Looks like I'm going to be traded up to a JKU. I'm hoping that without much effort I can swap my 4.56 gears into the new jeep and the new jeeps gears into mine. Is this a realistic idea?

 

Paying shop or doing it yourself? It's a lot of effort to swap gears.

If at a shop it depends on the price difference for swapping two sets vs. replacing gears on one Jeep.

 

Gear sets aren't that expensive. The labor is.
Just get a new set for the new jeep.

 

It would be easier to just swap complete axles. No fuss no muss unless of course the one you are trading has a bent axle .

 

It is not realistic unless you like throwing away money.

 

I thought I could just swap the entire assembly with the gears attached to the carrier. Wouldn't this be a simple process?

 

It isn't easy to swap the internals. The tolerances of axle housings aren't exactly the same.

It is easy to swap the entire axle assembly--brake disc to brake disc.

 

Depends. You would have to make sure the "back lash" is set right. You may be able to swap the carrier and use the same shims, but will that still give you the proper back lash settings???

 

How time consuming/difficult would it be to swap both assemblies from the new vehicle to old and vice versa? Also it would be from a 2010 to a 2015 so I'm wonder if there would be missuses with brake lines and suspension?

 

It is easier if you have 2 people and a couple floor jacks. If you have power tools, it goes quicker. You'd want at least 4-6 jack stands. You would swap one axle at a time--ie front for front, then rear for rear.

For the front, you'd jack up the jeep and sit the front axle on jackstands, and remove the wheels.

Then, you would loosen the axle side control arm bolts. You would remove the lower shock bolts, remove the axle side trackbar bolt. remove the drag link end at the knuckle, remove the axle side swaybar link bolts. You'd remove the brake caliper and hang it from the frame by a ziptie. You'd pull off the brake discs. You'd disconnect the ABS line from the hub. You'd remove the bolts and disconnect the front driveshaft from the pinion flange. If you had a selectable locker, you'd disconnect the hose or wiring from the axle center section.

Then, you'd use the floor jack to lift the front axle off the jackstands and pair of jackstands underneath the frame, and then set the front axle back down on jackstands.

Then, you'd remove the axle side control arm control arm bolts.

Then, you'd use the floor jack to lift the axle off the jackstands, and then let the axle down to the floor. (The springs will unseat from the upper perch and come down with the axle.

You should be able, with a helper, pull the axle housing on the floor jack out from underneath the vehicle, and take it to put aside on another pair of jackstands.

Do the same thing with the new jeep, and then swap it into the old jeep by reversing the process. After everything is back together, with the tires back on the ground under the full weight of the jeep, then torque the trackbar and control arm bolts to spec. Only loosely install the trackbar and control arm bolts until after it is time to torque them to spec.

Use blue loctite on the driveshaft flange bolts if you are running a stock driveshaft. Use a drop of red locite on the ABS line bolt.

The rear axle is similar to the front, but you don''t have the drag link to deal with.

It shouldn't take more than an afternoon to swap the assemblies.