97 Jeep Wrangler Dana 30 Front Differential Repair / Rebuild!

[@loveourbulldogs6388]

Wish I had this guys knowledge.

[@nachovalenti]

Good job and pleased to see that the TJ is step by step looking better and in better conditions. Keep going! Kind regards and see you next week.

[@ForceBuilt]

Thanks!

[@felishiadarling]

I have a 2004 TJ with a 3.5” lift. Original owner. I put a cold air intake on it myself in the first year. The Pro Comp lift was done by a local garage. They did a good job. Over the last five years thing are starting to age. Which is to be expected. Starting with my air not blowing I did research and found it to be a resister switch. I did it myself then rear main seal. Again myself. I couldn’t pay anyone going thru a divorce. Water pump the next year. Two months ago all u joints and diff seals. Today I’m replacing the front suspension and ball joints. EVERY SINGLE TIME some guy or man would volunteer to help-broke, lost or mucked up something just like here in this video. They all said they knew what they were doing. I would do my homework. Make sure I diagnosed the problem and how to fix it. Every single time I would have to explain what NOT to do. I do it myself! Other people don’t care if they scratch your driveline or the surface of the oil pan and it leaks etc. I just hope the electrical stays intact. That’s an area I’m nervous about. Hah!

[@SweatPvP]

another solid video! may be annoying fixing the issues they failed to fix but makes for good content and education!

[@ForceBuilt]

Thanks for the compliment! You are correct. This project has given me lots of content lol.

[@jayluv1232]

thank you so much friend i have that same job just a head of me.

[@ForceBuilt]

Thanks for watching and good luck!!!

[@KN-sd9lt]

Thank you for posting up this video! It helped me out. Best of luck with your Tj

[@ForceBuilt]

Thanks K N . Glad you liked it! I have finished my TJ. If you haven't seen my final result I would like for you to see it. Turned out great. Thanks for watching!

[@KN-sd9lt]

@@ForceBuilt would love to check it out. Have you got a video of it here on KZbin? If not I can send you my email.

[@ForceBuilt]

@@KN-sd9lt yes sir! I have tons of videos for this Jeep. It was in bad shape but not any more. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpeXd3adnLyHm68

[@KN-sd9lt]

@@ForceBuilt sharp rig! Definitely one to be proud of! #overlandmotorworks

[@ForceBuilt]

@@KN-sd9lt thanks a lot!

[@Kern-n6w]

It's worth it to put spicer joints in the axels and drive it will make a giant difference.i went through the same stuff you just did

[@ForceBuilt]

Great advice! Thanks for watching!

[@LovelyMels1]

Wow, cool video, i learned a lot! I'm hoping to bring my daughter's 98 TJ back to life. Sadly, I think her diff is in similar condition. I'll go as far as changing the diff oil to see if there is an issue with her gears. But I'll have to have someone else repair it if needed.

[@ForceBuilt]

Thanks and good luck! Hopefully it won't be bad like mine. Thanks for watching

[@coachbiggsremedy9634]

Dang man I thought I had issues with my jeep. Another great video sir

[@ForceBuilt]

Thanks a lot! Yeah, the previous owner made a mess of things lol. Thanks for watching

[@californiagonecountry7057]

Very good video. Be careful with those jack stands. It looks like those could be the recall ones. Thanks again

[@ForceBuilt]

Thanks, and I will check on that!

[@salembeeman370]

Okay, now that took some serious skills. Thanks for posting.

[@ForceBuilt]

Thanks Fred! You are too kind!

[@2StallGarage]

Good video.

[@ForceBuilt]

Thanks!

[@matthewswift5345]

Guess it depends on which Dana 30 because all 3 of my Quadra Drive vari loks have the shims for carrier preload on the outside from the factory.

[@ForceBuilt]

Agreed, and I didn't know that was even an option before. I don't think any Dana 30 Quadra Drive vari loks came stock on a Jeep TJ Wrangler. Good Read on the subject. QuadraDrive Vari-Lok diff into TJ (Dana30): anyone done it? www.rme4x4.com/threads/quadradrive-vari-lok-diff-into-tj-dana30-anyone-done-it.21112/ Thanks for your valued input! Thanks for watching!

