1953 JEEP CJ differential

'Jeep*
UNIVERSAL
SERIES
SERVICE
MANUAL

m f. Disconnect propeller shaft from the differential
companion flange.

g.
Disconnect both front springs from front spring hangers.

h.
Remove spring clip and spring clip plates secur­
ing axle to front springs.

i.
Remove front
wheels
from axle assembly.

j.
Lower
jack
slightly and
pull
axle forward from
under
vehicle.
M-5.
FRONT AXLE SHAFT REMOVAL

Refer
to Fig. M-2.

The
following procedure applies to either right or
left
front axle shaft.

Note:
Axle shafts can be removed without remov­
ing the axle housing from the vehicle. Use the fol­
lowing procedure.
First
raise and support front end
of vehicle, and remove front wheels.

a.
Remove drive
flange
snap
ring.
b-
Remove the hub cap with a puller as shown in

Fig.
M-3.

c.
Remove the axle shaft driving
flange
bolts.

d.
Apply the
foot
brakes and remove the axle shaft
flange
with puller W-163 as illustrated in

Fig.
M-4.
FIG.
M-4—AXLE
SHAFT
DRIVE
FLANGE
PULLER

1—Too!
W-163
e.
Release the locking lip on the lockwasher and
remove the outer nut, lockwasher, adjusting nut

and
bearing lockwasher. Use wrench W-144, Fig.

M-5,
for removal of the nut.
f- Remove the wheel hub and drum assembly

with
the bearings. Be careful not to damage the

oil
seal.
FIG.
M-5—WHEEL
BEARING
NUT
WRENCH

1—Tool
W-144
g.
Remove the hydraulic brake
tube
and the

brake
backing plate screws.

h.
Remove the spindle.
i.
Remove the axle shaft and universal joint as­
sembly.
M-6.
Removing
and
Overhauling Differential

Adjustment
and overhaul of the front axle differen­
tial
assembly is the same as that of a
full
floating

type
rear
axle. Information covering dismantling

and
assembling of this
type
differential is contained
in
Section N.

NOTE:
All service replacement axle assemblies

are
shipped from the factory without lubricant in
the differential.
Lubricant
must be added to the
differential
before
the axles are installed in vehicles.

Use
the grade and quantity of lubricant specified
in
the lubrication section.

After
the axle has
been
installed in the vehicle,

check
to be sure the lubricant level in the dffer-

ential
is level with the
fill
plug opening.
M-7.
AXLE SHAFT UNIVERSAL JOINT SERVICE

Refer
to Fig. M-6 and M-7.

After
the axle shaft and universal joint assembly have
been
removed, the
Cardan
cross universal

joint
can be disassembled and inspected as follows:

a.
Remove the snap rings from the bearing cup assemblies.

b.
Press on the end of one bearing cup assembly

until
the
opposite
bearing is pushed from the yoke

arm.
Turn
the yoke over and press the first bear­ ing back out of that
arm
by pressing on the
exposed

end of the
journal
shaft. To avoid damaging the 279

'Jeep'
UNIVERSAL
SERIES
SERVICE
MANUAL

M
If
the joint binds when assembled, tap the yoke
lightly to relieve any pressure on the bearings at the end of the
journal.

M-8-
Steering
Knuckle
Service

The
steering knuckle pins pivot on tapered roller
bearings. Replacement of
these
bearings requires

removal
of the hub and brake drum assembly,
wheel bearings, axle shaft, spindle, steering tie rod,

and
steering knuckle. Disassemble the steering
knuckle
as follows:
Remove the
eight
screws which hold the oil seal

retainer
in place. Remove the four screws holding
the lower pivot pin bearing cap. Remove the four screws holding the upper bearing cap in place. Re­
move
the bearing cap. The steering knuckle can
now be removed from the axle. Wash all parts in cleaning solvent. Replace any damaged or worn

parts.
Inspect the bearing and races for scores,
cracks,
or chips. Should the bearing cups be damaged,
they
may be removed and installed with

Special
Driver
W-138, as shown in Fig. M-9.
M-9.
Reassemble
and
Bearing Preload

Reverse
the procedure of Par. M-8 to reassemble
the unit. When reinstalling the steering knuckle, sufficient shims must be installed under the top

bearing
cap to obtain correct preload on the bear­
ing.
Shims are available in
these
thicknesses: .003"
[0,076
mm.] .010"
[0,254
mm.] 005"
[0,127
mm.] .030"
[0,762
mm.]

