Ball joint, axle shaft question

[rrsontag]

I did a quick search and didn't find an answer, so if it's out there and I missed it my bad.

I've been chasing down death wobble on my 2020 JLUR, and the search took me to my ball joints. Anyway, while changing the ball joints I pulled axle shaft and everything I read said there should have been a ring, washer, or something that should have came out with it. We'll there wasn't anything, and looking down the the axle I didn't see anything. So I took a telescoping magnet and flashlight and started searching, but found nothing. So my question here is should something have came out? If so where did it go? Second question is on the passenger side axle there appears to be a floating gear inside, when reinstalling the axle shaft is there a specific process I need to follow with that?

Next question, when tightening the new upper ball joints the sleeve that is on it doesn't sit flush against the knuckle on either side. Now it may have not originally, but I honest ly do not remember.

Any help, and insight is greatly appreciated.

Ronnie

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[limeade]

I did a quick search and didn't find an answer, so if it's out there and I missed it my bad.

I've been chasing down death wobble on my 2020 JLUR, and the search took me to my ball joints. Anyway, while changing the ball joints I pulled axle shaft and everything I read said there should have been a ring, washer, or something that should have came out with it. We'll there wasn't anything, and looking down the the axle I didn't see anything. So I took a telescoping magnet and flashlight and started searching, but found nothing. So my question here is should something have came out? If so where did it go? Second question is on the passenger side axle there appears to be a floating gear inside, when reinstalling the axle shaft is there a specific process I need to follow with that?

Next question, when tightening the new upper ball joints the sleeve that is on it doesn't sit flush against the knuckle on either side. Now it may have not originally, but I honest ly do not remember.

Any help, and insight is greatly appreciated.

Ronnie

There's a C clip on the inner axle shaft on the passenger side, nothing on the driver side. Your driver side axle shaft assy. can be removed and reinstalled easily.

On the passenger side, this is where the FAD is, so you have TWO inner axle shafts. For lack of a better description, the outer/inner shaft is attached to the outer stub via the u-joint. The inner/inner shaft goes from the FAD housing into the differential. That FAD collar (or floating gear as what you described) links the inner/inner shaft to the outer/inner shaft. The C clip goes on the outside end (toward the wheel) of the inner/inner shaft just before the short splined area. and keeps the FAD collar from getting pushed in towards the differential. But you don't need to remove this inner/inner shaft and C clip, this info was for educational purposes.

When you reinstall the inner/inner shaft, push the C clip back onto the shaft (access through the FAD housing) and then push/turn the shaft until it's splines have engaged into the diff. Then reinstall the rest of the axle shaft assembly, mating the sliding collar between the two inner shafts. It's definitely easier to have two people for this, one to insert and turn the axle shaft while the other watches and manipulates the collar. Re-install the FAD housing and ensure the fork goes onto the collar. You can also put the collar on the end of one of the shafts and marry it up that way. I found it faster for my son to insert and turn the axle shaft assy. while I was holding/turning the collar.

Here's a Youtube clip from RCV showing the disassembly and reassembly of the JL front axle for an RCV axle shaft install.



As far as the ball joint sleeve, it will sit flush when you first put it back on, but will drop down as you torque the ball joint. So what you're seeing is normal. Make sure you torque the ball joints correctly. You torque the bottom first to 15 ft-lbs, torque top to 55 ft-lbs, then final torque the bottom to 33 ft-lbs.

 

[Jeep&dogs]

One suggestion if you ever need to do this again, if you start the Jeep and put it into 4WD then turn it off it the FAD motor will engage and keep the collar on the inner shaft. This way when you pull the passenger shaft out it won’t move and reinstalling it is much easier. You won’t have to pull the FAD motor.

 

[limeade]

One suggestion if you ever need to do this again, if you start the Jeep and put it into 4WD then turn it off it the FAD motor will engage and keep the collar on the inner shaft. This way when you pull the passenger shaft out it won’t move and reinstalling it is much easier. You won’t have to pull the FAD motor.

Nice tip, never thought of it that way.

I don't have the FAD motor anymore, so I was going off of how I do mine with the FAD delete.

 

[rrsontag]

Thanks for the replies. When I removed the FAD gear lube spilled out. I assume it's normal, but The video shared that didn't happen. Just wanting to make sure.

 

[limeade]

Thanks for the replies. When I removed the FAD gear lube spilled out. I assume it's normal, but The video shared that didn't happen. Just wanting to make sure.

I had a bit spill out of mine too. Wasn't even enough to worry about topping the diff off with fluid.

 

[rrsontag]

Got it all put back together. Everything seems solid, and I didn't experienced any death wobble on the test drive. Hopefully that was the deal.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[word302]

Got it all put back together. Everything seems solid, and I didn't experienced any death wobble on the test drive. Hopefully that was the deal.

Thanks again for all the help.

Which ball joint’s did you get?

 

[wibornz]

One suggestion if you ever need to do this again, if you start the Jeep and put it into 4WD then turn it off it the FAD motor will engage and keep the collar on the inner shaft. This way when you pull the passenger shaft out it won’t move and reinstalling it is much easier. You won’t have to pull the FAD motor.

Thank you for the tip. I will be installing RCV axles and Dynatrac HD ball joints on my buds Jeep on Monday. Then doing mine as soon ad Dynatrac gets my ball joints to me. Then lastly just RCV axles in onother buds Jeep soon after. Pretty sure after he stops by during the instal of our ball joints and RCV axles, he will order the HD ball joints too.

 

[rrsontag]

I went with the Dana-Spicer "performance ball-joint". I put performance in quotations because that's the way they should have been from the factory....

I only found those and the Dynatrac ball-joints. Dynatrac looked really nice, but was definitely more expensive, and considering I have put a lot of $ in chasing death wobble... had to go with the more economical option.

 

[Gorilla57]

I went with these. Probably comparable to Dana Spicer ones and $300 for the set.

https://apexchassis.com/collections...roducts/kit106-ball-joint-kit-1-bj160-1-bj161

 

[Jeep&dogs]

I went with the Dana-Spicer "performance ball-joint". I put performance in quotations because that's the way they should have been from the factory....

I only found those and the Dynatrac ball-joints. Dynatrac looked really nice, but was definitely more expensive, and considering I have put a lot of $ in chasing death wobble... had to go with the more economical option.

Not to get you worried but I would keep an eye on them. I just installed them on mine the first week of January, I have less than 500 miles on them and both lowers have a lot of movement in them. Dana is in the process of refunding me on them and the Dynatrac ones will be here on the 9th........

 

[rrsontag]

Not to get you worried but I would keep an eye on them. I just installed them on mine the first week of January, I have less than 500 miles on them and both lowers have a lot of movement in them. Dana is in the process of refunding me on them and the Dynatrac ones will be here on the 9th........

Man, that is not what I want to hear.... thanks for the heads-up, I'll definitely keep an eye on them.

 

[gijohn56]

yes the dynatrac are expensive ($629) but they are rebuildable and the rebuild kit is only $150 for all 4. were as a new set of splicer are another $400 when they fail.

 

[Shemmy2019mojito]

I went with these. Probably comparable to Dana Spicer ones and $300 for the set.

https://apexchassis.com/collections...roducts/kit106-ball-joint-kit-1-bj160-1-bj161

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