Category: Car repair

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Installing Sway Bar Disconnects on a Jeep Cherokee

Installing Sway Bar Disconnects on a Jeep Cherokee


One of the simplest ways to increase the off road traction on a Jeep Cherokee is to remove or disconnect the sway bars. While the rear bar can be removed entirely and never missed, having a front sway bar greatly improves on road handling. It feels unsafe to drive one on a curvy road without the front bar.

Therefore, a quick and simple method of disconnecting and reconnecting the front bar is needed. The sway bar is connected to the axle by end link bars. The end links can be unbolted from the axle to disconnect but since the axle is normally covered in dirt and mud, the bolts can be stubborn to deal with.

One very simple way to make a cheap disconnect is to replace the axle end bolt with a pin from a tractor supply place. This trick works well but does allow some slop and will eventually degrade the rubber in the end link.

For a more advanced disconnect method, Jenny chose the JKS disconnects. These mount to the swap bar with a bolt and hinge mechanism. The axle end bolt is replaced with a large pin that the link slips over. It is help in place by a clip.

To install the JKS links, first remove the Jeep end links. Start at the sway bar and remove the two 15mm nuts. The rubber grommets will likely be compressed into the threads so they will be difficult to remove. Use a hammer or pry bar to pull the bar up and of the end links.

Next remove the 18mm nuts from the bolts holding the axle end of the links. The other end of the bolt has a torx head but you seldom have to hold it as on most axles, this bolt is pressed into the axle tab. Once the end links are out of the way, drive the old bolt out of the axle tab. Use a back up while pressing the bolt out so as not to bend the tab. If you do bend it, straighten it back into position before proceeding.

Assemble the U section to the end of the sway bar putting the washer in the hole of the sway bar and the U section on top of the bar. Tighten the bolt securely and align the bracket. Make sure it is aligned and tight as you can’t access the hex drive on the screw after it is installed on the link. Connect the U to the top of the link and tighten the bolt.

Install the pin in the axle tab paying attention to where you want the pin hole to be. Slip on the spacer and the end link. Then set the clip in place. Do the same on both sides.

When running disconnected, you will need some way to secure the end links to the bar and the bar needs to be flipped up into the highest position to keep it form hitting the springs as the axle moves around.

To reconnect for the drive home, find a flat place to park the Jeep. If one side is higher, it will be difficult to get both links connected. Have someone press on the bumper to move the Jeep around if need to get the pins to line up. Set the clips and you are good to go. It is a good idea to have some spare clips in case these get lost or damaged.

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Regearing the Jeep 8.25

Regearing the Jeep 8.25
How to set back lash and pinon pre load on the Jeep 8.25

I recently put 4.10 gears in Jenny’s XJ. Her Jeep has a Chrysler 8.25 rear end. There seems to be very little info available on the 8.25 compared to what is on the web for the Dana 35 and Dana 44. So here is how I did it.

I began by removing the rear end from the Jeep and replacing it with our spare 8.25. That gave me the opportunity to take my time and not be in a rush to find parts. We got parts from our Crown Distributor as well as Advance Auto and Ebay.

With the axle out and mounted on my work stand, I removed the cover. Since this cover will be replaced with a Blue Torch Fabworks Kryptonite cover, I set the original aside.

Next, I disassembled her Lock Right locker so I could remove the axle shafts. The 8.25 uses the same length axle shafts on both sides so I did not have to keep track of where they went.

Next, I used a punch to mark the bearing caps so I could keep track of where they went. I could not see any factory marks like the Danas have. I removed the two small bolts that hold the keepers and then removed the keepers. I then removed the bearing cap bolts and the caps. I set all the parts in a box in order so that I could easily put them back where they came from.

Next, I slipped out the threaded preload plates and set them in the box. Then I was able to lift out the carrier.

I then rolled the axle over and drained all the oil out. I then removed the pinion nut and the yoke. I used a soft hammer to tap the pinion out. I then pried out the front seal.

I made a drift out of a piece of soft steel pipe and drove out the pinion bearing races. I set the races and crush sleeve aside to be replaced.

The gear set came from Ebay. It was slightly used but in perfect condition. The first odd thing I noticed about he 8.25 is that the bolts that hold the gear to the carrier are reversed threads. I was sure glad I read that before I tried to get one loose. They are marked with a big “L” on the heads as a reminder. I had to clamp the carrier in my vise to get them loose as they were very tight.

