I have climbed under this jeep and got the following info: there is a mopar insignia then two separate numbers they are : 17767 and then 52069336
the rear cover has what looks like a plug to fill. I hope someone can help me as I need axle seals and can't buy them not knowing which axle it is.

 

match the cover

 

More than likley a Chrysler 8.25. 1997 had 29 slpine shafts. The axle tubes on the chrysler are 3 inches and the dana 35 are like 2.68 or something close to that. not exact but its a start..

 

I think its the C.8.25 thats what it looks like but I will compare it tomorrow thank you.

 

got ABS brakes? if yes: dana 35 if no: 8.25

 

OK, here is my tale of woe. Hopefully it will brighten your day. At least a dozen people are very lucky - I'm sucking up the bad Karma for all of them.

We have a 97 XJ in the family that has been handed around from son-to-son-to-dad. 90K miles. The rear-end had been getting louder and louder and finally blew out. OK, we can fix this. I went to a local junk yard and picked-up a DANA35 3.07 with ABS. $300. Took it to my machine shop of choice and told him to replace whatever needed to be, and he did. Well, the DANA35 turned out to be a Chrysler 8.25 so after another $350 We were no closer to getting the XJ running.

OK, not the biggest deal, we can put this one up on EBAY and maybe I won’t get hit for a terrible loss.

Went to another local yard on the other side of town (first was 40 miles NORTH, the other was 45 miles SOUTH – this will be important later), and got another DANA35. But, and here is the part I’m not happy to admit, I had forgotten how to identify one from the other. So after 45 miles back to the machine shop in a near-blinding snow storm, we established that, yes, this one TOO was a Chrysler 8.25. Joe, the machine shop guy actually had to leave the building to keep from laughing in my face. What’s the buzz piped up Skippy (not his real name) a gear-guy who was there getting some bearings pressed in. I explained the deal to which he remarked, “Call Roberto (again not his real name) – he will have exactly what you need. He got Roberto on his cell and I explained what I needed – A DANA35, ABS, 3.07, from a man-trans XJ, if that mattered. “NO PROBLEM, BOSS”, we’ve got one. I’m looking at it now:”

“Swell”, I said, I’ll be right there. “THERE” was 35 miles north in Waukegan and what Roberto didn’t tell me is that he was looking towards the Jeep section of his huge snow-covered U-pull-it yard. An hour and one frozen toe later, I left, AXLE-LESS, to the sound of Roberto’s “Sorry, boss. Sure THOUGHT I have one”.

That was ROUND TWO. There are two more rounds to go!

Enter the internet search for “vintage” Jeep parts and I stumbled on a place on the east coast that boasted something like, “If Jeep made it, WE have it”. So I sent them an email, and it said EXACTLY THIS:

I am looking for a DANA35 to fit a 97-99 Jeep Cherokee. Must have 3.07 and ABS. If it matters, should come out of manual trans car.
Please quote with shipping to 60004 (business).
Mileage not important - will be rebuilt.
Thanks,

I got a quick reply that they had one - $300 plus $182 to ship. I sent them another note that said, EXACTLY THIS:

OK, please bear with me - I've had terrible experiences lately with folks who were SURE they had what I needed.

Five questions:
1) This is out of a 97-99 nonGRAND Cherokee?
2) DANA 35?
3) ABS and 3.07?
4) Where are you located?
5) Can you send me a pic of the differential housing? (I just had to eat the shipping on what was supposed to be a Dana 35 that turned out to be a Chrysler 8.25 after the guy SWORE was a DANA 35)

And they responded with this note. And after reading it, I’m sure you will feel and confident as I did.

“I have been doing this for 20 years. So long as you are giving me the correct information then yes you are getting what you need. So yes to all of your questions. We are located in (name of town removed) I dont have additional photos of my items, you are welcome to come take a look yourself.”

This was it, I was convinced. The Jeep will be running soon.

Fast forward to this week. I called the machine shop to verify that the axle would be ready for pick-up on Friday, 1/28/2011. Sure, said Joe, no problem. Friday I stopped by and he said there was a slight problem fitting the pinion seal, looks like the box had the wrong part, but he’d go to NAPA and straighten it out.

You KNOW where this is going, right? Yes, another Chrysler 8.25. And oh yes, the box that contained the seals for the axle somehow got a mix of 8.25 and DANA35 parts. That explained why the pinion seal was not fitting. The box was supposed to be for the DANA35; the wheel seals were Chrysler 8.25 so they fit. The pinion seal was DANA35 so it didn’t. Notwithstanding the 20 years in the biz the Jeep maven had, I was now no closer to a running XJ than two months before. AND I had this to show for my efforts:

1) A $750 Chrysler 8.25
2) A truck rental bill of $125 for the trip south and then north
3) A $732 Chrysler 8.25

Sure, shame on me for not checking the last axle that got sent from the east coast. But I was operating on “…So long as you are giving me the correct information then yes you are getting what you need. So yes to all of your questions…” At some point “we know what we’re talking about” needs to be taken at face value. Apparently, however, this was not THAT point.

