Dana 30 Front - Axle tube spun in housing

[JR74CJ5]

Ok so I've found my Dana 30 front driver's side (long tube) alone has spun about a 1/2" in the housing...

I tried getting pretty aggressive with a pipe wrench, but couldn't get it spun back around so I can weld her up... Worried about crushing the tube itself if I get much more aggressive.

Seems like the springs on the passenger side would not allow me to actually put force on the tube to spin... just wanted to lift the pinion instead.

Plan on trying to take it out of the jeep, flip it to where the housing is held against the concrete and smack the pipe wrench with mini sledge to see if I can get it moved back.

Other options are to leave the caster out of whack and cut and re-weld the spring perch (don't like this much...) and start looking for a Dana 44 ...

Get more aggressive with it and either replace with Dana 44 or another 30.

or whatever wisdom you all tell me to try


~ Jr

 

[Lumpy Grits]

AFTER you have it all lined up. Have a pro welder do a 'skip-weld' on the tube to the housing.
LG

 

[Torxhead]

JR, with 33" tires max, I would think you would be O.K. with a Dana 30 . You can also add some of those tougher axles for the Dana 30 that have the upgraded u-joints. I think they would be the 297x series that are for the Dana 44 . The larger Dana 44 is a great upgrade, but I think overkill for your application and with that larger pumpkin you would loose an inch of ground clearance. Hope you have a big pipe wrench.

 

[Only in a Jeep CJ]

with the force and leverage that it took to spin that tube, I don't believe even a large pipe wrench or taking it off the Jeep is in the equation for a solution. I would think that the weight of the jeep and it mounting points would be needed to hold it during the fix OR removal of axle and it placed on a frame straightening jig.
I would use the spring mounts as the anchor points for a large/and long metal beam to be welded or clamped with the U bolts and spring plates in place of the leaf spring so it can be leveraged back into place. Heating of the cast diff end may be required. IF you do return it to spec, better plug welds and stitch welds would be needed. Ive seen one Model 20 rotate, but never a front 30.

 

[Old Dog]

Ok so I've found my Dana 30 front driver's side (long tube) alone has spun about a 1/2" in the housing...~ Jr

Your the man. I've seen a lot of broken stuff, but your the first one to spin a tube in a Dana 30 .

 

[Torxhead]

Your the man. I've seen a lot of broken stuff, but your the first one to spin a tube in a Dana 30 .

I have never heard of them rotated either, but I did bend mine.

 

[IOPort51]

Put jack stands under the frame behind the spring mount to take enough pressure off the wheels to loosen the u bolts. I would try a heat gun, not a torch, to warm the housing up,takes longer but better control, with a pipe wrench, cheater bar and fat person applying constant pressure, ie setting on the cheater bar. Or put a jack under the cheater if rotation is the other way. I would avoid the BFH if at all possible.

Would not waste time with mig welder. Stick welder with nickle rod, preferably when the housing is still hot. Have to clean the be-jeebers out of the joint before welding.

 

[IOPort51]

Your the man. I've seen a lot of broken stuff, but your the first one to spin a tube in a Dana 30 .

If we lived down the road from the Rubicon trail I bet we could do a lot more damage to out machinery too.

 

[somedude922]

I don't know IO. There are some pretty big potholes and busted roads around here!

 

[Old Dog]

I have never heard of them rotated either, but I did bend mine.

I agree, I've seen lots of bent ones. I see rotated rears, just not fronts.

If we lived down the road from the Rubicon trail I bet we could do a lot more damage to out machinery too.

I'm sure there would be lots of damage. :drool:

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Bet the housing was bent long before it spun.
Seen a few 30s that this has happened to.
Big arse tires(35"+)and loose axle u-bolts are a common factor.
LG

 

[JR74CJ5]

I tried to use large pipe wrench and 5' long cheater bar... was afraid I'd bend / crimp the tube. When everything is hooked up and "holding" in the jeep, the passenger springs just flex and the pinion raises, so the tube wont spin. I need to be able to brace the pinion against the ground to get this thing to spin right...

and yes only 33" tires, but remember I now have 7:1 in the Transmission , and was in low 4wd. Going through a pretty sweet rock creek out at local OHV park trying to get ready for a Con trip lol.

