First of all I would like to thank a bunch of people on here that helped me with this. There are a few things that I would like to highlight for those of us who are new to toolin' on a vehicle. Special thanks to blkpearl!
Here goes:

Tools Needed:

3/8 inch Ratchet (regular smaller size ratchet)
21mm 6 point socket ($6)
13 mm 12 point socket ($6)
36 mm 6 point socket ($30)
3/8 inch to 1/2 inch adapter for ratchet
various ratchet extensions (1 short and 1 long should do)
PB Blaster (comes in a spray can and helps to get rusty sh!t unstuck) ($4)
Hammer (regular old fashioned kind will do)
Zip tie or two (optional)
Hi-lift jack or something to lift a lifted vehicle (scissor jack won't cut it unless you have the arb attachment or a couple bricks (if you have a lift and large size tires)
Jack stands (or substitute scissor jack as above)
3" C-Clamp

1. Identify the 5 bolts that you will be removing. Those are A: 21mm bolts x 2 and B: 13mm 12 point spindle bolts x 3 (Fig. 1 and 2)

1 (a)


2 (b)
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/atta...9&d=1227759991

2. Spray PB Blaster on 21mm and 13mm bolts (let soak while you loosen lug nuts on tire)

3. Loosen lug nuts on tire

4. Jack up the Jeep safely (if using a hi-lift make sure your use jack stands or the scissor jack as a jack stand as hi-lifts are unstable especially when cranking on bolts under your Jeep.)

5. Remove 21mm bolts and be aware that this is what holds the brakes on to the rotor. At this point you can zip tie the brake caliper to the frame or carefully set it on the frame next to the drive shaft. (just get it out of the way)

6. Remove 13 mm 12 point spindle bolts (3 of them and they were a b!tch to get loose)

7. Remove the rotor and set aside where it won't get scratched or dirty

8. If you are swapping axles then hold onto the drive shaft or axle shaft with one hand (firmly) and remove the 36 mm bolt with the ratchet. (it's not torqued down hard at all) or if you have a destroyed stub shaft as I did then you will need to clamp the end that used to be connected to the axle shaft to keep it from spinning.

9. Use a hammer to tap the area behind the annoying metal disc thing-a-ma-jig that will be getting in your way. CAUTION: Do not allow the part that you are hammering (lightly) to fall off the spindle or else it will take the ABS cable with it and cause big problems for you. In other words hold on to the part with the 5 threads that keep your lugs nut on with one hand while tapping the back where the spindle bolts came out of with the other. It will eventually come loose. You might want to pull the ABS cable out of the brackets it's threaded through (this will make sense once you look at it) to give you more room to work.

9. Pull the axle shaft out and remove or swap

10. Gently hammer the threads that hold the 36mm bolt to get them through the hole that they are in.

11. Install new shaft and stub shaft (it should just slide in easily)

12. Re-assembly may require hammering (gently) on some parts to get things back into place. You may need to hammer the 5 threaded part back onto the axle shaft to get it to seat properly before you replace the spindle bolts and then rotor and then brake and then 21mm bolts.

13. Jack down tighten lug nuts, rejoice and drink beer.

Despite how complicated I made this write-up it only too me (a novice) 45 minutes round trip. Hope it helps someone. Special thanks to blkpearl!

 

So did you replace them with OEM parts? If so, did you buy a set of spares for when it happens again?

 

OEM yes. Replacement no! I'm gonna' spring for chromoly when I have the change but I don't think I'll be in a situation where I'll pop the oem again any time soon. The way I saw it was I could spend 700 or more on aftermarket stuff or I could pick up the eom junk for 170 and try not to break it again. Bottom line: I will be switching eventually.

 

I don't think you will be encountering a "just in case" now. You've got a nice setup on that front axle now. I wanna do mine like that. One day.

 

Will adding chromoly shafts to the stock D30 strengthen it enough for mild wheeling if the Jeep had a hemi? At this point and with the wheel setup I'm running I don't plan to do any hardcore rock crawling, etc, just some trails and taking it off road a few times per year. In the spring I plan to stuff a hemi under the hood and at this point I don't foresee a need for D60s with my current driving habits. So I'm hoping that chromoly shafts for the D30 will strengthen it enough without having to move up to a D44.

Thoughts?

This write up certainly makes it seem like the way to go dollar wise.

 

I guess the question is: How much stronger (percentage wise) is the Chromoly and how much more power (percentage wise) is coming from the Hemi.
I think you better call the Mythbusters, buddy.

 

lol Or I could just push my luck til they snap and I'm "forced" to get the 60s.

 

Yeah. Seems I remember somethin about you doin that with that wild yeller one before.

 

btt

Lot's of new people looking for good write ups on axle shaft replacements...here you go!

 

I always thought that the OEM axle shafts were the "sacrificial" part of the drivetrain. If you install stronger shafts, what would be the next thing to break? The carrier, the ring, or the pinion?