Preface:
After wheeling my stock 01, I am hearing some creaking and popping from the passenger side front, when I am turning. I already know that I need a hub assembly due to a roaring on that side, so I plan to do both U-Joints and hub assemblies this isn't a wheeling rig, more of around towner, that may get taken out a few times a year, with street tires, no lift.


Questions:
1. Are there outer seals from the factory, and if not, are the Ten Factory seals worth fooling with?
2. Are the Spicer U Joints serviceable
3. What kind of gear oil? I already have some Mobil 80w90 unopened on the shelf.
4. Should I do inner seals
5. If I buy the Dana 30 cover gasket, do I still use RTV?

I am sure the search button would yield some results, but I am asking for condensed info, not 30 threads of random inquiries


Thanks for your help in advance!

 

1. No outer seals from the factory. I've never had outer seals on a front axle and never had a problem.
2. I install Spicer 760x joints in my driveshafts. They are not serviceable.
3. Regular old 80w90 is good for most applications. Unless you tow a lot.
4. You're halfway to doing seals. Probably not a bad idea. You do have to pull the differential. Just make sure you keep track of the bearing caps. Make sure they go back in the way they came out (same side, same orientation). And be careful with the races as you pull the differential. They like to jump away if you let them.
5. I use Lube Locker brand gaskets. No RTV needed with those. Other gaskets may need it.

 

1. No outer seals from the factory. I've never had outer seals on a front axle and never had a problem.
-I dont plan to sink it, so this is good to know.

2. I install Spicer 760x joints in my driveshafts. They are not serviceable.
-same for the front axles?

3. Regular old 80w90 is good for most applications. Unless you tow a lot.
-can't imagine towing much other than a utility trailer once or twice a year to the dump.

4. You're halfway to doing seals. Probably not a bad idea. You do have to pull the differential. Just make sure you keep track of the bearing caps. Make sure they go back in the way they came out (same side, same orientation). And be careful with the races as you pull the differential. They like to jump away if you let them.
-watched a video on this, looks like the shims can get away from me, and definitely need to pay attention.

5. I use Lube Locker brand gaskets. No RTV needed with those. Other gaskets may need it.
-adding to the cart now

 

1)IMO if it aint broke dont fix it. No need for outer seals.

2)he probably mistyped. 760x in the front axleshafts for your year model. 1310s in the front and rear driveshafts. Dont bother with servicable joints just get the spicer life sealed ujoints. Just spend the money on the spicer joints dont waste money on other ones. The originals lasted over 150k miles for you dont cheap out.

3)even in towing applications the manual still recommends 80w90 in the front axle. They recommend 75w-140 in the rear but for your described application 80w90 will be fine these as well.

4)theres no shims to fall out just the bearing cups./races. The bearing adjustment shims are under the bearings. You may have watched a video on the JK and newer Wranglers that use the "next generation" Dana 30s which do have spacers between the axle and bearing cups/races.

5)lubelocker worth every cent.

 

I like the stu-offroad site for instructions on doing the D30 inner seals. I think I used the 36mm axle socket and a smaller axle socket along with the broom handle to deal with the pressing in/out of the seals.

The bearings were fine, I just sat the carrier set on one side and used a piece of cardboard to set the bearing caps in the proper orientation (I basically drew a picture and poked the bolts through.. very professional.. ) Not a bad job, just oily and stinky - I find dealing with u-joints to be the more "undesirable" of the jobs you've got queued up.

Good luck. I second the use of Spicer joints for the replacement.

 

Will do. Yeah, I hate gear oil. It smells like cat ****. Which is why I am wanting to spend a day doing the entire job and seals, that way it's just over and won't have to fool with it for a long time.

 

Is it worth upgrading the diff cover? 4WP has the Poison spider bombshell for $52.98 to my door, and there were quite a few things I avoided this weekend because I was concerned with my stock cover. Maybe I shouldn't be? When I clean up the rear end, I'm sure I'll be putting in a lunchbox locker, but leaving the front open, since this is a daily driver.

