Jk's d44 pinion nuts etc

[Jon Piper]

So my wife calls me at work Friday night and says the jk is making a terrible noise and she is calling her father to come pick her up. So I go put it on the trailer at 3:30am pull it home and get to work.

I expected a stuck caliper or something similar but after getting it on jack stands and pulling wheels/ calipers etc I see the pinion moving in and out. I figured pinion bearing took a poo. Now I installed a set of g2 5.13's in this unit roughly 64000 miles / 4 years ago.

Pulled diff - got the pinion out in my hands and the bearing was not bad. The teeth took some abuse but very little damage from what could have been. I pressed a new bearing on re-torqued the nut and checked the pinion pre load all seemed ok , the pattern was "ok" gived the situation. Filled up with lube and she was fine...


So, when I have an issue I prefer parts to fall out on the floor. I like to know what caused the issue. I could understand a crush sleeve problem happening early in life or even a pinion but backing off but seriously taking 60,000+ miles and 4 years ? I'm likely to order a new 5.13 and master install kit just to satisfy my curiosity alone with a solid spacer for the pinion.

Has anyone else encountered a similar issue ? Would y'all keep on rocking the r&p like it is ?

 

[Jon Piper]

Re: Jk's d44 pinion nuts etc

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rocfun]

It needs more triangulation

 

[Jon Piper]

It needs more triangulation

Truuuuuuuuuf

 

[sexxy]

Did you check torque on pinion nut before removal? If the r/p are not making any noise I would rock them til they fail? Did ya put any thread locker on pinion nut after reinstalling?

 

[Jon Piper]

Did you check torque on pinion nut before removal? If the r/p are not making any noise I would rock them til they fail? Did ya put any thread locker on pinion nut after reinstalling?

No, apparently it was already backed off. The bearings were ok... Well, they didn't spit rollers out. I didn't check the torque.

Honestly at that point I was ready to get the ole yeller off the trailer. I expected them to roar or even spit the nut off again. So, no I didn't apply any loc tite. If it didn't do anything stupid I was going to pull the driveshaft check the torque and put a little lockem tight on there in a hundred miles or so. I don't like not knowing exactly what happened.

We drove it around for a few miles yesterday and it seemed to be all good.

 

[sexxy]

No, apparently it was already backed off. The bearings were ok... Well, they didn't spit rollers out. I didn't check the torque.

Honestly at that point I was ready to get the ole yeller off the trailer. I expected them to roar or even spit the nut off again. So, no I didn't apply any loc tite. If it didn't do anything stupid I was going to pull the driveshaft check the torque and put a little lockem tight on there in a hundred miles or so. I don't like not knowing exactly what happened.

We drove it around for a few miles yesterday and it seemed to be all good.

Sounds like pinion nut backed off. It does not happen often but does happen. Glad y'all caught it before it got bad and cost you lots of money. Sounds like you have a good plan of attack.

 

[grcthird]

Seen several u joints cause a pinion bearing to go out, but surely you would have noticed that taking it apart. Was it vibrating at all?

 

[BUG-E J]

Pinion nuts deff back off. Mine is tack welded in 2 spots now. That thing don't get beat rock out.

 

[Jon Piper]

Well.... I have a bent rear drivers axle flange. I blame it on Adam Lee and Hpo ! Lol that's the only thing I've seen so far that could cause enoug vibes to back that nut off.

Daves offroad has me hooked up again. Jk getting some new pretty parts along with new rotors brakes etc.

Johnny, Kerri must have been riding around Mashin Her Motor!

 

[sexxy]

Make 100% sure its the flange. Ive changed way more rear shafts that I care to mention. It seems the jk shafts are as weak as the old d35s.

 

[Jon Piper]

Make 100% sure its the flange. Ive changed way more rear shafts that I care to mention. It seems the jk shafts are as weak as the old d35s.

Since I've been listening to it I thought I heard a wheel bearing that was a little rough so I put it back on stands. With the wheels off I noticed the runout on the drivers side is enough to concern me. I looked around and for the money it was better to order a whole axle set with bearings seals etc. than to buy one oem / doorman axle and then get all the other hardware.

 

[ROKTOY829]

Re:

Piper you sure some of that didn't happen on the beat down, you gave it on the clean up day at hpo.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[Jon Piper]

Re:

Piper you sure some of that didn't happen on the beat down, you gave it on the clean up day at hpo.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Dang sho could !