[@Whiteandsonsgarage]

Great work mate, definitely worth the repair

[@ForceBuilt]

Thanks! Learning a lot from your channel!

[@williamt7382]

Awesome restoration!! Keep it up!!

[@ForceBuilt]

Thanks William!

[@felishiadarling]

I teach myself to work on my TJ and in replacing my seals two months ago, I can see here his gears falling out in pieces into his hands. This horrified me to think he had professionals do this. 🤦‍♀️ I do want to learn how to adjust the gears and the pinion.

[@ForceBuilt]

Yes, the previous owner made a mess of this Jeep. The Jeep has turned out great now being fully restored with paint and everything in between. Just did a 1000 mile round trip and all is well. I have everything documented on my channel. Thanks for watching!

[@maxwebster7572]

be careful with those HF pullers. Usually they strip the gears but the cast isnt great and they fly apart.

[@dhlwood]

GREAT JOB

[@ForceBuilt]

Thanks

[@JEEPINGINOHIO]

Nice video my friend 🙏I want it learn how work with gears ⚙️ calibration

[@ForceBuilt]

Thanks a lot! Just take your time and watch a lot of videos. From what I've seen you already do, you shouldn't have much trouble. Thanks for watching!

[@doogie525]

Great video. I learned much but i hope you will answer a question for me. I just bought a Jeep about a month ago. I don't really have problems with my front diff but i want to upgrade the carrier to a torsen style. Will the shim packs be the same on a different carrier or will the entire process be necessary? I plan to leave gear ratio the same and reuse the same gears as long as they are in good shape.

[@ForceBuilt]

I honestly don’t know. I think you will have to do the process I did, though I am not totally sure.

[@doogie525]

@@ForceBuilt ok. Thanks for the reply

[@Sgtyork488]

Good job with basic 🔧....

[@ForceBuilt]

Thank you...

[@gonzo2354]

nice job. nice video. keep up the good work

[@ForceBuilt]

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

[@fishrrelaxing9361]

That’s pretty bad when you can remove the carrier with only removing one cap lol. You can shim a Dana 30 on the outside it’s just preferred to shim it to the inside.

[@ForceBuilt]

Yeah, it was bad and the ring gear was loose as well! Thanks

[@johngera2782]

Put the shims on the inside. I pulled mine down to put in a locker and found that the local shop that regeared my dana 30 put the shims on the outside. One shim walked out and the axle shaft had worn 1/2 way thru that shim. Lots of metal in the oil. You can imagine what happens if that shim wore thru, came out and got caught in the gear set.

[@ForceBuilt]

Yeah, I don't know why they can't do it right the first time. Makes lots more work for the second guy(me and you). I have it all fix and doing great. Shims now on the Inside. I knew right off that it was wrong because I had done research before tearing it down. Thanks for watching!

[@yassielveciana9694]

Can I go ahead and regear from a Dana 30 3.07 to 3.73 gears I would have to do this job.

[@ForceBuilt]

I don't see why not. Both axles front and rear have to be the exact same gearing. I know you know already this. If it is a daily driver, you can gear the front before the rear, just don't use 4wd until front and rear are geared the same.

[@ForceBuilt]

Today we start to repair/rebuild the dana 30 front diff... This thing is a mess! I have to replace all the bearings and shims! (Dana 30 Bearing Kit)amzn.to/3DFaPRz (Camera I Use)amzn.to/3K5NwUC (Handy Tool)amzn.to/3NYJApF I am a member of Amazon associates. Clicking the links help me

[@willkovach8665]

What ring gear is that? Mines about half the size

[@ForceBuilt]

Really? I used a Motive in the rear and don't know what brand this one is in the front. I do know they are 4.88 gear ratio. I don't know if that makes a difference or not. This one looks just like the one in the rear also. Thanks for watching!

[@marka.2715]

Where did you get the bearing puller with the extensions? How did you go about setting up your pinion depth or did you even need to?

[@ForceBuilt]

I got the puller at harbor freight. I used a bearing that I honed out so I could slide it on and off until I knew the correct amount of shims for the correct depth. So in the end I had to have 2 sets of bearings. 1 set for mock up and 1 set to permanently press on. Hope this helps!

