Don't do or do this or expensive mistake...

[Hedgehog]

From another thread: I mentioned that I popped an inside out hole in my rear differential housing. WHAT!!!! Needless to say I was NOT happy!

After a few set backs, I popped the cover to see what happened. First I thought I might have blown my ring gear .... Nope, the good news is that the gears were/are in perfect condition. Next I feared that somehow the E-locker had come apart. Good news, nope the E-locker is a bit scared but still in good shape. So what happened? Almost ALL the ring gear bolts were loose, a couple were missing and one was broken off. Obviously my fault. I swear that the bolts were torqued down. More than once, with a quick check before buttoning up the cover. How to fix the problem? Clean the threads of all oil, use RED lock tight and torque the bolts properly. (Now I'm worried about the front ring gear bolts. Golly, I hate Transmission oil, it's icky an smells bad. )

The old axle housing was in far from good condition when I started the rear end project. The axles were bent and replaced, the passenger side seal surface was scared up. The OP did a crappy job on some spring over perches, the original perches were warn and some what crushed. To top it all off the "U" bolts had warn almost a complete ring around the axle tubes. Why they didn't snap I don't know. Most of the above problems were ground smooth, welded up, repaired, made whole again. But, I admit to be worried about all that heat making the axle tubes brittle and the possibility of the tubes being warped. Then there is the BRAND NEW hole in the housing.

So, off to Willys Works I went. Rob had a complete axle in his used parts pile. The exterior is in relatively great shape. $200 bucks, an acceptable price just for that. The guts of my axle were good so the combination would make for a very decent replacement. Then we took it apart. The carrier and gears are rusted beyond usefulness. One axle is good. But hey, I don't need those parts and the bearing seats are still in good condition. For the money I was satisfied with a nice straight axle housing and a decent axle. But Rob wasn't happy, he insisted on adding a good axle so I got 2 straight axles in the deal. So, the path forward is now established. Pull my old rear end, pull the good parts. Clean and paint the replacement housing. Rebuild a new rear end. The parts to rebuild the replacement housing were purchased along with the housing.......... The path is set.


The CJ was jacked up and placed on cinder blocks and my old trusty jack stands. We've done this many times, using exactly the same blocks and stands.

This could easily be a story about how Hedgehog was found with a 4000lb CJ sitting on his chest. Believe me it was close. I had just gotten done cleaning up parts and tools from under the CJ, Earlier in the day considerable time was spent pulling the cover and inspecting the housing. I mean that Hedgehog was WAY deep under the gas tank.

All I was doing was washing down the driveway with a hose. I wasn't even touching the CJ. And the cinder blocks disintegrated. One side first then cascading to the other .....

Both sides look the same.

My poor old jack stand has had enough. Lumpy warned me at least once to get better jack stands. So listen children. Buy the very best jack stands yo can afford. 25 years ago these were the best I could afford, now I can afford better.

Part of the problem was that my old floor jack blew its seals a while ago. Friday was spent hitting Pawn shops looking for a good deal on a floor jack. Today a decent jack was found $49.00, not bad at all. Good thing I had it to lift the CJ off the ground and reset it on ..... yes blocks. I do know where a set of heavy/ taller stands are at a pawn shop.

 

[Bent]

Just because you're close to Mexico doesn't mean you should............
Did you bend the brake backing plates?

 

[Hedgehog]

Should what?....Cowboy.......

The drums were on, the backing plates look good and yes I did check both brakes, at this point they seem okay. In the morning a closer look will be necessary. I think it hit on the differential housing first.

 

[mriplaybass]

Ring gear bolt bouncing around? Glad you caught it sooner than latter! Did you use new bolts when you installed the ring gear? The bolts as I understand it are like head bolts, torque only once, then replace. Make sure you don't damage the stator when you pull the bearings off the E locker in order to do your setup into the new housing. I had to pull the bearings off one of mine and came very close to causing damage. I ended up just cutting the bearings off with a cut off wheel and getting new ones. Bearings are a whole lot cheaper than E lockers!

 

[Posi]

First, good to hear your still alive!
You now know never to trust your life to cinder blocks as a support under your vehicle.
Looking at the pic the blocks were placed flat side up to give the jack stand a flat surface to rest on.....this would be the weakest position for the blocks, and one of the reasons why they collapsed. Cinder blocks were designed to have the flat side to the sides for support.

This is the WRONG way.


Bottom correct, top incorrect.



I've been a long time Martial Arts Instructor, I never bought into breaking wood, and cinder blocks as a means of focus and strength. That being said I'll let you in on a secret. Most everyone has seen at one time or another some karate guy breaking a stack of cinder blocks/plates. What many may not know is they bake the blocks in a oven the night before to dry them out, and hence easier to break.
My guess, living in AZ where it's hot and dry acts like an oven to dry out the blocks, see where I'm going with this.....

