2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission when pulling passengers side axle shaft.locker ingauged or not?

[GreggNoble]

hi guys,if i may i`d like to tap into your vast knowledge again,i have learnt so much from this site!

i have to put new ball joints(XRF) in my passenger side front axle, (did them 1 year ago with mopar. Grrrrr) the last time i did it when i pulled the axle shaft the locking collar or gear that joints the shafts fell down and i had a hell of a time gettin it back. should i have had the axle locked or unlocked to do this?

Any opinions on the XRF Ball joints,they are very expensive here in Canada but has lifetime warrenty.

 

[snappy]

I have used Moog ball joints. Never had to engage 4X4 for pulling the axle shafts.

 

[SMorneau]

When the axle collar is engaged it will be partially on the center shaft and partway on the outside shaft you are going to pull. It might make sense to have it partway on the center shaft when you go to reinsert the axle as the collar may be better located.

 

[SRath]

I just did mine. Leave it in 2wd. You don't have much choice unless you have a vacuum source without the engine running. I replaced the axle seals and ujoints, too. My collar fell off, but it was no big deal at all to put back on. The hardest part of the whole thing was fabricating a seal driver (puller) that installed the passenger side seal squarely and undamaged.

I recommend getting a genuine Spicer replacement seal, too. The NAPA version did not want to fit as well. I also discovered my local axle & driveshaft shop carries ALL genuine Spicer parts and they are cheaper than NAPA. I returned the NAPA u-joints when the axle shop offered to sell me genuine Spicers INSTALLED onto my shafts for less money. My original spicer u-joints had 160k on them and were in great shape, but I replaced them anyway.

Spend $3 for a new plastic bushing in the end of the outer axle shaft while you are at it. Cheap insurance.

 

[SMorneau]

You don't need a vacuum source without the engine running. Just shut the engine off with the transfer case shifted into 4hi and the shift fork will stay engaged.
It does not sound like you are planning to do the axle seal so you may want to try leaving it engaged so you would not have to pull the CAD assembly if the collar comes out of position. That said, it is good advice to have a seal ready to go just in case.

A couple of weeks ago I assisted a friend doing ball joints and the little "C" frame ball joint press was not cutting it so we dropped the steering connections and took the entire knuckle to a small 12 ton press which when used with the "C" press's metal cups made short work of it. We never had the collar come out of position and we never had to pull the CAD assembly.

SRATH, I am drawing a blank on the plastic bushing? Can you elaborate?

 

[DieselDoghouse]

IMHO: if you're doing the ball joints (therefore you're pulling both axle shafts) 2W/4W is nonsense - since you should drop the CAD cover (its a cork-style gasket—I've had mine off tons) AND the front pumpkin cover since if you knock the garter spring from the drivers side axle seal you WILL have to be in there. Once you have the ball joints, steering knuckles, axle shafts all installed Then you can check the slide function of the coupling sleeve for CAD and reseal the boxes—just my 2¢ after three times around…

 

[ata]

Short story, Yes put it in 4Hi with engine running (make sure it ingages) and the collar will stay on the inner axle shaft.