cypher

I'm looking to replace some components in my front axle. Passenger side has a CV style axle shaft while the driver side has a busted U-joint style axle shaft..(bought it that way..original owner only replaced the passenger side.) I found these...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Front-Left-and-Right-CV-Drive-Axle-shaft-U-Joint-2-Wheel-Hub-Bearing-4WD/161370950809?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3D208f7761a8fb41869e2f9b28f0c25812%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D20131017132637%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D161370950809
Also, should I go with CV style axle shafts or U-joint style? What are the advantages/drawbacks of the two?
I know you get what you pay for but, I'd like to get my 4 wheel drive back.
Input...advice on these?

SeriousOffroad

A busted u-joint is an easy trail fix.

dave1123

Living in Fall River Ma I doubt he does any serious off-roading. The CV axles will give you tighter turns without "hunting" or "hopping". The u-joints are cheaper, but are near impossible to grease. JMHO, put the CV axles in it.

Check with rockauto.com. They have the best prices, best selection of makers, and they've never sent me the wrong part or one that failed permaturely. Yeah, you have to pay shipping and wait for it, but so what?

mrshaft696

depends what you do with it, the u-joint are greasable and rebuidable, but if your not wheeling it, its not a big deal.... you just need to swap the yoke on the front axle and everything bolts right up...

dave1123

Stop it! You don't have to replace the whole axle! Just the half-shafts.

SeriousOffroad

WTH are you ranting about?

dave1123

Why would you have to change the yoke on the front axle just to put CV shafts in?

gpXJ

My guess is he sees CV shaft and is assuming we are talking about driveshafts.

dave1123

Yeah, it does get confusing it times, don't it?

cypher

My bad with the details...let me try to clarify things...

dave1123...correct. I don't do any trail riding. I do however, live on a hill that I can't get up when it snows. No 4 wheel drive. Also, I do get most of my parts from RockAuto, have been for a while.
Also...Not to sound like as ******* but,to be clear....I didn't say I was replacing the axle....I said 'components in the front axle'....i.e., the half shaft on the driver side and the half shaft on the passenger side.

gpXJ....no, I'm not mistaking a CV shaft with a drive shaft....I'm not THAT much of noob.

I'm not planning on doing any serious off roading at all. I just want to get the 4 wheel drive operating so I don't get stuck on my hill when it snows and so I can actually drive where I live. Lots of hills here. I'm only running all-season tires on the rear and the heep weighs 5300 lbs....bad combination for snowy roads.

Hope this clears things up. I'm thinking I'm going to go with the CV style half shafts. If they go ****ty after a while, I'll just swap 'em out for U-joint shafts.

dave1123

cypher, I understand what you're trying to accomplish. It's the other posters that I'm having trouble with.

One thing I'd like to suggest (only a suggestion) is to replace your hub bearings while you have it apart. The axle change should be a simple slide-out, slide-in deal. You can rebuild your old axles and keep them as spares if you want.

mrshaft696

yup, just referring to doing the full cv to u-joint conversion for zj.... A front shaft from a xj auto is a easy swap and the "front pinion yoke, for the Driveshaft"...The stock driveshaft joint is actually called a rzeppa joint or something goofy...


I would still just have gone with the u-joint axle shafts, but when I first did it and had a 249 t-case, full lock turns were not as smooth....since went to a 242 and no more issues...

dave1123

cypher, I think you are mistaking Max Gross Vehicle weight for unladen weight. My WJ weighs 3980 lbs unladen and MGVW is 5350, meaning it will carry 1370 lbs. I think your ZJ weighs somewhere around 37-something.

People tell us the 4.0 is gutless, but what do they expect with 195 horses trying to pull 2 tons?