* I am starting this thread now, but will finish it this evening.*
This is a brief write up on installing a Chrysler 8.25 from a Jeep Cherokee XJ (not grand Cherokee). The Chrysler 8.25 was available 91-01 of XJ production along with the Dana 35. The 8.25 is a stronger axle than the D35. According to the net, mid '96 they went from 27 spline to 29 spline shafts. Either would be fine for an Eagle, but I chose 29 spline because I just wanted the stronger of the two since my engine is a little built and I do some off roading. The width is almost identical to the AMC 15. The highest gear ratio you'll find is a 3.07 and is usually found in 4.0l 5 speed equipped XJ's. The 4 speed automatics came with 3.55's unless they have the tow package and then will most likely have 3.73.
You can identify a 8.25 vs a Dana 35 by the cover. The 8.25 is more flat top and bottom and the D35 is rounder.
Here's some comparisons I got from this site
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1007507Dana 35 non c-clip - 27 spline, 1.18" diameter shafts, 7.58" ring gear, 2.62" axle tube - used 84-89
Dana 35 c-clip - 27 spline, 1.18" diameter shafts, 7.58" ring gear, 2.62" axle tube - used 90-01
Chrysler 8.25 - 27 spline, 1.17" diameter shafts, 8.25" ring gear, 3" axle tube - used 91-96
Chrysler 8.25 - 29 spline, 1.21" diameter shafts, 8.25" ring gear, 3" axle tube - used 97-01
Dana 44 non c-clip - 30 spline, 1.31" diameter shafts, 8.5" ring gear, 2.75" axle tube - used 87-89 on some(not all) XJs equipped with towing package.
Use common sense. Jack up the car and use jackstands. Wear safety glasses and other appropriate safety gear. Step one is removing your old axle. I would recommend spraying some PB Blaster or other rust penetrator on nuts and bolts prior to doing the work. Put the jack under the differential and jack it up to take a little of the sag out of the rear springs. Remove the driveshaft from the pinion yoke. You might want to wrap the ujoint caps with electrical tape to keep them from falling off while they are unbolted. Remove the hard brake line that comes from the car to the flexible hose going to the rear. I stuck a golf tee in the metal line to keep it from dripping. Remove vent hose. Remove brake drums and brake shoes to remove parking brake cables. You will use the cables on the new axle. I found it easier to also remove the cables from the bracket where they connect to the single cable. This allows you to pull the cables off the bracket that is attached to the rear shoe. Removing the cables from the backing plate can be a nuisance. There are 3 prongs you need to push in so that it comes out of the plate. Remove the nuts for the shock absorbers and remove the shocks from the rear axle. Now, your ready to take the nuts off of the ubolts that attach the housing to the leaf springs. The axle will be unstable on the jack, so be careful. I prefer to use a transmission jack that I got from Harbor Freight. Move axle from under car.
The shock mounts need to be cut off of the 8.25. A torch or plasma cutter would be great, but I used a 4 1/2" grinder. Be careful not to cut into the axle tubes. You will need to either reuse the metal brake lines from the Eagle's Model 15 or flip the lines on the 8.25 since the flexible line is on the left side on the XJ vs the ride side on the Eagle. You can try to cut off the shock mounts from the Eagle axle and attach them now or modify the 8.25 brackets and weld them on. I choose to weld them on after the axle is in, so that I weld them in the right spot.
Now your ready to install the 8.25. You'll need the u bolts and plates from the XJ. Lift it into place allowing the spring centering bolts to fit into the leaf spring pad and install the u bolts. Now install the flexible brake line to the hard line. You'll have to figure out a way to mount the brake hose. I made a plate that bolts where there are 2 bolts in the 8.25. (pics later) Remove the brake drums and rear shoes and install the Eagle parking brake cables into the parking brake bracket. You have to pull the spring back and slip the cable into the slot. Now you're ready to weld the shock absorber brackets if you haven't already. If you use the Eagle brackets, you'll have to cut out a little bit more of the radius to match the larger 8.25 axle tubes. The first one I did, I used the Eagle bracket. The second one I modified the 8.25 brackets because I wanted to keep the other axle to be ready to bolt in to another Eagle. You can reference the old brackets on the Model 15 or just set the brackets into the shocks and tack them into place once you have them where you want them.
Here's what it looks like when removed from the axle:
After my modification:
AMC Model 15 vs Chrysler 8.25
I'll finish later, got to get back to work.
Topic: Installing a Chrysler 8.25 from a Jeep Cherokee (Read 23663 times)