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Mud puddles are
fun. There's nothing quite like tearing through your local mud bog with
reckless abandon, giving your Jeep both a mechanical challenge and a
new paint job at the same time. And who hasn't encountered a water crossing
at some point or another? I think we'd all agree it's best to keep mud
and water on the OUTSIDE of our rigs, especially out of the inner workings
that faithfully take us to and from our favorite wheelin' location.
But if you have a Dana 30 equipped Jeep, this is easier said than done.
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Near the outer
end of the inner shafts on that axle the factory places little
saucer-like plastic guards designed to keep debris out of the
axletubes. They do a fine job of rejecting rocks, dirt and thick
mud, but water doesn't just roll over and quit. We all know if
you give water a way in to any place it's not wanted, it WILL
get in there. And the plastic shields don't offer much resistance.
Enter Drivetrain
Direct.
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With a little influence
from NASCAR technology, they have come up with seals that effectively
do just that...actually SEAL your axletubes! Say goodbye to gray gear
oil after every romp in the muck, these gizmos will keep both the water
out and the 90 weight in.
The people at Drivetrain
Direct were happy to exchange my credit card number for a pair of these
innovations and in about a week they were sitting on my doorstep awaiting
a new home in my 98 Cherokee sport.
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I was rather
impressed by the quality of the parts; nicely CNC machined out
of aluminum and given a handsome shade of red to attract attention.
You can see there are two rubber o-rings that insert into the
tube and a zerk fitting that remains accesible after installation.
This is where it gets really cool. There are two rubber rings
molded to the aluminum that form a pocket around the axleshaft
when installed. Pump said zerk full of your favorite grease and...Presto!
Instant seal! And since it's the grease that is making the seal,
it shouldn't go bad for a very long time.
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But, they weren't
sealing anything sitting in the box so I went to work installing them.
The first thing
of course is to set your parking brake and find a floor jack and a good
set of jack stands. I did one side at a time and I'll explain why later.
After removing one front wheel of your choice, remove the brake calipers
and rotor. I used a 1/2 inch socket to release the caliper and a piece
of solid wire to support it, to keep the weight off the brake line.
Next I removed the large hub nut off the axle end with a 1-7/16 socket.
It wasn't a perfect fit, I think it's metric, but it worked well. Then
you must use a 13mm 12-POINT socket to get the bearing assembly off
the spindle. (In retrospect, I don't think it was necessary to remove
the hub nut. Just pulling off the bearing and taking the axleshaft with
it may have been easier or at least eliminated a step, but no harm done.)
If you're going to remove that hub nut, remember it's on there pretty
good, and if both tires are off the ground you'll just spin the other
one all day trying to get it off, hence the one tire at a time method.
It's also easier to remove the lug nuts this way.
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Once you get
this far you'll notice the axleshaft just slides right out of
the tube. Cut off the goofy plastic donut and scrub some of the
dirt and rust that has inevitably collected on the shaft. I took
this opportunity to drain and clean the pumpkin with mineral spirits
also.
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You'll want
to clean the tubes before you put the new seals in. Nylon bore
brushes would have been perfect, had I had some. I didn't, so
I fastened a rag to the end of a 1/4 inch threaded rod and stuck
it in my cordless and gave it a spin. It works pretty well, and
I had some rod sitting around so the price was right.
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Before sliding
the new seals in, slather some grease on them. It aids in insertion
into the tubes and keeps the o-rings in good shape. I used marine
grease, for added defense against water intrusion. They slide
right in; you would think they were engineered for this exact
diameter tube..oh wait...they were. Silly me. Before sliding the
axleshafts back in, put a little grease on the rubber donut to
lube the shaft as it goes in.
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If you've
kept track of where you put the loose bolts, reassembling the
truck is just the reverse of what you just did. If you're having
trouble getting the calipers back on the rotor, take a C-clamp
and compress the piston a little. Be sure to use a turkey baster
to suck a little brake fluid out of the reservoir first or you'll
force some out when you squeeze the piston.
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Lastly, pump
that zerk full of grease until it starts to leak out past the
rubber membrane and the shaft, and you're good to go. I again
used marine grease; That particular part of the vehicle sees a
lot of water.
Here in the
Pacific Northwest things can get a little soggy, but thanks to
these new seals I'm not as leery about hitting the puddles anymore!
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For more information,
contact:
DriveTrain
Direct
1477 Davril Circle
Corona, CA 92880
(888) 584-4327 Toll Free
(909) 272-0158 Local
(877) 550-4327 Toll Free Fax
http://www.drivetraindirect.com/
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