it out fast...private road... dealer told insurance it was my fault for lack of maintenance...had I known they were going to screw me I would have fixed it myself...ended up with a $2400 bill and my insurance rates doubled.
 
HP Dana 30s go for 200ish around me. If it were me I’d use opportunity to pick one up and rebuild entirely.
 
Did they rule it no fault because there were no lines? I don't know the law regarding that, I'm just surprised they didn't rule it their fault.
 
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Sorry for your bad luck.
From the looks of the damage I would wager the axle is bent. You will need to do a closer inspection to determine the damage. If the hit was hard enough to break the transfer case you will probably be looking for a driveshaft. Hopefully it is just binding up from the axle being shifted back. I believe 97's came with 3.73 or 4.10 gears depending on the transmission. Both are relatively easy to find but prices can vary. If you are desperate to get it back on the road Car-part.com is a good resource. Although once you find an axle it's worth a call or visit to the yard to see if they will negotiate on the price. TJ's at pull-your-parts are rare. You can look for an XJ but the majority of them are 3.55's.
 
No lines on the road played a part in it, but the lady admitted fault and apologized before the cop got there. Then her husband came and they made up a story. The county cop said she was at fault but they kept arguing with him so he said do you want me to call a State Trooper, and the husband said yes. By the time the trooper got there it was well after dark, after they talked to him he told me he thought that she was on my side but he couldn’t prove it without a doubt so he ruled no fault. Thanks for the replies, I’m gonna try my best to get it back on the road, I have only had it 11 months and absolutely love it. It has 4.10 gears so I guess I will try to find a Dana 30 with same ratio so it will match rear. It would be nice to change to 4.56, but I will be doing all the work myself and I have never done any re-gearing. Thanks for the help.
 
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Zwc32 said:
No lines on the road played a part in it, but the lady admitted fault and apologized before the cop got there. Then her husband came and they made up a story. The county cop said she was at fault but they kept arguing with him so he said do you want me to call a State Trooper, and the husband said yes. By the time the trooper got there it was well after dark, after they talked to him he told me he thought that she was on my side but he couldn’t prove it without a doubt so he ruled no fault. Thanks for the replies, I’m gonna try my best to get it back on the road, I have only had it 11 months and absolutely love it. It has 4.10 gears so I guess I will try to find a Dana 30 with same ratio so it will match rear. It would be nice to change to 4.56, but I will be doing all the work myself and I have never done any re-gearing. Thanks for the help.
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That sucks, I would still talk to a lawyer and see what they think. Folks might change their tune if they think a court date is coming.
The pictures don't lie.
 
bucky said:
And that’s why I have cameras in all my vehicles. Here in The Peoples Republic of California stop signs and lights are just a suggestion.
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Yes I will definitely be investing in a dash cam now, it would have been worth its weight in gold in this case. She was literally in the grass on my side of the road when I first saw her.
 
Simply using photos that you posted is enough to have a good case. From what i see, your front wheel locked up and been dragged certain distance, even with wheels turned left, you are still on your side of the road (unless they moved you after incident).

The thing you need to understand, even though you can find and replace parts for "cheap" on your own, a company that will be doing damage assessment is likely the company your insurance will use for repairs. After the inspection, they will send damage assessment back to the insurance, and that assessment will have their marked up prices on it. However, money goes to you, not them... you follow?
 
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