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1997 Jeep Cherokee XJ - Grande Axle Upgrades

Axletubes
The Alloy USA axleshafts were... 
   
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Axletubes
The Alloy USA axleshafts were then installed in the axletubes. You can also see a glimpseof the caliper mounting bracket and caliper, which are part of the TeraFlex rear disc-brake conversion.
Arb Cross Shaft Clips
With the axleshafts in place,... 
   
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Arb Cross Shaft Clips
With the axleshafts in place, the ARB cross-shaft was partially removed so the C-clips could be installed. The cross-shaft is held in place with hardened retaining pins. Note the tight tolerance between the ring-gear teeth and the cross-shaft.
Cover Gasket
As a final step, the provided... 
   
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Cover Gasket
As a final step, the provided cover gasket and cover were installed along with a FourXDoctor diff guard. FXD diff guards are available for AMC 20, Dana 30, 35, 44, 60, and Chrysler 8.25 axles.
Front Dana 30 Axle
The front Dana 30 axle had... 
   
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Front Dana 30 Axle
The front Dana 30 axle had apparently been neglected for some time. The grease and dirt buildup was heavy, and rust covered pretty much everything. We'll thoroughly clean and inspect the assembly before any new parts are installed.
Dana 30 Bearings
It took some motivation to... 
   
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Dana 30 Bearings
It took some motivation to remove the factory front Dana 30 unit bearings, which were solidly rusted to the steering knuckles. The outer axleshafts were also thoroughly rusted, with the outer splines exhibiting no signs of recent lubrication.
Stock Axletube
With the stock axletube seals... 
   
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Stock Axletube
With the stock axletube seals removed, it's apparent that they weren't doing a great job of keeping out moisture. The tube ends were rusted as was a good bit of the tube interior.
Alloy Usa Front Shaft Replacement
The new Alloy USA front shafts... 
   
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Alloy Usa Front Shaft Replacement
The new Alloy USA front shafts are shown with the stock axleshafts. Also note the degree of rust on the inner shafts around the yokes. The new chrome-moly axleshafts will better resist corrosion, and the new Alloy USA axletube seals will also aid in this plight.
Alloy Usa Axleshaft Stock Axleshaft
Shown side-by-side, the new... 
   
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Alloy Usa Axleshaft Stock Axleshaft
Shown side-by-side, the new Alloy USA axleshafts appear much stouter than the notoriously weak 27-spline shaft. The new 30-spline axleshaft appears on the right.
Dana 30 Pinion Gear
The Dana 30 pinion gear was... 
   
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Dana 30 Pinion Gear
The Dana 30 pinion gear was installed with the appropriate shim setup and a new oil slinger. The diff housing was thoroughly cleaned and inspected for damage before installing the new components.

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