Install
one each of the
above
shims at the top only.
Install
the bearing caps, lockwashers, and screws,

and
tighten securely.
Check
the preload on the bearings by hooking a

spring
scale, Tool C-690, in the
hole
in the knuckle

arm
for the tie rod socket.
Take
the scale reading when the knuckle has just started its
sweep.

The
kingpin bearing preload should be 12 to 16 lb. [5,43 a 7,24 kg.] with the oil seal removed. Remove

or
add shims to obtain a preload within
these
limits.
FIG.
M-9—SPINDLE
PIN
BEARING
CUP
DRIVER

1—Tool
W-138
FIG.
M-10—TURNING
ANGLE
STOP
SCREW

1—Stop
Screw
M-10.
Replacing Steering
Knuckle
Oil Seal
Remove the old steering knuckle oil seal by remov­ ing the
eight
screws which hold it in place.
Earlier

production vehicles are equipped with seals con­ sisting of two oil seal halves.
Later
production vehicles are equipped with oil seal assemblies con­
sisting of a split oil seal and backing ring assembly,

an
oil seal felt, and two seal retainer plate halves.

Examine
the spherical surface of the axle for scores or scratches which could damage the seal.
Smooth any roughness with emery cloth. Before installing the oil seal felt, make a diagonal
cut across the top side of the
felt
so that it may be
slipped over the axle.
Install
the oil seal assembly

in
the
sequence
given above, making sure the

backing
ring (of the oil seal and backing ring as­
sembly) is toward the wheel.

After
driving in wet, freezing weather swing the
front
wheels
from right to
left
to remove moisture

adhering
to the oil seal and the spherical surface of
the axle housing.
This
will
prevent freezing with

resulting
damage to the seals. Should the vehicle be
stored for any period of time, coat
these
surfaces

with
light grease to prevent rusting.

M-11.
AXLE
SHAFT
INSTALLATION

Refer
to Fig. M-2.

Installation
of the front right and
left
axle shaft
is the same and is given in the following
paragraphs.

a.
Clean
all parts of
dirt
and foreign matter.

b.
Enter
universal joint and axle shaft assembly

in
the axle housing, taking care not to knock out
the inner oil seal.
Enter
the splined end of the
axle shaft
into
the differential and push
into
place. 281

'Jeep'
UNIVERSAL
SERIES
SERVICE
MANUAL

M
M-19.
SERVICE
DIAGNOSIS

SYMPTOMS
PROBABLE
REMEDY

Hard Steering
Lack
of
Lubrication
Lubricate
Tires
Soft.
. Inflate

Tight
Steering. Adjust. See "Steering" Section

Low Speed Shimmy
or
Wheel Fight
Spring
Clips and Shackles Loose
Front
Axle Shifted Insufficient Toe-In

Improper
Caster
Steering System Loose or Worn
Twisted Axle

High Speed Shimmy
or
Wheel Fight
Check
Conditions Under "Low Speed Shimmy"

Tire
Pressures Low or not
Equal

Wheel Out of Balance
Wheel Runout
Radial
Runout of Tires
Wheel Camber
Front
Springs
Settled
or Broken
Bent Steering Knuckle
Arm..................

Shock Absorbers not Effective
Steering
Gear
Loose on Frame

Front
Springs too Flexible

Tramp
Wheels Unbalanced

Wandering
Improper
Toe-in

Broken
Front Spring Main
Leaf

Axle Shifted Loose Spring Shackles or Clips
Improper
Caster

Tire
Pressure Uneven
Tightness in Steering System
Loose Wheel Bearings
Front
Spring
Settled
or Broken
Axle
Noisy
on
Pull
Pinion and Ring
Gear
Adjusted too Tight
Pinion Bearings Rough.

Axle Noisy
on
Coast
Excessive Back
Lash
at Ring and Pinion Gears.

End
Play in Pinion Shaft. . . Rough Bearing.

