I am building an C8.25 for my XJ. I dont know jack about rears so I am paying someone to assemble it. I learned a pretty good deal searching and disassembling the C8.25 but I have a few questions. I want to minimize purchases, but have a good reliable rear.

1) Is there a way to test the axle bearings when disassembled? They look good and spin good. I know axle bearings are cheap and now is the time to do it... but I also know adding up this and that will make the labor charge a lot more.

2) I am not re-gearing so the person assembling it really just pops the ring gear off of my open carrier and puts it onto the Trac-Lok then puts it into the 8.25 and checks stuff?

3) I am putting a new Yoke on it too... This is more to confirm my search results. An XJ C8.25 doesnt have a crush sleeve and taking the yoke off wont effect the pinion? So I can get the carrier swapped to my Trac-Lok by someone that knows what they are doing and then I can just mark everything, pop off the pinion nut (I know its not that easy), take the yoke off, put the new one on, put the nut back on, torque it and be good?

One thing I've learned is never skimp on the axles. Once the bearings are remove, they are 'used' and should be replaced. Do not cheap out
The yoke needs to be torqued to spec. A very experienced hand can feel it. You cannot. You will need a torque wrench
You're also supposed to replace the pinion nut as it is now 'used'
And you're going through all this expense and 'upgrading' to a trac loc AND NOT regearing?

Sounds like you're just paying someone to reset your gears. You'll need a small install kit. But then again I didn't buy one when I had my gears reset but the axle had been rebuilt and geared a year before

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on any of this

Iirc the yoke torque isnt too important...

There's a torque spec, but if there's no crush sleeve just tighten the ***** out of it or use a quality impact and call it a day.

1) Replace them with new timken bearings and new timken seals.

2) Why in the hell are you doing all that for a limited slip? Throw a lunchbox locker like an aussie or spartan in the rear open carrier and dont worry about the other stuff. You wont even have to remove the carrier and you can do it yourself.

3) Yes the 8.25 has a crush sleeve not sure where your getting your info. You can replace the crush sleeve with a solid spacer though. The adjusters on these axles is soemthing i would rather have a pro do.

I have no idea if the 8.25 has one or not.

I'm going from an open D35 to a Trac-Lok, trussed, disc 8.25. I could have gone with an auto locker but I'm not that type to go throw mods at something just to make it uncomfortable most of the time. I don't want to fool myself saying I dont feel it "much" or it's not "that" loud or It's easy to drive in snow "if" your cautious.

With the Trak-Lok it's comfortable on road under all conditions and not the best but a hell of a lot better than an open rear off road.

To each their own. Most of us post on here when talking about traction devices for offroad purposes. Most of us dont care about the on road hiccups it might cause. But i harldy ever drive mine on the street.

I have a trak lok in my d35 and you can deff tell a difference off road. But I will never compare to a locker

I didnt mean any disrespect by what I said. I just meant that its a dual purpose vehicle so I don't want to sacrifice on road comfort for something I wont NEED.

There are a lot of people on here who would throw in a locker and HATE the way it drives but deal with all of its quirks just to say they have a locker.

If it were a truly off road only vehicle I would throw a locker in it. I may still throw a selectable locker in the front down the road but my intention is to be a winter DD so I don't have to drive either of my SRT's in the snow and then be a part time DD/ off road toy the rest of the year.

I apologize if you took my response wrong

The 8.25 definitely does have a crush sleeve, and if you're changing the yoke definitely change the pinion seal along with it it's likely to start leaking soon after if you don't. Personally I would also definitely change the axle bearings and axle seals as well, they aren't exactly "bulletproof" lol and you'll be spending WAY more labor wise to wait and do it later.

1- if there is no pitting, or not alot of lateral movent in the rollers, then you COULD reuse them with the original carrier. BUT since you are switching carriers i would recommend getting new bearings. dont skimp.

2-he will have to reset the contact pattern and then redo the backlash.

3- it does have a crush sleeve, and it needs to be set properly. when you are setting a crush sleeve you are tightening it so that there is a certain preload on the pinion bearings, it is not set to a certain torque.

again this goes back to since you are swapping carriers your backlash and wear pattern will be different, so if you want your axle to be reliable and set up correctly, it will need to be done correctly to spec.

if you have any more questions , then ask away.