[@marka.2715]

@@ForceBuilt Thank you

[@timg0222]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry with or for you. It's a good thing you know what you are doing . Hopefully those numbskulls are watching these videos and realize they should never EVER work on anything ever again. Or maybe you should invite them over and teach them some mechanic skills? Again, not sure if I should laugh or cry.

[@ForceBuilt]

We may as well laugh at this point. I still have a list to work on of things they have messed up or left off lol. I just hope they haven't been inside the engine. I can imagine tie straps holding the crank in lol. The engine seems solid so I don't think they have been inside it. Time will tell. Thanks for the comments!

[@robertpc100]

what ratio are you running? i have a 98 tj and its geared 3.07 and want to re-gear to 3.73.i have heard because of the break or brake between carrier and ring gear wont accept anything bigger than 3.53 i think is right.Can you tell me if this is fact or fiction? sincerely, wfasrandrews

[@ForceBuilt]

I have a 4 cylinder and am running 4.88 gear ratio. I read that I have a different housing than the ones geared higher like yours. A 3.07 to 3.73 I would think should be fine. I will read up and see what the forums say. If I find anything I will post here.

[@robertpc100]

@@ForceBuilt thank you very much.sincerely Robert

[@ForceBuilt]

Ok Robert, here's the low down on Dana 35 diffs. The carrier break is the point to which your carrier will no longer work. You can go up to 3.31 gears with the one you have. The next gear is 3.54 and for that one you need a different carrier. I would recommend 4.10 gears and the appropriate carrier if you have bigger than factory tires. Many cases where a few extra rpms actually help fuel mileage and keep you close to the power zone. Carriers aren't terribly expensive either. Hope this helps.

[@robertpc100]

@@ForceBuilt /ok the front is a dana 30 the rear is a dana 35 as most tj jeeps came with.so does it apply the same to dana 30 and 35.the 35 does have a wider cover and made somewhat different.but im assuming they both would be the same.as im watching a video now of a dana 30.but other than a high -end carrier im trying to stay with something factory,at least not a 1,000 locker.how about something something from a cherokee.or what type should i look for that i can put a 3.55 or 3.73 or 4.10.thank you so much

[@robertpc100]

@@ForceBuilt thank you so much

[@cantfixstupid5503]

youre not near Fl.. are ya? I need help lol

[@ForceBuilt]

No, sorry. Thanks for watching!

[@Adikxx]

You showed the stuff everybody knows how to do. Sadly you didn't show the most difficult and confusing stuff which is the whole process of shimming and checking play with dial indicator...

[@ForceBuilt]

You are correct. A lot of my videos(including this one)are more of what I am doing to my jeep not as much how to. Believe it or not, a lot of people don't know about the bearing separator that I used. So I did show that. Sorry if you needed Info on rebuilding a dana 30. I could have went into more detail but the diff is difficult and time consuming without filming everything. I started filming my build process about a year ago. This is somewhat a video log of all I have done to my Jeep. Some videos are more tutorials than others. Your input is truly appreciated! Thanks!

[@v7nf]

wow,previous owners were lazy

[@ForceBuilt]

Yes they were or just didn't know what they were doing over the entire Jeep. This isn't the first area of surprise lol. Thanks for watching v7nf!

[@keithlea6804]

My exwife used to give me hell for putting car parts in the oven

[@ForceBuilt]

Well, mine don't like it lol! Had to be done haha.

[@keithlea6804]

Thats what i said . It has to be done. New wife is a motor head so all is rite

[@johnpolitesmd9228]

I’m beginning to think these people were working on the car upside down. Or using a mirror. Or.. I honestly don’t even understand it.

[@johnpolitesmd9228]

And we need to find these people. Not because I’m mad at them or anything, but because I’m seriously concerned they may walk in front of a bus at any moment

[@ForceBuilt]

Yeah I know LOL! They don't have it going on in the mechanic area for sure! Thanks for watching!

[@daviddawkins9669]

the only thing wrong with my jeep was the previous owner.

[@ForceBuilt]

I know, right!

[@Blastfence1]

You know that you are going to void your warranty.

[@ForceBuilt]

Yeah, I know. I get daily calls about my warranty about to expire. You think if I tell them I been working on it they will stop calling lol.