I know more about aftermarket/swap axles than I do my shitty stock ones.

Is it possible for me to drive with just a rear axle working? Is there a way to gut the front end and drive until I can fix it?

Swapping a 14 bolt in the rear and need to drive my jeep to work and back until I can build a kingpin for the front.

I’m thinking I’m out of luck with the way the front end works. Am I right?

 

Unless there's a mechanical issue with the front diff, you can drive it as is, just don't put it in 4wd. Or, drop the front drive shaft if you are afraid someone else may inadvertently engage 4wd.

 

Am I recalling right that you blew up the gears in front as well? I'm thinking that you're concerned about all that crap turning with the tires. Unless I'm missing the obvious, should be able to just pull the axle shafts out. Bearings still held to the knucke with the three bearing bolts, tires still held on by lugs and the ring/pinion gears no longer being turned since no axle shafts driving em.....and don't put it in 4WD. I guess if anything, the concern doing this would be safety of that front tire now only being held on with 3 bearing bolts on each side.

If the gears up front are fine.....then just what jedg said....just don't put it in 4WD or remove the front shaft as precaution.

 

Yep, this is correct, you can just pull the axle shafts and run it. Plenty of people do this when they break axle shafts on the trail.

As for other things to think about, your 14 bolt is going to be a different bolt pattern for the wheels (likely 8x6.5). So you'll have mismatched bolt pattern between the front wheels and rear wheels, but nothing inherently wrong with that. You just have to decide which bolt pattern to have on your spare wheel/tire haha.

 

That's all that holds it on even with the axle shafts installed.

 

True.

 

Got this from your other thread. As long as the axle shafts are not intalled, you should be good.

Pulling the driveshaft is common when people only have money to regear one axle. Don't know that it would make any difference in your case, since there are no shafts to turn the gears?

If you want to pull the gears also, no issues driving around with an empty front housing. I did this for several months waiting for my PR to come in, didn't notice any difference at all for daily driving.