With all the bolts out, I used my heat gun to warm the ring and gently tapped it off with a soft hammer. I set the old ring gear aside to be sold.

Removing the carrier bearings was a bit of a challenge. I used a bearing separator and a two jaw puller to get them loose. I also warmed the bearing with the heat gun to help reduce the force needed. Due to the shape, I could not fit it in my press. I made a plug out of an old ball joint for the puller to press on while pulling the bearing off.

I installed the new bearings by warming them with the heat gun and chilling the carrier in ice water. I tapped them with my soft hammer to make sure they seated.

I chilled the carrier and warmed the new ring to slip it in place. I then snugged the bolts down to make sure it was seated properly.

Next, I removed the lower pinion bearing from the old gear set to retrieve the shim under it. I used the bearing separator in my press this time. I also had to heat the bearing with a torch to get it to release. With the shim retrieved, I set the old pinion aside and put the shim on the replacement pinion.

I then used my die grinder to open up the inner race of the pinion bearing until it slipped easily on the pinion shaft. This became my “set up bearing.”

I used my bearing driver set to press new races into the housing. I did chill the races in ice water before installing them. However, I did not attempt to heat the housing. There was a noticeable difference in the sound of the hammer on the driver when the races seated.

I assembled the new pinion with the old bearings and yoke but no crush sleeve or seal in to the housing and snugged the pinion nut just enough to take out any end play. I then set the carrier into place with the new bearings and races installed.

I fabricated a tool to turn the back lash adjusters using a nut from a Ford fan clutch, a length of ¾” pipe and an old ½ inch drive socket. I welded the nut to one end and the socket to the other end. The back lash adjusters are 36mm hex. A Dana 30 axle nut will work as well as any other 36mm nut. You can also use the miller tool C-4164.

I set the adjusters in place beside the bearings and set the caps on. I tightened them finger tight at first. I then used the tool to turn the adjusters to take out all the back lash but not put any extra pressure on the gear.

I made sure that all the end play was eliminated from the carrier bearings. I had to rotate the assembly a few times to get the bearings seated in the cones. I then set the back lash to about .003 inches using about 10 ft lbs of torque on the adjusters.

I then tightened the cap bolts to 70 ft lbs. I then tightened the right side adjuster to 75 ft lbs. or until I got a back lash of between .006 and .008 inches. I then checked the left side and found it to be close to 75 ft lbs as well.

I then coated the ring gear teeth with yellow marking compound. I rotated the assembly to get a gear wipe pattern. I was very happy when the pattern showed the pinion depth to be correct since the shim I had from the old gear was the only one I had. The Timken rebuild kit we got did not come with pinion shims.

Since I was happy with the pattern, I removed the carrier and pinion. If I had needed to change shims, I would have slipped off the set up bearing and tried a new shim using the same procedure.

Next, I installed the new pinion bearing by heating it and pressing it on the pinion shaft. I then installed the new crush sleeve, outer bearing, seal and yoke using the new nut from the kit.

I repeated the back lash adjustment procedure to get a back lash of .006 inches with the adjusters at 75 ft lbs. I rechecked the torque on the ring gear to carrier bolts. I then compressed the crush sleeve to get a pre load of 20 inch pounds. I noticed that then nut turned a long way with no change in preload and then suddenly the preload went up as I made the last 1/8 of a turn on the nut.

The torque needed to compress the crush sleeve was significant. I had to use a long breaker bar to turn the nut and a large pipe wrench to hold the yoke. With the preload and back lash set, I installed the keepers on the adjuster plates.

Since the adjuster tool had made numerous trips across the axle seals, I replaced them before installing the axle shafts. I reinstalled the Lock Right locker and secured the axles with the c clips.

I then put a bead of RTV on the gasket surface and installed the new Differential cover. I tightened the bolts finger tight and then let the RTV set up. I then tightened them the rest of the way down.

I waited until the axle was back in the Jeep to add the gear oil. The new cover held almost a quart more than the stock cover did.

The result was a smooth running rear end with no noise. I expect it to last a long time.

Parts used:

Timken 8.25 rebuild kit
Carrier bearings and races
Pinion bearing and races
Pinion seal
Pinion nut
Gear marking compound
RTV for the cover seal

Axle seals
Gear oil
Pinion Yoke
4.10 ring and pinion set
Blue Torch Fabworks cover

Technical info came from this source

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Replacing the rear axle in a Jeep Cherokee.

