Hey guys... I am replacing my rear main seal after I replaced the valve cover gasket and oil filter adapter oring. I have the oil pan completely off but it still will not clear the axle. The jack stands are under the frame as to allow the axle to hang freely. I have taken off the lower bolts on the shocks as well the upper control arms are off yet it still will not clear the axle. The only thing I can think of is to remove the axle. But I think I might have read every post out there and still can't figure it out...so any help is appreciated.

 

Boy, this comes up, and I can't remember. (haven't done a 4.0) I can tell you my book says to move the pan to get at the oil pump bolts, but no one does that. You could at least get it apart that way....

Until someone comes along, "advanced search" let's you get more specific. (if you put "cherokeeforum.com" in "with these words" , it'll search here pretty well.) >> http://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en

I think it's something other than the springs holding it up.

 

Did you disconnect the sway bar?

 

I did disconnect the sway bar.

 

Check out this thread.
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/rms...te-you-191571/

Lots of different suggestions, but sounds like disconnecting the shocks and sway bar is what worked best.

 

Shocks, sway bar, and track bar gave me about 1/8th clearance but my LCA mounts are slightly bent at the top which probably netted me that extra 1/8th inch. Can you tell what's preventing the axle from drooping more? Could be the track bar where it mounts to the axle, could be your LCAs. I would probably jack up the axle a little and disconnect the passenger side LCA at the axle. That will for sure give you enough space but it's a challenge getting the LCA back on.

 

I cannot for the life of me figure out what is preventing the axle from drooping far enough . But then again I have only owned my XJ for about six weeks. So I am pretty green. I think I am going to try and put a bottle jack in-between the frame and the axle before removing the LCA. If that doesn't work I am just going to remove everything and do some prep work for installing my lift.

 

I couldn't get my pan out the back either. I removed the track bar, oil pump, steering linkage, and sway bar. It came out the front with know problem. I was replacing the tie rod ends and sway bar bushings so this had to come off anyway.

 

I just did mine, I had the same issue with the clearance...

The way I got my pan off was I ended up pulling the motor mount bolts and hooked up my engine lift and got it up just enough to get clearance.. It worked for me...

Ant...

 

I finally got the oil pan out yesterday. A friend came over, and was looking at and I just stepped on the rotor to allow a little more room and the pan literally fell out. I was very surprised. Got the rear bearing cap off and was working on the RMS when I ran out of time. So I will continue tonight.

 

Glad you got it. I was going to suggest just loosening the lca bolts a couple turns to allow a little pressure release on the bushings which would have let it drop a little more

 

Nice to hear you got it out. Hopefully, the balance of your project offers less resistance.

 

I was going to do that but I did not have the right size socket. I got the rear main cap off and boy that was on tight. But it got a little late to get the rms out. But seams to be moving along now.

 

Whoops. Guess I get to be pretty wrong. Glad you got it. With the oil pomp on?