Needing a new front axle

[scion7722]

It turns out I need a new front axle and I don't want to pay 1500+ for the mechanic to do it for me (especially since I only paid 1500 for the explorer), so I want to do it myself but I don't know what kind I should get. I have a 93 explorer 4x4 and I was told it has f150 axles, but I am not sure if I should just get the same kind or try and get something better. Problem is I don't have too much money so I will get used axles. Does anyone know what kind of axles I should get and what vehicle it would come off of???

 

[natenkiki2004]

Was the axle swapped in from a F150 in the past? Some people have done that but most people opt to drop in a solid front axle.

How did your axles go bad? Is it the axle shafts? U-Joints? Or the beam? Did the beam get cracked or bent?

I've only read of a few cases where people actually break the axle shafts but they're usually running huge tires and locker differentials in the front. I'm betting that you have a cracked beam in which case you might be able to get away with having it welded and reinforced then aligned.

 

[scion7722]

Well..... I notice fluid drippin out of the seal and found the housing had pieces chipped off but nothing seriously cracked. I took it to the shop and they said the bearings are shot along with the seals. they quoted me around 1000 for used axle with labor, price for bearing and replacing all the seals not included yet. and the price just to change the bearing and seal would only slightly be cheaper. I pulled off the wheel, hub and tried to pull the axle to do it myself but couldn't get it passed the first ujoint. all the "how to" videos online show a different type of axle that just slides right out. I am not sure maybe I have to pull the ujoints to get it out? but working space is limited, and not knowing what I am doing I wasn't sure if just getting a different one was easier...... sounds pretty dumb when I read it but...... other problem was not knowing what kind of axle I have, I have looked for the numbers and taken it to multiple people and everyone says something completely different so finding parts has been difficult. Pretty much its taking the part off and taking it to napa (only one that has found most of the parts) to reference to part number for a new one.

 

[Anime]

The axles are rebuildable with new universal joints (u-joints) and you can get brand-name Spicer joints for about ~$20 each. You'll need three.

You can also put in new wheel bearings and spindle bearings.

If the gears or bearings inside the differential need to be replaced, those will take more work and generally it is better to pay someone experienced in working on gears to do it, but you can save a lot on the labor if you pull off the differential from the beam yourself and take it on to be worked on, rather than have them pull it off the vehicle and re-install it.


There is a complete thread on how to replace the u-joints and spindle/wheel bearings on the 91-94 Explorer:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=218254

 

[scion7722]

Awesome thank you so much for all the info!! I think I can make it work. Ohh and are there universal ball joints or do I need to find out which exactly fits my axle.

 

[RangerX]

You need to find what fits your axle.
Explorers of your year come with a Dana 35 front axle, and unless your truck was heavily modified by a previous owner, that's what you have, a D35.
The driver side axle shaft should slide right out after you remove the rotor and hub nuts/washers. The passenger side will do the same, but only the outer section will slide out. The inner passenger side axle shaft is held by a C clip inside the diff.

 

[Anime]

There are quite a few sizes and types of u-joints, you need the ones that fit that particular axle.

The ones that fit the front axles on the Explorer are size "1310" u-joints, but they are a particular type of 1310 joint that has the retainer "c-clips" on the inside of the yoke.

They look like this:

You can get inexpensive ones at most auto parts stores, or you can buy online for an even better deal. You may even want to buy u-joints for the driveshafts and replace those, either at the same time as the front axle work or later on.

Spicer u-joints (made by Dana corporation) are some of the best and are what come stock on the vehicle. They are a little expensive at ~$20-25/ea but are high quality and strong. If you don't plan on doing a lot of hard off-roading, you can go with less expensive u-joints from a brand name, either Neapco, Moog, SKF, etc.

Rockauto sells the u-joints as well:

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1119620,parttype,2392,a,Ad+Code+www.google.com+


There are also non-greasable and greasable u-joints. Greasable have a zerk fitting to push grease into the joint with a grease gun. Non-greasable are pre-greased from the factory and usually don't need more grease when installing. Non-greasable are stronger and generally are good for 100,000-200,000+ miles if you install them right. Greasable are only good if you do a lot of mudding or go in deep water and want to re-grease the u-joints after a run to make them last longer.