Axle Noisy
on
Coast
and
Pull
Ring
and Pinion Adjusted too Tight
Pinion Set too
Deep
in Ring
Gear
Pinion Bearing Loose or Worn

Back Lash
Axle Shaft Universal Joint Worn
Axle Shaft Improperly Adjusted

Worn
Differential Pinion Washers
Worn
Propeller Shaft Universal Joints.
Readjust
or Replace

Broken
Spring Center Bolt

Adjust
Reset

Adjust
or Overhaul Steering
Gear,
Front Axle or
Steering Parts
Straighten or Adjust
Inflate
Balance
Straighten Mount Properly
Same on Both Wheels
Repair
or Replace
Straighten or Replace
Replace or Repair Tighten

Over
Lubricated

Check
and Balance

Adjust—Check
for Bent Steering Knuckle Arm Replace

Spring
Center Bolt Broken
Adjust
or Replace
Reset Inflate

Adjust
Adjust
Repair
or Replace

Readjust

Replace

Readjust
Readjust

Replace

Readjust Readjust
Readjust
or Replace
Replace
Readjust

Replace

Repair

Emergency
Where difficulty is experienced with front axle differential making the vehicle inoperative,

remove
axle driving
flanges.
This will allow bringing vehicle in under its own power. Be sure the transfer
case
shift lever is in the neutral
(disengaged)
position.
285

FRONT
AXLE

M-20.
FRONT
AXLE
SPECIFICATIONS

MODEL:
Four
Wheel Drive
Models
Two Wheel Drive
Models

Front
Axle:
Make.

Model
Capacity

Description

Universal
Joints: Make

Type.
King
Pin Bearing Preload
Differential:
Drive
Pinion Offset:
Number of Differential Pinions

Gear
Ratio:
F4
Engine
Standard
Optional

V-6
Engine
Standard
Optional

Ring
Gear Pitch Diameter
Pinion Adjustment
Pinion Bearing Adjustment
Dana

27AF

2000
lb. [907 kg.] Full-floating
Hypoid Gears
Spicer

Cardan
Cross
12 to 16 lb. [5,44 a 7,25 kg.]
1.38*
[35,05
mm.] 2

4.27:1
5.38:1

3.73:1
4.88:1

7.12'
[19,05
cm.]

Shim Shim
Clark

130097

2000
lb. [907 kg.] Reverse Elliot 286

'Jeep*
UNIVERSAL SERIES SERVICE
MANUAL

N
REAR
AXLE

Contents
PAR. SUBJECT
PAR.

N-l POWR-LOK DIFFERENTIAL
N-20
Chatter
.N-26 Dissasembly and Reassembly. .N-23
Torque Test .N-22
21* Trouble Symptoms N-21
SUBJECT

GENERAL
REAR
AXLE SHAFT
AND
BEARING REMOVAL
Semi-Float-Tapered Axle Shaft
Semi-Float-Flanged Axle Shaft
Semi-Float-Flanged Axle Shaft
Bearing Installation. N-8

UNIT
BEARING ASSEMBLY
N-4 Servicing Unit Bearing. N-5

Lubricating
Unit Bearing............... N-6
Unit
Bearing Removal
.
N-7

REAR
AXLE ASSEMBLY
N-9 Cleaning and Inspection.
..............N-15

Differential Bearing Preload and Ring
Gear
Backlash Adjustment.
..........
.N-l9
Differential Case Disassembly N-l2
Differential Case Reassembly N-l7
Differential Side
Gear
Adjustment. . .... .N-18
Inspection and Servicing N-10 Pinion Bearing Cup Removal .N-l4
Pinion Installation and Adjustments. ... .N-l6 Pinion and Differential Bearing Removal N-13

Rear
Axle Assembly Removal N-ll

N-l. GENERAL
A
semifloating
rear axle assembly is standard on
all
Jeep Universal Series vehicles. Two
models
of

similar
design
rear
axles
are used. See Specifi­

cations
Chart,
Par. N-38, for description and ratio.