Good to hear you weren't under the Jeep when the blocks collapsed.

 

[Torxhead]

Thanks for the update Hedge, hard work and spending money are not fun. Hopefully with time and a good Jeep trip you can put this behind you.

 

[hole]

Sorry to hear about the diff troubles. Glad the blocks let loose after you were out from under it. As a General Contractor/framer I have cut off scraps of 4x12 and 6x12 that I use to supplement my jack stands as needed. Maybe a trip by a jobsite or two might get you some useful chunks of wood. Glu-lam or Para-lam scraps would be even better as they wouldn't crack and split as they age. For me personally I just burn the old ones since I have a steady supply

 

[Woolyworm]

Yikes - glad you are okay.


Wooly

 

[Peanut Butter]

My advice to everyone: Don't use any cinder block! I don't care how you position them, they were never designed to support the weight of a vehicle. When properly set and mortared, you can make a wall, not a jack stand mount. A sold concrete block may be ok, but best to use large wood blocks or jack stands that are large and heavy duty. Cost $$$ yes your life -- No.

 

[Hedgehog]

All comments are correct. Generally I've been very careful on the way the blocks are positioned. Blocks with the holes going up/down with a board on top is about the strongest arrangement possible. Didn't use that method this time, mostly because my old jack failed and I had to jack the jeep up in stages with a small bottle jack and just didn't get her up high enough for proper alignment and a board under the stands. So it was jacked up and lowered carefully/slowly on the stands. You kind of expect this sort of thing to happen shortly after first lowering the vehicle. This thing let go a good 6 or 7 hours after setting down on the blocks. I wonder what washing the concrete did to the blocks to help them fail. It sure was nice to have the new to me jack to help raise her back up. ...... a side note, I sure love Pawn shops. If you know what you are looking at serious money can be saved. On the other hand the ignorant can easily get burned.

 

[Peanut Butter]

I think we all are just glad you weren't under that thing!

 

[Hedgehog]

Thank you all so very much. It took me a few minutes to realize just how very close it was ..... 30 seconds earlier I was scrambling around under there collecting tools. When I was in high school the head mechanic and bus driver, big Jim Morrison, had a school bus fall on him in a very similar manner. The man died alone on a cold Sunday afternoon

 

[Petescj]

I think we all are just glad you weren't under that thing!

This.


Glad your still here posting today. And thanks for sharing what could possibly save someone else.

 

[jammer1]

I'm a brick mason. Having the block the correct way up then a 2"x8" board on top than a 1/4" metal plate (the way I do it) is plenty strong. When I jack up 2 story porches I use 8" concrete block with the 2x8 inch plank and support the porch with this (Block sitting on 2"x12"x5' plank for a solid base). Putting the block sideways is a disaster waiting to happen. When I was 18 and had my first CJ7 I had the back jacked up with the wheels off on a asphalt parking lot. I was painting the rims, sitting next to the jeep when the jeep shifted sideways and kicked the jack stands out (that's when I learned to always have a proper sized plank under the jack stands on anything other than concrete). The asphalt heated up, the feet sank into the asphalt and next thing I know is rear end's on the parking lot. Unfortunately I needed to replace 2 rear drums. Ended up with flat spots where drums hit. Glad to hear your ok and hopefully the drums didn't bend.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

OMG--I just now saw this-Was shooting a SASS match yesterday.
HH-So glad that you weren't hurt!
Your life is worth more than cheap-cast jack stands. Please spend some $$$$ on some good ones. I like/use the 'pin-type' and see no reason to change.
One thing I would suggest, have your torque wrench ck'd to see if it is close to the settings it shows. Trust me on this........
YES, to red Loctite on the ring bolts. I also use it on the carrier bearing cap bolts too. Flush the area with cat or brake cleaner to remove oil before install'n bolt.
LG

 

[Neuner]

Wow. Glad you are alright. Thanks for posting.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Also want to add-I only use solid wood blocks, and NEVER use bricks to support weight.
LG

 

[Hedgehog]

I usually flush with brake cleaner, will do the same this time. My torque wrench is cheap old and tired, it is time for a new or higher quality one. Is there a "Go to" brand to look for?

Saw a nice taller heavy set of stands at a pawn shop, will be stopping by today to pick them up.

 

[Torxhead]

Hedge, I have been satisfied with a Craftsman,for the torque wrench. I also can take it to one of their repair shops for calibration every so often, and repair if the need comes up.

 

[PistolDave]

12 Ton Jack Stands

These are tall enough (30") that you probably don't need a riser under them, and 24,000 lb capacity is probably adequate for the average CJ. I have a pair and use them often on my SOA 7.