Help please

[nevpat]

Hello everyone,
I am new to this forum and I look foreward to discussing jeep stuff with you. Currently I have a problem. I just purchased an 87 cherokee with 200k miles on it and am ready to get my hands dirty. I removed the rear drivers side drums only to find universal fluid caked on the brake parts. The dilema is! Do I get it rebuilt or buy remanufactured? According to my local jeep dealer both 35c and 44 rear end assemblies are discontinued. It is a dana 35c and if I decide to upgrade to a 44 will everything match up? Thanks for any info.:???:

 

[currupt4130]

Hello everyone,
I am new to this forum and I look foreward to discussing jeep stuff with you. Currently I have a problem. I just purchased an 87 cherokee with 200k miles on it and am ready to get my hands dirty. I removed the rear drivers side drums only to find universal fluid caked on the brake parts. The dilema is! Do I get it rebuilt or buy remanufactured? According to my local jeep dealer both 35c and 44 rear end assemblies are discontinued. It is a dana 35c and if I decide to upgrade to a 44 will everything match up? Thanks for any info.:???:

I'm confused?

You found what caked on the brake parts? Gear oil from the differential? Brake fluid? If either is the case all you need to do is replace a seal or some brake parts that are easily obtainable at any auto parts store.

 

[Itchee96]

Maybe the axle seals are gone and allowing diff fluid to bypass? I cant really understand what exactly your problem is from your post.

 

[SteelHeadz]

I'll play as the 3rd Confucious.

 

[mingez]

Well, I think the question is, should he upgrade or should he fix the existing dana 35. I'd upgrade. Just get it over with and get it done right.

Now comes the hard part, finding an axle that's not going to break your bank. It's been talked about plenty, but find an XJ (Cherokee) with the tow package, some have dana 44s, some have Chrysler 8.25. Both good axles, but if you're going to go real big or gear down, I'd go with the dana 44 as the 8.25 can be troublesome.

Tell us more, are you planning on lifting? What size tires? Gearing?

Of course, the other option is just to throw money at it and get a built axle.

Here's a descent axle that might help you decide. Cherokee XJ - Dana 44 Axle Upgrade

 

[nevpat]

The crux of my post is this! Is rebuilding a rear end assembly a good idea or should I buy a completely refubished assembly for more money? Whatever I choose to do should I upgrade to a 44? I don't plan on doing xtreme off roading, but I do live in southern nevada and there is a lot of desert here to explore and I don't want to get stranded out there because my 35c broke or failed on me. The fluid had nothing to do with my question! I already knew that the seal was bad. Mingez got it! Thanx Mngez!

 

[MudderChuck]

Between my three XJ's I've got about 52 years of use out of various D-35's. I've replaced a couple of sets of carrier bearings, one set of wheel bearings and a few seals.
I say replace the seals and wheel bearings and while it's empty pry up on the carrier with a piece of wood or a pry bar and see if it moves (the carrier bearings are worn if it does). Grab the input yoke and shake it up and down and in and out, see if you can feel any play in the pinion bearings.
I usually drive mine to get there and home agian, I drive around impossible obstacles and park it and walk if the going gets too rough.
Before you do anything else, carefully open the rubber boot on your brake cylinder, both ends and see if what you have isn't brake fluid and not diff oil. You don't have to take the whole boot off, just enough to let the brake fluid leak out if there is any in there. If there is replace the brake cylinder.