RickMNJ

Hi all

Thanks in advance for any insight provided!

A good friend was hit broadside in his '99 Cherokee Limited. Damage was confined to the Driver side quarter panel and Wheel hub/Axle.
I figure the easiest fix will be to swap the entire rear assembly out.

I found another '99 Limited donor vehicle and researched the tags on the rear diff for each. As much as I gathered I still have questions regarding compatibility.

I see that both rear assemblies are 3.73 ratios. The damaged vehicle driver side diff tag reads:

52099429AC
3 73 606008-2

The potential donor tag reads:

52099426AC HL
3 73 606061-2

I looked up the codes on the Dana database and pretty much gathered the damaged vehicle has a standard diff. However, I'm not sure what HL means on the potential donor.. Is it a Limited Slip? I could only find a reference on an unrelated forum talking about Hi lock and Low lock.

Can anyone shed light on this and any other info regarding the differences? Also, if compatible, is it a direct swap?

Thanks again!

00t444e

Is it a Cherokee or Grand Cherokee? The only gear options for a 4.0 Cherokee of that year was 3.55 with the Auto, or 3.07 with the manual. If the rear axle is a Dana 35 I would take the opportunity and upgrade it to a Chrysler 8.25 out of a 97-01 Cherokee.

RickMNJ

They're both Cherokee Limited vehicles. Also, both 3 73.

I believe Dana 44 units. Do you know if the HL rear is swappable with the standard, existing rear?

00t444e

The only rear axles that were available for the 99 model year are the Chrysler 8.25 or the Dana 35, they quit putting Dana 44 rears in them sometime around 90 or 91. I have never seen or heard of a factory 95-01 4.0 XJ with 3.73 gears so you have a rare one and it is even more surprising that you found another 3.73 geared axle. As far as swapping them goes as long as the gears are the same you shouldn't have an issue.

XJeepin06

Those are both Dana 44 with the vari-lock. The vehicle in question is a Grand Cherokee (WJ). I'm going to guess it has the Quadra-Drive option. Either way the axle part numbers cross reference to each other.

00t444e

The op said it is a Cherokee not a Grand Cherokee. If it is a Grand Cherokee they did come with 3.73 gears and the Dana 44a rear was common.

XJeepin06

I realize the op says its a XJ not a WJ. However chances of this being an XJ with those part numbers is nil. Pretty much every 4.7 had the 3.73s in the 44a. The wierd part is that both P/Ns come up as having the Vari-lock., yet the OP says the axle does not have a L/S.