Major rear axle problem!!!

[liljeeplover]

I have a 1980 CJ7 304 V8 4spd. It all started trying to fix a differential fluid leak. I have a model 20 one peice rear axle. I thought it was two pieces but found out different while taking it apart. Anyways Tried to reassemble left rear side axle and went through creeks drove it down the road for hours. Then going down the road at 60mph the axle walked out on me. It messed up the edge of the axle shaft. Not too bad because caught it in time. Can you get a shaft resplined and if so where? Also can anyone tell me how to properly reinstall a model 20 one piece rear axle? Please Thank you.

 

[ktmrider63]

I'm going to be resplining my axles soon too, but not because they grenaded . There are a few 4x4 shops around where I live that can respline axles for pretty cheap or if there aren't any shops that can you can usually order one off the internet for more.

As for installation goes, :???:


*waits for steelheadz reply* xD

 

[SteelHeadz]

Make sure the axle bearing is good and the lock ring is intact. Theres 4 bolts holding the axle shaft on the axle tube flange. The whole axle shaft should just slide in the differntial and then set the mounting plate on the shaft to the axle flange to install the bolts. make sure all your rear brake components are set properly.

 

[Turbogus]

So you may think you have a major axle problem. I purchased my '78 CJ 5 a while back and had been having some rear axle problems. Shortly after acquiring this CJ axle grease was seeping out of the hub. Upon removing the axles we noticed that the inner wheel bearings were WELDED to the axle, not by heat/friction, but by someone with a welder! A local shop re kitted this axle (narrow AMC 20) with a Yukon 1 piece axle kit. I also had installed a axle truss/skid plate. 1st try and the bearing free play was too tight - burned up the wheel bearings. 2nd try, too loose - axle backed out of the housing shortly after leaving shop. 3rd try and things went well for about two months and then noticed some seepage at the rear hub again. Sure enough, the free play had increased. This go, a non stock bearing keeper was installed to hold bearing firmly in place -we hoped! The shop chief noticed that there were two half circle ( ) inserts incorporated into this axle that were part of the 'welded' axle, no mention of these in the AMC service manual that I luckily had acquired since getting this Jeep, and another odd thing is correct free play couldn't be obtained without these half circle inserts. We contacts Randy's Ring and Pinion and learned that a spacer was missing for the kit we had purchased from them earlier. We had to pull the dang thing apart AGAIN and with Randy's on the phone for guidance we set the bearing clearance at the long side of tolerance.
One week later I smelled that old 'hot bearing' odor

I had become so familiar with, so I made a trip out to Mac's Jeep Parts and we pulled a Dana 44 out of an old Jeep Scrambler, installed a Lock Right differential and new bearings throughout and I've not had any issues since (knock on wood). After turning in the AMC 20 for core we noticed that the troubles lied in that the reason the inner wheel bearings were welded to the axle shaft were that the axle tubes had become crooked from the diff~!
I sure hope yours is an easier path!