The
axle
model
number is cast
into
the
housing
as
FIG.
N-l—AXLE MODEL IDENTIFICATION

illustrated in Fig. N-l. A metal tag under two ad­
jacent differential
housing
cover cap screws is
stamped to
identify
the number of
teeth
in the
drive
gear
and pinion and
notes
the axle ratio. A
REAR
AXLE ASSEMBLY
INSTALLATION
N-33

TRAC-LOK
DIFFERENTIAL.
..........
.N-24
Lubrication
N-25 Trouble Symptoms N-26

Unit
Inoperative N-2 7 Disassembly N-28, N-29 Inspection .N-30
Reassembly .N-31

Trac-Lok
Unit Replacement .N-32

Backlash
N-35

TROUBLE
SHOOTING
DIFFERENTIAL
N-34

Rear
Wheel
Noise
.N-36

SERVICE
DIAGNOSIS
.N-37

REAR
AXLE SPECIFICATIONS.
. N-38

Powr-Lok
or
Trac-Lok
differential can be identi­
fied by a separate metal tag attached to the
hous­

ing cover, as shown in Fig. N-2. Information for wheel bearing adjustment is
given
in Section Q.
FIG.
N-2—RATIO,
POWR-LOK
AND

TRAC-LOK
DIFFERENTIAL IDENTIFICATION
1—Ratio Tag 2—Powr-Lok or
Trac-Lok
Tag
N-2.
REAR AXLE SHAFT REMOVAL
AND
INSTALLATION
(Semi-Float Tapered Shaft)
Procedure for removing the rear axle
shafts
is as

follows:
a.
Jack
up the wheel and
remove
the hub cap.
b. Remove wheel. 287

FIG.
N-3—SEMIFLOATING REAR
AXLE
—
TAPERED SHAFT

1— Differential Bearing Cup
2— Differential Bearing Cone and Rollers
3— Shims
4— Differential Case 5—
Ring
Gear and Pinion
6— Pinion Inner Bearing Cone and Rollers
7— Pinion Inner Bearing Cup
8— Pinion Shims
9— Axle
Housing

10— Pinion Outer Bearing Cup
11— Pinion Outer Bearing Cone and Rollers 12—
Oil
Slinger
13— Gasket
14— Pinion Oil Seal
15— Dust Shield
16— Yoke
17—
Flat
Washer
18— Pinion Nut 19— Wheel Bearing Shims
20— Bearing Cup
21— Bearing Cone and Rollers
22—
Oil
Seal 23—
Thrust
Washer
24— Differential Pinion Gears
25—
Thrust
Washer
26— Axle Shaft 27—
Thrust
Block
28— Gasket 29—
—Housing
Cover
30— —Screw and Lock Washer
31—
Filler
Plug 32— Differential Shaft
33—
Lock
Pin
34—
Ring
Gear Screw

c.
Remove the axle shaft cotter pin, castle nut,

and
flat washer.

d.
Back
off on brake adjustment eccentric.
FIG.
N-4—WHEEL
HUB
PULLER
e. Use Wheel Hub Puller C-319 to remove the
wheel hub as shown in Fig. N-4.
f. Remove the screws attaching the brake dust
protector, grease and bearing retainers, brake as­
sembly, and shim to the housing.
g. Remove the hydraulic line from the brake as­ sembly.

h.
Remove the dust shield and oil seal.

i.
Using Tool C-637 and Adapter Tool SP-342,
remove the axle shaft bearing cone, roller, and cup
as shown in Fig. N-5.

j.
Should an axle shaft be broken, the inner end

can
usually be drawn out of the housing with a

wire
loop
after the outer oil seal is removed. How­ ever, if the broken end is
less
than 8" [20,3 cm.]
long it
will
usually be necessary to remove the

differential
assembly.

To
remove the bearing from an axle shaft, use

Combination
Bearing Puller W-104-B shown in
Fig.
N-6.
Installation
is the reverse of removal.

Note:
Place the hub and drum on the axle shaft
taper and then insert the axle shaft key in the
keyway.
Never install the key in the keyway before

placing
the hub and drum assembly on the axle
shaft
Further,
be sure that the axle shaft nut is torqued to a minimum of 150 lb-ft. [21 kg-m.j. 288

'Jeep'
UNIVERSAL
SERIES SERVICE
MANUAL

N

11465
FIG.
N-S—REMOVING
TAPERED
AXLE
SHAFT
1—Cone and Roller 2—Axle 3—Tool C-637

Check
the shaft oil seal
before
installing the rear
axle. If replacement is necessary, use Axle Shaft
Oil
Seal Driver W-186, Fig. N-l7.
Before installing the axle shaft nut
cotter
pin, ad­
just the wheel bearings as outlined in Section Q.
FIG.
N-6—REMOVING
AXLE
SHAFT BEARING —
TAPERED SHAFT
N-3.
Rear
Axle Shaft Removal (Sercii-Float-Flanged Shaft)
a.
Jack
up vehicle and
remove
wheels.
b. Remove brake drum.
c. Remove axle shaft
flange
cup plug by piercing
the center with a sharp
tool
and prying it out.
d. Using
access
hole
in axle shaft
flange
remove
@ ® (30) (29)

