Dana 33 swap
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 70
Likes: 1
From: Wichita, KS
Dana 33 swap
Hey all! Its been a while since i've done any work on my jeep. After swapping the suspension i had my lower control arm mounts on my front axle fail since the kit i had didn't have any adjustments for the front track bar (rear had a displacement mod).
After that failure, i installed a adjustable track bar, some adjustable lower control arm mounts, and some reinforced control arm mounts welded on. Well, i outsourced the welding to a local 4x4 shop, and i can't say with certainty it was related but the next time i had it at the dealer they said a bow had developed on the front axle. They found it when some of the axle seals were leaking, we replaced them and i've been keeping an eye on it but the time i knew was coming has come.
My Front axle has failed and is locked up in any forward (but not backward) motion, inoperable. The dealer wants a handsome some (i took it in with a foregone prayer that i could still get some drivetrain warranty coverage) to fix it but from what i gather i need a new front axle. The diagnosis is "internal front axle failure and internal front driveshaft connect failure"
I'm thinking of taking it back to work on myself, but i'm not sure what all is involved in replacing the whole axle assembly (if that's whats needed)
I think regardess of what all is in need of replacement, i have been wanting to replace my Jeep JK X front Dana 33 Axle and want to find some resources for doing the replacement. Does anyone know of any posts i could review?
After that failure, i installed a adjustable track bar, some adjustable lower control arm mounts, and some reinforced control arm mounts welded on. Well, i outsourced the welding to a local 4x4 shop, and i can't say with certainty it was related but the next time i had it at the dealer they said a bow had developed on the front axle. They found it when some of the axle seals were leaking, we replaced them and i've been keeping an eye on it but the time i knew was coming has come.
My Front axle has failed and is locked up in any forward (but not backward) motion, inoperable. The dealer wants a handsome some (i took it in with a foregone prayer that i could still get some drivetrain warranty coverage) to fix it but from what i gather i need a new front axle. The diagnosis is "internal front axle failure and internal front driveshaft connect failure"
I'm thinking of taking it back to work on myself, but i'm not sure what all is involved in replacing the whole axle assembly (if that's whats needed)
I think regardess of what all is in need of replacement, i have been wanting to replace my Jeep JK X front Dana 33 Axle and want to find some resources for doing the replacement. Does anyone know of any posts i could review?
JK Jedi Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 11,463
Likes: 165
From: Austin <--> Colorado Springs
The housing is bent, which caused the gear failure? If you are considering keeping that axle, you will want to gut the housing and straighten it before installing the new gears. You can find plenty of videos on youtube, and here is a 4wheeler article.
Straightening A Bent Dana 44 Axle - Get Bent
And here is a member writeup on doing the gears.
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-w...gearing-82262/
If you are considering replacing instead, used d30's seem to be about a dime a dozen. Or you could take the opportunity to swap to a D44. Lots of people with rubicons upgrade to beefier axles, so maybe you can find one of those in your price range. Or, if your off-road usage warrants it, there are some good aftermarket options out there.
But for now, consider just pulling the axle shafts/drive shaft. No issues at all driving it like that.
Straightening A Bent Dana 44 Axle - Get Bent
And here is a member writeup on doing the gears.
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-w...gearing-82262/
If you are considering replacing instead, used d30's seem to be about a dime a dozen. Or you could take the opportunity to swap to a D44. Lots of people with rubicons upgrade to beefier axles, so maybe you can find one of those in your price range. Or, if your off-road usage warrants it, there are some good aftermarket options out there.
But for now, consider just pulling the axle shafts/drive shaft. No issues at all driving it like that.
Last edited by nthinuf; May 24, 2018 at 12:50 AM.