I have completely taken apart the front axle to replace broken ball joints and U-joints. So far I have gotten the new ball joints installed, and tomorrow morning I will take care of the U-joints. My question is this:

1. How do I remove the inner axle seals?

2. How do I install the new ones?

 

not that hard not long ago done mine....

i used this write up..

http://jeep-xj.info/HowtoD30AxlesSeals.htm

 

I am having a fair amount of trouble trying to do this, and add to the fact I am starting to get really pissed off with these seals. I have gone through 6 sets of seals trying to seat them and then get them in, every pair of which has gotten destroyed because they folded in half. Heres what I'm using:

1. 1 and 1/4 inch socket to sit over the seal

2. Several extension rods that are 1/2 inch drive that fit together and then onto the socket.

I think that the smaller socket size is what was causing them to bend in half. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated, as my Jeep has been out of service for more than a week because of these seals.

 

Came up with a new method:

A long metal bar of all thread with a set of washers and bolts.

This is a word illustration of what it will look like:

Bolt, Socket, Washer, Seal, (all on the all thread bar) slipped through the axle housing, and the another washer and and bolt outside the axle housing.

My dad thinks this will work, I want to continue using the socket and extenders method.

I guess tomorrow morning I will find out if this works, if this doesn't work then I'm going to do one of two things, take a hammer and hit the jeep repeatedly because of how pissed off I am with it right now because these seals won't go back through or push the jeep off the jack stands and leave it sitting on the floor. Sorry guys, i'm just tired of dealing with these seals.

 

Sounds like your new plan should work. I also used the same link posted above and it worked very well. Let us know if you have more issues.

 

Hammer ,extensions and socket always worked for me?

 

Ive done them without using the extensions, IMO makes it way easier because you can see what your hitting.

 

I finished installing the seals wayyyyyy earlier today around like 3. The method my dad came up with worked perfectly. We had some trouble with the driver side seal, but it took us less than 10 seconds to drive and seat the passenger side. After that I changed the front and rear diff fluid as well as the transfer case. I did run into a problem though:



The upper ball joint on both sides are Dana Spicers that I picked up from 4 wheel parts, the holes for the cotter pins were drilled way to low, after I took pictures and sent them to my local 4 wheel parts the manager confirmed what I saw to be a problem. He told me that he would give me some washers that I could use to lower the bolt a little so that the cotter pins fit snugly. I however found out that the driver side upper ball joint nut had stripped the ball joint stud slightly, now the bolt is all the way up so thats its tightened and I can't remove it to put the washers in.

Does anyone else think that I am in deep **** here? Suppose I hit a pot hole and the nut breaks free...

 

Pics? Maybe start a new thread to get more input.

 

sure the ball joints not just spining in the socket???