hello all,

I know this has been covered here and there, but im looking for any fresh help for this task, anything that rings as a focus for the job.

to start i went and bought a second floor jack, and will be getting a propane torch just in case. likely i wont have a helper available. I have been soaking All bolts, other than rear backing plates, in PB blaster. Ive had the front hubs off last year so that should be good. the leafs havent been removed since the lift 7 years ago, i have new IRO shackles to add/replace too.

My re-gear guy suggested pulling the rear C8.25 breather tube bolt and then backing plate bolts to remove the brakes, as not to need bleeding them on re install.... will the plates even come off in this fashion without bending hardline?

tooling i think i have all the basics,
again just me doing this so how difficult are axles to load into another vehicle? shafts will be removed...

99 RE3.5 np 242 190000

 

Is he saying remove the whole hard lines off the axle ?Sounds like more work to me then bleeding the brakes.

 

There is zero reason to remove the entire axle assembly to regear

 

Well........not always true.........the friend I have who does my gears will not do them under the vehicle....not even for me....and we've been friends since 88.

It is easier to work on.

 

It makes no sense at all. I am myself a automotive technician and not just talking out of ignorance . There would be no benefit especially when you weigh in all the added labor to do so.

 

yes he is suggesting removing the rear hardline so i dont have to bleed the brakes. maybe more work than needed, it was a suggestion but i dont see getting around bleeding them in an apartment garage, not sure if the rear shafts will slide out in that space without the axle removed. even so hth do i support the hard line if i can pull all that junk off lol.


no removing the axles is not necessary for re gearing, however this is not a shop and he needs the axles delivered. the name of the game is saving dough and in an apartment garage im flopping one axle at a time. re gear rear. re install, flip jeep, pull front axle, re install. tedious yes, but 1500$ shop gears and labor. vs 400$ labor+ 450$ gears= win

 

Makes a lot more sense .

 

Don't matter is it makes sense to you or not.....his shop, his requirement....and the axles are removed elsewhere...not his shop, so no extra work for him.

 

It is a lot easier to re gear a axle thats not in something unless its got a drop out carrier like a 9 inch and 14 bolt.As far as the rear brakes what about clamping the rubber line between the body and rear end that goes to the t ?You'd still have to bleed the rear brakes but not as bad if you left it unclamped.

 

One more vote for yank the axles to regear. I did the gears in a 8.8 and D30 for my XJ. I bought new axles (jeep came with CAD D30 and a D35). I bought the axles, beefed them up, then installed them in my jeep. Was nice doing the gears on a bench rather than under the vehicle.

I'm not a auto mechanic, so I don't contort myself to work on the vehicle. To hell with that.

 

I did mine on vehicle. That said, I did them in a class I was taking at the local college, so had a lift. I would never try to do it without a lift. Pull 'em, and do it on bench if you don't have access to a lift, it'll be tons easier.

 

If you have a lift it's still easier than on a bench and far less work to do it in the vehicle unless you're working on the ground. You're having to remove them regardless so it really doesn't matter . If the u-bolt nuts don't budge immediately heat them up . I always remove the lines with junctions and all and fasten them up out of the way for removal . You can leave park brake cables attached to the drums and disconnext them further up on vehicle to avoid brake work . Most axles I sneak out through the left or right side without dropping leafs to avoid additional parts being needed if it turns into a big deal to drop the leaf which they often do with a lot of age and miles .

 

Why would you need to drop the leaf?

 

I had a brain fart on leaf comment lately I've been replacing a ton of leafs at work that are broken these particular vehicles aren't mounted under the leaf like a Cherokee . My mistake on that one .

 

Sounds like extra unnecessary work to me. Just sayin'. Plus, there's a large chance of breaking/seizing the leaf spring bushing bolts if they haven't been removed/replaced in a while.

Just put the vehicle on stands, support the axle, remove necessary items, remove u-bolts, and Robert's your dads brother.