My first time attempting to replace the u-joints on my '96 zj. After much hammering (including on my thumb) I finally removed the u-joint on the driver's side. Before putting in the new u-joint I noticed that the gear ring on the outer axle shaft was not on straight. I must have knocked it out of alignment getting the old u-joint out. Also the edge of some of the teeth on the gear ring where a little bent. Not too bad. So I hammered on it and got it to where it looks straight now. The teeth are still a little bent. So looking at the outer axle shaft on the other side I can't see anything that the gear ring actually engages into. What's its purpose? Is it ok to put the outer axle shaft back into service with the new u-joint, even thought its gear ring is slightly bent? Do I need to throw it away and buy a new one? How critical is that gear ring? Thank you so much for your experienced opinion!

 

That's the ABS tone ring, a few dings on the outside of the ring shouldn't cause any issues, keyword shouldn't. You'll know you have an issue if the abs light comes on or if you have weird ABS activation issues.

 

Thank you immensely for the reply Peligroso! I'll just put it back together and if I have abs errors I'll just buy a new tone ring and try to put it on without bending it. Thanks again!!!

 

I don't believe you're going to get a tone ring itself, but you'll have to buy a stub axle to get a new tone ring.

If you want my opinion, ABS is just a devise to compensate for poor driver control. Yes, it increases steering control in a panic situation, but it actually increases braking distance! JMHO.

 

Thanks dave! I'll certainly consider getting rid of the abs. Actually, as soon as I found out what it was, I looked up the tone ring and it's available separately and is about $20, much cheaper than the whole axle shaft. Still, replacing it looks like a hassle so I'll try going with the old one for now. Thanks!