Today I sold the rear axle form the ZJ parts car I have had for a while . I bought this burned out ZJ just to get the rear brakes to put on Scuffy.
Many parts have already been scavenged off it and there is not much left. I have been planning to haul the rest to the scrap yard and with steel prices up now may be the time to take it.
However, last week I got a call from someone needing a rear axle. I asked for their axle in return so that I would have a way to load it on the trailer when I haul it off.
As I was getting ready to load their old axle, I wiped off the tag and noticed that the ratio was different form the one I had just delivered.
I left it with them any way. I showed them places to buy the right gears.
I also had to help them pull the backing plates off the axle for the brakes. They seemed surprised that someone had pulled the axles out just to remove the backing plates. They did not seem familiar with how to pull the c clips so I helped them install the backing plates on the axle I sold them.
To pull the axles, you have to remove the center pin form the diff. On the ZJ Dana 35 this involves removing a 6mm 12 point screw. He did not have the right tool so we hammered on a cheap 6mm six point that got enough bit to pull the screw. With the screw out, simply slide the pin out. Be careful not to spin the carrier as the spider gears will fall out of place.
With the center pin out, the axle shaft can be slid in enough to drop off the C clip. The the axle simply slides out. To reinstall the axle, you have to lift up a bit on the shaft to get it to pass through the bearing. Then slide it in and slip on the clip. Then pull back to seat the clip in the spider gear. Reinstall the pin and the screw to put it all back together.