Technical > Installation Guides > Jeep Quickies
Super Axles
Warn HD Front Axle Upgrade
story & photography by Trent Riddle
Playing hard with your Jeep in rough terrain can be brutal on your front axle shafts. This is especially true if you have a front locker. Stock front axles are prone to twisting, even worse, the small 260x series U-joints often snap under load, taking out the inner and outer axle shaft cross-ends at the same time. Not only does this leave you with one dead wheel, it can cause steering bind and we’ve even seen it result in the ball joints separating from the knuckles. Needless to say, this could ruin a trip.
Warn Industries offers the solution with their high-strength 4340 chrome/nickel alloy axle shafts. These robust shafts are so strong that they are said to be capable of surviving the failure of a U-joint. Better still, the new shafts are designed to utilize the much stronger 297x series U-joints which should reduce U-joint failure too. The axle shafts are machined to accept a full-circle end cap retaining clip rather than the half-circle clips that many others use. This reduces the possibility of loosing a cap retaining clip and thus the end cap, a major cause of U-joint failure.
Installation of Warn’s heavy-duty axles is easy, but somewhat time consuming just because you have to completely disassemble the front axle outer ends to get them in. Figure on a full day, unless you’ve done this before. Also, since you’re going to be so far into the front end, consider new wheel bearings, seals, and brakes. If these areas need service, you’re right there to do it.
Source: Warn Industries, Inc. • 12900 S.E. Capps Road • Clackamas, Oregon 97015 • www.warn.com
Ask about buying Warn HD Axles from www.4wheelparts.com.
Tools Required:
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1. Installing your new axles required a full tear down of the front end. The first step is to remove the brake calipers and pads. |
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2. The locking hubs will need to be removed next. |
3. With the locking hub off, you’ll need a spindle nut socket to remove the hub and rotor assembly. If you even think that the wheel bearings need repacking or replacement, now’s the time to do it. Be sure you have the parts on hand before you begin this project. |
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4. The wheel spindle must be removed from the knuckle. Age and road grime meant that our spindles needed to be pried off. |
5. The stock axle assembly can now be removed from the housing. |
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6. Warn’s Heavy Duty axles do not come with U-joints, you’ll need to order a pair of Spicer 5-297x joints or their equivalent. |
7. Carefully install the U-joints onto the axles. Be sure to install full-circle retaining clips. It’s a good idea to be sure you get these with the U-joint before you head home from the parts store. |
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8. With the inner and outer axle shafts connected via the U-joint, the new axle assemblies can be installed in the axle housing. |
9. Once your new axles are installed in the housing, you can reinstall the rotor and hub assembly. Then install the brake calipers and pop on the wheels. |
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Be sure to completely read supplied manufacturer’s instructions prior to installing this product kit. |
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