vac-disco front diff housing

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May 7, 2009 | 01:16 PM

#46

mike37

CF Veteran

Joined: Nov 2008

Posts: 2,473

Likes: 9

From: Paso Robles Ca

Year: 1991

Model: Cherokee

Engine: 4.0

Quote:

Originally Posted by solderjunkie

I'm going to attempt to clarify all of this... Winston tried, but nobody noticed.

I have a 1991 2WD 2-door Sport (exactly the body I wanted, stripped-down beauty)

I started a 4wd conversion... I pulled an AW4/NP231/D30 from a crashed 1996 XJ (I was unaware that the D30 housing was tweaked)

All of the internals of the D30 are beautiful because the owner did not drive any further after crashing.

The Pull-A-Part here in Nashville has several empty vac-disco D30 housings (I didn't see ANY 1991-and-up solid housings). I want an empty housing because I don't want to buy extra parts that some other Jeeper could use... also the empty housing is much cheaper.

I have heard of vac-disco owners doing the "solid-axle conversion" installing later axles in the disco housing.

I needed to know what to do with the gaping hole in the housing and whether there is a machined land in the center (pumpkin) area for the original inboard axle-seal to live.

I know to get rid of the short-axle, bearing and disco-box seal.

Here we are

machined land in the center (pumpkin) area YES but some don't.
keep a seal in the original outer part of the disco box to keep junk out
not for oil seal.
fab or buy a cover for the disco box.

I don't know why everyone is making this so complicated.

getting the gears set right is the hardest part and that is easy if you have a press. not so easy if you don't but still very doable in an hr if you don't get frustrated.

I have hands on with this swap but it was over 15 years ago.
the seal at the pumpkin is not a must do but is the best way if you have it all apart out any way.
you need the seal in the outer part of the disco to keep water dirt and junk from building up in the disco housing but its not a must.
if you do the seal at the inner part of the disco housing you should still keep a seal at the outer part for above reason.

I personaly dont care how you do its your jeep