ZJ Damage Control

[a_boogs]

Hey guys,

Went up to Stockton on the weekend and a blast all day Saturday.....untill....... i had a run at a dune that was probably a bit too steep for the speed i approached it at...... made it up the dune;D but upon further inspection it seems that i have bottomed out the suspension to the bump stops and as a result bent the axle housings that attach to the front diff (bit of oil leaking out). The car has some wicked camber on it at the moment and looks like a V8 supercar;D Luckily the car was still driveable to get us off the beach and back to our accommodation, but by the time we got there she was making some bad noises so decided it was a tow truck back to Sydney on Sunday.
It looks like i will need to replace the axle housings and possibly the diff housing as well. Not sure about the axles or diff gears yet but don’t hold much hope.................. SO........................ i was wondering if anyone can help point me in the right direction of suppliers in Sydney (preferably) who might be able to supply me with these parts or with a replacement assembly set up. The diff is the dana 30 on a ZJ grand Cherokee which means CV’s not UNI’s and no LSD.
Was hoping to fix it in time for some Christmas trips but we’ll just see how we go........
Cheers for any help

[Hunty]

Hey a_boogs
The first call I always make is Wooders - Australia's best Jeep after market store (they have a real store with stock and an internet business) and there are in Hornsby (Sydney Nth)
9477 4312 Ask for Dave or Colin
cheers Hunty

[Steve F]

Also try pick and payless out at Blacktown, they had a ZJ in there last time I was there, cant remember if it still had the front end in or not but worth a call. You could also swap in an XJ high pinion D30 front end, you'd lose the ABS if you have it in the ZJ but you'd get unis instead of CV's, you'd also need the XJ front driveshaft (again you'd loose the CV's so a stronger shaft anyway) but I think it's pretty much a straight swap and a bit stronger than the ZJ front end (CV's). Do you have adjustable control arms? The XJ front end doesn't have the cam bolt adjustment like the ZJ does but if you have adjustable lowers that's irrelevant anyway.

So to summarize, benefits of XJ High Pinion D30 swap.

Pros
High Pinion so more clearance and stronger
Unis in axles instead of CVs, again cheaper and stronger
Unis in driveshaft, cheaper and stronger

Cons
No ABS
Need a diesel front end (harder to find) to get 3.73 gears

Cheers
Steve

[Hunno]

Hunty I reckon he know about Wooders seeing as he get his lift kit there. lol.

Try Ebay : http://cgi.ebay.com.au/jeep-grand-cherokee-zg-1997-wrecking-complete-car-/260697090943?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cb2c1eb7f

http://cars.ebay.com.au/Jeep-Grand-Cherokee-96-Wrecking-Tailgate_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQitemZ360273180379#ebayp hotohosting

Also Have working Jeep (LOL) & trailer if you need help to pick up diffs.

[Wooders]

LOL, Think he might.
But actually I'd agree with Steve - Grab an XJ or TJ front end. The CV's in the front of a grand are rubbish. And ditch the ABS.
The most XJ's (but not all) have the stronger HighPinion (also better rock clearance for the pinion). Although the Limited have ABS, it's a different sensor setup and the tone wheel is indexed differently - so it's not interchangable.

IMHO before you start shopping too much for parts have a good long look at whats actually damaged (& feel free to give us a call with some pics etc), as sometimes the problems can be far less than initially suspects (although the opposite can be true too).
Also this would be the ideal time to considering regearing if you ever wanted to.

[a_boogs]

cool thanks for or the help guys. will take some pics tonight and bring them in to Jeep club on wednesday so all can have a bit of a squiz ;D i like the idea of swapping out the diff and front driveshaft and re-gearing koz if i'm gonna spend cash fixing my car i want it to better than it was before it broke!!!

[sbadman]

i like the idea of swapping out the diff and front driveshaft and re-gearing koz if i'm gonna spend cash fixing my car i want it to better than it was before it broke!!!

That's the way to look at it! If it's broke, don't fix it. MAKE IT BETTER!! :D :D