 

I meant axle shafts. Not driveshafts.

I put Spicer 1310 in the driveshafts.

On a Dana 30, the shims are between the bearing and the carrier housing. The bearings are pressed on. If those get away from you, you have serious problems. The outer races will fall away though as they aren't attached.

Last time I took apart a Dana 35, the shims were on the outside. Those can easily get away from you.

 

A heavy duty diff cover is never a bad upgrade. Not only does it protect the gears when you hit the diff on a rock but it actually adds to the rigidity of the housing which helps the gears live a long and happy life. And they look cool.

 

Are all Dana 30 covers compatible? This isn't a trail rig, but I am wanting to eventually do an OME lift, but my street tires are in really good shape, and I'm thinking time just ride them for the next year, and lift when they are worn. When I service the rear, and lock it, I'll do a cool diff cover there too. Where I have been riding and hunting, I worry more about peel backs then actually bashing the diff cover in.

 

Dont waste your money on aftermarket hd covers. Your application for this Jeep doesnt need that kind of armor and the oem diff cover is shapped the way it is for a reason. Same for the level the fluid sits at with a factory cover.

Most aftermarket covers actually cause elevated oil temps and jack the flow of lubricant all up.

 

Even at the price point I mentioned?

And in my ignorance, I'd think that more surface area would create a heatsink effect for cooling fluid, and they can't diminish the capacity of fluid, because it at minimum should retain the stock geometry, potentially increase oil capacity, albeit not necessarily better. The only reasons I am approaching this idea is because of 1) I am taking the stock one off to change fluid and inner seals, 2) the sale price, and 3) I figured it would be an improvement over stock, since I am not lifting the differential any higher.

That being said, if it is going to affect me negatively, I will skip it altogether

 

Another vote for an aftermarket cover, as mentioned before it will strengthen the housing and protect the differential from damage. The higher capacity will also help the pinion bearing get better lubrication in reverse, for most people that's not an issue but if you spend time in the mud and are using reverse a lot to get unstuck it isn't uncommon to have a front pinion bearing failure due to lack of lubrication. I went with the Solid covers on mine and they have been fine so far.

 

The PSC price point is fantastic, 45.99 I believe. Raw finish, but I can paint it. I'm not planning to regear, I'm happy with 3.55's, and when I do upsized the tires, it will be 245's most likely. I'm gonna do the Solid for the rear when I get back there for maintenance, unless there's really compelling reasons why I shouldn't go aftermarket, on a stock ride.

I dont mean to get off on a tangent in my own thread, but staying stock height, I'd think I would want to maximize protection, traction and overall durability since my clearance is extremely low.

Of course on the flip side of that, guys local to me will hack fenders, and run 35's on 4" and weld both diffs and not regear from 3.55.

 

Its your money. Spend it the way you want. Gale banks (banks diesel performance) did a video series on it. They still havent posted the last vid because Banks decided to build and patent his own diff cover design so theyve been holding off on the last video.

Your self described use of your Jeep doesnt sound very rough so i just dont see the point of spending over 100 dollars on aftermarket diff covers. You're 1/3 the cost to a lunchbox locker at that point which would serve you much better than some fancy diff covers.

Youre not running big tires so i dont see the need to try to strengthen your center section. You can find lots of videos of people jumping D30 equipped Jeeps and ripping out the axletubes,but i sont see destroyed centersections just bent busted axletubes. Doesnt seem like the D30 has a housing strength issue.

The stock covers arent exactly paperthin sheet metal. Ive bashed the **** out of them both ends and never even dented them.

In the end its your choice but i feel that the money could be much better spent elsewhere. If you're concerned about armor put it towards rocksliders and a tcase skid. Ive wheeled stock jeeps they probably shouldnt go and never damaged a centersection. Rocker panels on the other hand......