Replacing the rear axle in a Jeep Cherokee.

There are a lot of reasons you might have for removing and replacing he rear axle on a Jeep. In my most recent case I was swapping out the rear for a gear change. Here is how I did it.

I began by lifting the Jeep and removing the rear wheels and tires. Next, I removed the skid plate and the drive shaft. I then disconnected the brake hard lines from the T joint on the axle leaving the rubber line attached to the body. In this case it was because the rubber line on the other axle was not there. Also, I have found it is easier to break the two lines at the T joint than the one at the body. I then removed the vent bolt that holds the T joint to the axle and let the line drain into a bucket.

To remove the emergency brake lines, I removed the equalizer bar from the hand brake lever. I then used a small hose clamp to compress the locking taps where the cable attaches to the body of the truck. With he tabs compressed, I slid the cable out of the clam and the bracket. I left them attached to the axle.

Next, I removed the shocks from the axle leaving them attached to the body. Since the XJ I was working on has a slip yoke eliminator and the pinion has been adjusted, getting the shocks off the pins was difficult. I had to move the axle up and down to work them of the pins that are angled in relation to the shocks. If the pinion angle is stock, this will not be an issue.

Next, I supported the axle on jack stands and let the Jeep down until the springs were slightly compressed. I then removed the four U bolts that hold the axle to the springs. If the Jeep still has a sway bar, which this one did not, you will have to disconnect it as well.

I then lifted the Jeep of the axle making sure to keep track of the pinion shims. I then moved the axle off the jack stands with my floor jack. I was careful to keep the jack stands in the same position. I then sat the replacement axle on the jack stands using my shop crane.

I then lowered the Jeep don onto the axle making sure the pinion shims and the spring alignment pins went into place. I had to tap the axle just a bit with a hammer to make it all line up, but by having the jack stands positioned properly, the movements were small.

I then secured the U bolts and lifted the Jeep back up. Next, I worked the shocks back on. This proved to be quite a battle as the left shock was not long enough to reach with the spring at full droop. I used a hand winch to compress the spring slightly to get it on.

I then reconnected the brake lines and axle vent. Then I reconnected the emergency brake cables. I then reinstalled the drive shaft.

Next I filled the differential with fluid. Then, I refilled the brake system and bled the brakes. I reinstalled the wheels and tires and torqued the lugs.

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Burning My Foot While Welding

Burning My Foot While Welding

It has been really hot in my shop this summer. So far some minor welding jobs, I have chosen not to wear full protective clothing and just take my chances with the sparks. My Australian friend Marcus Ohms has set a bad example for me in this regard.

Things were going pretty well until a glowing hot piece of metal fell into my shoe and wedged against my ankle to cool. It left a nice blister but I never stopped work, I just shook it out and kept on.

I was showing my dad the blister and he laughed and told me a story of him getting into a similar situation.

He said he had stopped by his father’s welding shop one day after his college class. He was wearing his dress slippers.

As he walked into the shop, they were working on a particularly difficult overhead weld that my dad had always done when he was working in the shop. My grandfather told my dad to hop up on the platform and finish the weld since he was quite good at it.

Dad said he was welding away and having to fill in a large gap when a large piece of molten metal fell into his shoe. He felt the burn so he just kicked off his shoe and continued welding.

The shoe however had flown across the shop and caught my grandfather right in the back of the head. My grandfather asked “Why did you kick me in the head?”

I told these stories to a millwright friend of mine who then shared this story:

He was welding structural steel on about the fourth story. He was sitting straddle of a beam welding in a cross brace. He had his legs wrapped around the beam to hold himself in place.

While welding, a hot glob rolled down the beam and then between his legs. The glob burned through his Levis and into the tender skin below. He tried to wiggle away form the burn while maintaining his balance on the beam. He burning piece of metal worked its way around inside his jeans burning his inner thigh and calf before finally falling out hit pants leg.

I guess the moral of the story is to always wear the proper protective clothing when welding. Or to remember that if you weld with fire you may get burned.

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1966 El Camino on Ebay

I have always loved El Caminos. My first car was a 67 El Camino. But I gave it back to my dad after only a couple weeks driving it. I just could not keep up with its thirst for fuel. And that was at mid 70’s pricing.

We still have that El Camino. It has been slowly working its way up[ the project list for a rebuild.

This one looks like a pretty nice basis for an El Camino Project as well.

Ebay 1966 El Camino