Rebuilding of the Dana 25 (front axle) Chris Stout

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Dwain Neal
5 years ago
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However, the pinion shaft seal was shot as were the front wheel bearings and king

1 The inside gears and bearings were all in excellent condition. A fluid change and some good cleaning was all the was necessary. However, the pinion shaft seal was shot as were the front wheel bearings and king pin bearings. Removed the brake drum, bearing cap, and outer bolts. Removed axle nut, retainer clip, and outer hub assembly. 1

2 Hub removed revealing the full brake assembly and the backing plate bolts (which all have to come out.) Brakes and backing plate removed. Next the king pin cap bolts come out to remove the steering knuckle. 2

There was virtually no oil/grease in the knuckle housing, just water.

3 Leakage around the bearing caps is not a good sign. This Jeep has sat in neglect for many years. Once the upper and lower bearing caps are removed, the steering knuckles slide off. Yeah, neglect! There was virtually no oil/grease in the knuckle housing, just water. Obviously the king pin bearings are trash (which isn t a surprise, these bearings need replaced often and many Jeep owners neglect them.) 3

4 The king pin bearings are shot. The one in this photo is together, most of them just fell apart. 4

I will clean the u-joints and lubricate them, chances are they don t need replaced. Time for cleaning.

5 With the knuckle housing out of the way, the axle shafts slide right out. In this case, the u-joint is in good condition. I will clean the u-joints and lubricate them, chances are they don t need replaced. Time for cleaning. Here is the left knuckle cleaned in comparison to the left one. Every piece will get cleaned and painted. This is time consuming, dirty, and the cause of many what have I gotten myself into thoughts. 5

These look mostly OK but I will have some polishing to do for sure.

6 Here is the bar axle housing. The ball at the end where the knuckle rides needs to be polished. There should not be any deep scratches or gouges that will allow the knuckle lube to leak past the seals. These look mostly OK but I will have some polishing to do for sure. Now the axle housing needs to be separated from the leaf springs and removed from the chassis. Then comes more cleaning and painting. Old fluid drained. 6

The differential housing was dented so I hammered it out from behind and used some body filler to help

7 Lots of priming and detail sanding. I used a Dremel with a wire brush attachment to get the small crevices. The differential housing was dented so I hammered it out from behind and used some body filler to help even it out. It seems like overkill (and some would say I have too much time on my hands) but this is really a highly visible part of the Jeep so I might as well do it right. After all, I came this far. 7

They haven t made seals like this for years, I wonder if it is original.

8 Let s go ahead and address that pinion seal. I removed the yoke with a puller and pried the old seal off with a crowbar. They haven t made seals like this for years, I wonder if it is original. Old seal out of the way, it is time to clean the surfaces. Notice a theme here? Lots of cleaning is required in a restoration. 8

9 New seal in place. I used some black RTV sealant around the outer edges and wiped down the rubber parts with clean oil. Now the yoke can be reinstalled (after it is cleaned, of course.) 9

I bought new knuckle seals, which came with metal retainer rings.

10 Everything cleaned, sanded, and primed. Compare to the rear axle in front it has come a long way. I bought new knuckle seals, which came with metal retainer rings. These are exposed to the outside and I didn t want them to get rusty so I will paint them. 10

Again, even though the axles sit under the vehicle, these are highly visible components on a Jeep that sits high off the ground.

11 After hours of dirty work, the axle housing is finally clean and shiny. I used stainless steel bolts for the housing, maybe a waste of money but I like the looks. Again, even though the axles sit under the vehicle, these are highly visible components on a Jeep that sits high off the ground. Now it is time for reassembly of the steering knuckles, axle shafts, and hubs. And I will replace the wheel bearings and seals while I m at it. I packed the king pin bearings with a bearing packer and then set them in place. The knuckle and bearing caps went on next. 11

The trick on a Willys steering knuckle is to get the bearing load correctly.

12 Fortunately, I remembered to slip on the felt knuckle seal first! Had I forgotten to do this, I would either have to cut it or disassemble everything to install it, neither of those options are appealing. The trick on a Willys steering knuckle is to get the bearing load correctly. This is done by placing spacers under the top cap (no spacers go on the bottom cap.) I started out with no spacers and then checked the load using a fish scale. The Willys manual calls for a load of pounds. The right side was perfect at 14 pounds without any spacers, the left one required 3 of the thinnest spacers to get 14 pounds. 12

After the bearings were properly loaded, I installed the new

13 A basic fish scale is used to check the load required to begin the sweep on the steering knuckle. Spacers are added as needed. After the bearings were properly loaded, I installed the new knuckle seals. I decided to paint the seal trim a dark grey for the heck of it. 13

Next it was time to install the wheel bearings into the hubs.

drove out the old races with a cold chisel.

14 Next it was time to install the wheel bearings into the hubs. I thoroughly cleaned the hubs in a parts washer, removed the old bearings, and drove out the old races with a cold chisel. Since I don t have a press, I learned that a Craftsman 2 1/8 socket was the perfect size for driving in the races. After the bearings were packed, I installed them into the hub and then put in the new hub seal. Then it was time to put the axle shafts back in place (after cleaning them.) 14

I painted the backing plates a gloss black (everything else is a satin

15 The backing plates and axle spindles were installed. Finally the new brakes were installed. I painted the backing plates a gloss black (everything else is a satin black.) The hubs went on over the spindles and then the brake drums. Now the axle is complete and ready to install. 15

Door Panel Removal & Window Stop Adjustment

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