We’ll see what the east coast is going to do to make this right.

Meanwhile, anybody want to buy a rebuilt Chrysler 8.25? I’m assuming the east coast wants theirs back…

 

Wow I have to say thats a horrible story, Personally I would put those businesses online so no one else has bad dealings with them, I live on the east coast and definitely don't want to go to that yard.

 

+1.....I thought you only changed/deleted the names in a story to protect the INNOCENT.

John

 

OK, it's time for an update on this nightmare.

The east-coast guy that sent me the wrong axle responded on Feb 1 that they intended to send me the correct one, but couldn't for a week or so because their shipping system was down. On Feb 24 it was shipped via FedEx and I was supplied a tracking number. After 2 days I started tracking the axle. "In transit" to Newburgh NY, then Toledo OH, and finally Chicago. And then nothing. Five days later I contacted FedEx and was told, "It looks like your shipment was offloaded somewhere in order to get something else off the truck. It's probably sitting on someone's dock, unnoticed. We're trying to locate it. Thanks for your patience."

I believe that some power somewhere is saying to his next-in-command, "Geez, what do we have to say/do to this guy to ensure this Jeep never hits the road again?" "We tried the wrong axle thing three times, the 'sure, come and get it' thing, and even the 'lost-in-transit' deal". "What will it take, handwriting on the wall? A burning bush?"

So, let's recap.

I have TWO Chrysler 8-1/4s, both rebuilt
I have spent over $1400
There is an axle (supposed to be a DANA35) wandering somewhere between the east coast and Chicago
My 1997 Cherokee is still motionless.
SINCE THANKSGIVING.

OH YES, one more thing.

I contacted Chrysler regarding the build sheet for this Cherokee and verified that the axle is a Spicer 35, ABS, and 3.07. AND no parts interchange on the PLANET lists a 3.07, ABS, Spicer 35 for a 1997 Cherokee. It turns out that the assembly line used some '96 axles for the '97 Cherokee run. This was verified by TWO SOURCES that claimed first-hand knowledge. And sure enough, if you search the used parts for a Cherokee rear axle you magically find 3.07 show up for '96, NOT '97. Thanks, Chrysler.

And by the way, for all of you that are quick to recommend dumping the ABS and/or jumping to the 8-1/4 because it's a better axle, be advised this is an ordinary run-of-the-mill Cherokee that if it ever sees off-road it's because it's engaged in an accident. It's driven by ordinary folks who think ABS is a pretty good thing.

 

Wow, sorry to hear that.

I'll give you $200.00 for one 8.25 shipped to florida.

Let me know

but seriously you should pm xjcombatrock he is looking for one he's my neighbor.

 

Why didn't you just install the Chrysler 8.25? It is a stronger axle anyway! The only thing is you can't get a Chrysler 8.25 with ABS, but that isn't a big deal.

 

Hey thanks for putting that pic up! That's helpful

 

Wow. I'm impressed and depressed.

Impressed with all of the advice by everyone bashing the Dana35. Everybody's real quick to abandon it in favor of the 8-1/4. And wow, the number of folks that offered opinions that equated ABS with impotence! Unbelievable. Before I close out this discussion, just a few words from me.

First, I was looking for an axle that would get my goddamed piece of crap Cherokee back on the read. I wasn't looking to scale Mt Hood, and I wasn't looking to go off-read in the Baja. I just wanted the Jeep to be able to function as a normal, day-to-day motor vehicle. So for everyone whose advice sounded like "dump the 35 - the 8-1/4s a better axle", I say "thanks, but you must be in management. Your advice was totally correct...and totally useless".

To everyone who advised dumping the ABS, my only words are these. In 45 years of driving, I've had a couple of 75-to-zero panic stops. But the one that I did in an ABS-optioned vehicle saved my life. It was a 90-to-35 panic stop, with no side-to-side maneuvering room, with a semi's rear-end getting larger and larger. And when I hit it at 35mph, I hit it straight-on. If if would've been sideways (as I've experienced a few times before), I wouldn't be posting ANY replies...

Now for the DEpressing. NOBODY, but N-O-B-O-D-Y recognized that the only things keeping a non-ABS DANA35 from being an ABS DANA35 are the tone rings and backing plates. In short, NOBODY offered any advice that sounded like this: "Find a non-ABS 3.07 DANA35 and transfer your axle shafts and backing plates and you'll be back on the road"

With the exception of ONE GUY from Pennsylvania (and you know who you are) the advice from all of you was worth what I paid for it.

 

Maybe you should try going here:
www.jeepforum.com