First I'm pretty good with race cars in a former life but I must admit I've never removed an axle even once so my practical skills in this area a re pretty thin.

Anyway, 1989 XJ so it should have non-clip axles in the D35. I keep reading how it's trivial to replace a broken axle on the trail but how do you get the piece out. From the ARB and Yukon demo vids I've seen they normally break right at the spline. That means you have a very short piece all the way inside that needs to be removed. It also need to pass through the seal? How please?

PS, I know it's a D35. I don't wheel that hard and no plans to lock it. I plan to replace with an 8.8 but that won't happen for 6-12 months as the budget allows.

 

I wonder if you can push on it with a dowel from the other side? (with that one out)(and the spider pin)

 

if its an 89, it is a c-clip axle. 9 times out of 10.

 

According to this it says non-c-clip but I don't doubt you. Seems like Jeep didn't always play by the book. c-clip almost sounds easier since you already know you have pull everything apart. I want to get a couple axles at the junk yard before a trip next month but I'll pull mine apart first to make sure what I have.

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/c...k-specs-26256/

 

It must depend on the build date, my buddies d35 is a c-clip and his is a stock 89. Weird.

 

on a non c-clip axle The shafts are held in by bolts on the outer flange, so if one breaks and it breaks near the splines, you will either need to try to fish it out through the axle tube after u take the tire and rest of the axle shaft out, or take the differential apart and fish it out that way. Either way, with an open diff, and 33s or below, your chances of breaking an axle is pretty slim.

Ones good thing for the rear is 1 spare shaft works for either side of the axle.

 

Insert a piece of 36" x 1/2" PVC down the axle tube until it passes through the carrier and touches the broken shaft that's in the carrier.

Pull about 36.5" of welding wire out of the tip of your Ready Welder (Spool gun) and straighten it out . Slide it down the PVC until it touches the broken shaft.

Pull the trigger for less than 1 second.
The wire will melt to the broken axle....give it a litle tug.

Repeat as needed.

 

well now, thats creative lol.

 

SeriousOffroad, thanks.

This is my hope. I might not even plan for a broken axle at all and just cross my fingers the whole time.

 

Another trail fix...
Drain the oil into a 1 gallon plastic ziplock baggie. Set it on some ice to keep the hot oil from melting the plastic.

Use a screwdriver or small pry-bar to force the broken piece into the tube and retrieve with a magnet taped to a stick.

Install spare shaft. Put the baggie of oil in the diff and put the cover back on. The bag will get shredded and viola'!!

 

They make a Chinese finger puzzle type tool to grab the piece through the tube - they SOMETIMES work.
Otherwise you are going in.
It usually breaks at the splines, and the piece gets stuck! Knock it out, then fish it out.

LOL - love it - Putting the filled baggie in before putting the cover on - a creative trick that saves the mess.

--- Why is it wherever you have to go under it the ants are everywhere? ---

 

I do recall seeing somewhere they went from C clip, to not, from 89 to 90. Being that you ARE probably "going in", is a reason to maybe pull the other side and push it out with a broom handle or something. Heck, that might drive out the seal as well!

Edit! I think I may well have that backwards^.

 

Those were BOTH awesome! Thanks man!

 

Now I think I had that backwards and they went TO the clip in 90.

 

tie wire with a loop bent in the end get in behing it and slide it out its a pain but done it plenty of times hapoy fishing