FIG.
N-7—SEMI-FLOAT REAR
AXLE
ASSEMBLY — FLANGED SHAFT
1— Differential Bearing Cup
2— Differential Bearing
3— Shims
4— Differential 5—
Ring
Gear
and Pinion 6— -Pinion Inner Bearing
7— Pinion Inner Bearing Cup
8— Pinion Shims
9— Axle Housing
10— Breather
11— Pinion Outer Bearing Cup
12— Pinion Outer Bearing 13—
Oil
Slinger
14— Pinion Oil Seal
15— Dust Shield
16—
Yoke

17—
Flat
Washer
18— Pinion Nut
19— Axle Housing Oil Seal
20— Axle Shaft Retainer Ring
21— Axle Shaft Bearing
22— Axle Shaft Oil Seal
23— Axle Shaft Retainer Plate
24— Axle Shaft Cup Plug 25— Axle Shaft
26—
Thrust
Washer
27— Differential Pinion Gears
28—
Thrust
Washer 29— Gasket
30— Housing Cover 31— Screw and Lockwasher
32—
Filler
Plug 33—
Lock
Pin 34— Differential Shaft
35—
Ring
Gear
Screw 289

'Jeep*
UNIVERSAL
SERIES
SERVICE
MANUAL

N

FIG.
N-l6—AXLE
SHAFT
BEARING
INSTALLED
1—
Retainer
Ring

2—
Unit
Bearing

3—
Seal

4—
Retainer
Plate
5—
Axle
Shaft
Flange
N-9.
REAR
AXLE
ASSEMBLY

The
following
paragraphs
(Pars.
N-9 through N-19)
describe the removal, disassembly, assembly and
services performed on
rear
axle assemblies having
conventional differentials.
Pars.
N-20 through N-32 describe the services to be performed on
rear
axle
assemblies having
Powr-Lok
and
Trac-Lok
dif­
ferentials.

Note:
The
full
floating front axle differential as­
sembly is similar to the
rear
axle differential and is
removed, inspected, disassembled, and assembled
in
the same manner as the
rear
axle differential
covered in this section.
FIG.
N-l
7—OIL
SEAL
DRIVER

Note:
The pinion shaft oil seal is serviced in the
vehicle when replacement is necessary. Refer to

Fig.
N-l8.
11851
j

J

FIG.
N-l8—REMOVING
PINION
SHAFT
OIL
SEAL

1—Tool
W-251 N-10. Inspection

Refer
to Fig. N-3 and N-7. Before disassembling the differential, it is advisable
to determine through inspection the cause of the

failure.
Inspection procedure is as follows:

a.
Drain
lubricant and remove housing cover and gasket.

b.
Clean
the differential parts thoroughly with sol­
vent.

c.
Carefully
inspect all parts.

Should
it be determined by inspection that the

differential
requires overhauling, the axle must first
be removed from the vehicle.

Note:
All service replacement axle assemblies are
shipped from the factory without lubricant in the

differential.
Lubricant
must be added to the dif­

ferential
before
the axles are installed in vehicles.

Use
the grade and quantity of lubricant specified
in
the
Lubrication
Chart.

After
the axle has
been
installed in the vehicle,
check
to be sure the lubricant level in the differen­

tial
is up to the filler plug opening.

N-l
1.
Rear
Axle Removal

To
remove the
rear
axle, proceed as follows:
a.
Raise the
rear
of the vehicle with a hoist. Safely
support the frame ahead of the
rear
springs.

b.
Remove the wheels.

c.
Disconnect the propeller shaft at the
rear
yoke.

d.
Disconnect the shock absorbers at the axle
mounting.
e. Disconnect the brake hydraulic
hose
at the tee
fitting on the axle just
below
the
left
frame side
rail.
Tape
ends
of
hose
to
keep
out
dirt.

f. Disconnect the parking brake cable at the frame
mounting. DJ
models
only.
g. Support the axle housing on a
jack.

h.
Remove the axle U-bolts.
i.
Slide the axle from under the vehicle. 293