I think the "moderate" 60:1 crawl ratio and the rock creek together just did what I was hoping and found a weak spot for me to fix before I'm out on a long trail...

I'll get the gopro video from the uncle soon to show it.

 

[JR74CJ5]

Bet the housing was bent long before it spun.
Seen a few 30s that this has happened to.
Big arse tires(35"+)and loose axle u-bolts are a common factor.
LG

The housing doesn't look bent, but definitley a possibility. Seems it was sliding out of the housing a little as well. Maybe a 1/8th inch or so of "clean-ness" showing now. May have had a part in it. From what I can see there were no welds at all, even plug welds, on the thing.

 

[tarry99]

The housing doesn't look bent, but definitley a possibility. Seems it was sliding out of the housing a little as well. Maybe a 1/8th inch or so of "clean-ness" showing now. May have had a part in it. From what I can see there were no welds at all, even plug welds, on the thing.

Most I have seen are never welded on the tubes but are just plug welded......and I would agree with Dog......never seen one hurt even with 35's.........but I know your a special kind of guy that finds all those tough spots (LOL) Do you have an open or locker in there? Most times the stock axles or U-joint just snap........you may have just hit a big rock while trying to climb over it which normally bend the rear of the leaf spring or came off of a falls and jammed the one side into the deck to tweak it........
Going through the Con one more time is not going to hurt it but driving it to a from may not be the best Idea.

I think your going to have to pull that off and get it clamped down in a frame jig if you want to get enough leverage on it.......
As far as heat.........you need to first remove the oil , It should also be Pre-heated..... I've welded on many housings before and it takes along time even with an Acetylene torch and a big Rose bud to get it up to 400-500 degrees to even think about welding on nodular cast Iron without running the risk of having the cast portion crack.......... Notwithstanding there is also a Post Heat needed ( slow cooling ) that is also required...............I know everyone's going to say that's not needed but that is the correct way to weld on Cast Iron period.

If I was you JR and did not want to go through the hassle......I would either go over to J&W over in Antelope,CA and pickup another housing or search Craigs List.........Dana 30 Narrow Track housings are everywhere.

 

[Torxhead]

J&W Auto Wreckers: New & Used Jeep Parts - Home

 

[mtnwhlr]

If I was you JR and did not want to go through the hassle......I would either go over to J&W over in Antelope,CA and pickup another housing or search Craigs List.........Dana 30 Narrow Track housings are everywhere.

I think this is sound advice.

 

[JR74CJ5]

J & W has one, $200. We'll see if I can get this one spun back around and re-welded, if not, I know where to get one



~ Jr

 

[Hedgehog]

Yeah, if yo know where you can get a replacement it's a lot easier to get down right brutal with the one you have. If you break it, replace it.

Before putting serious work/pressure on the axle tube, I'd heat the hell out of the joint, and I mean HOT to the point where you should pull the carrier for safety and remember the seal will likely be ruined. heat it red hot, turn the tube and weld her up. A decent plug weld should do the job. Then back away and let it cool slowly, tossing water on it might crack the casting, it will most deffinately harden the steel/iron as hard as it will get making it brittle.

 

[JR74CJ5]

So i fixed it

Pulled axles and carrier out, heated up the housing a bit and pipe wrench / 4' cheater bar / mini sledge'd it and got it twisted back straight. Then 12lb sledged the end and got it pushed back in a ways as well.

Welded her up, and put her back together.

Rubicon July 4th weekend ought to give her a good testing

 

[Torxhead]

Thanks for the update, I wonder if a larger u-bolt would be better to hold those axle tubes in place. A spring shop can make custom ones for fairly cheap. On my rig I use a 9/16" and tighten them down to around 100 lbs.