4x4 light with tjj axle swap

[partsphil]

I was reading some old posts about swapping in TJ axles in a YJ. One of the guys said that he left the old disconnect housing and fork in place and it just went right around the new axle, thus allowing the 4x4 light to keep working. Has anyone else done this and are there any bad effects from leaving this housing in place?

[jeepster93]

I am running a one piece inner axle on the pass side(tj style).
I also left the shift cover and fork and vaccum on to allow the 4x4 light to continue to work.
Without the cover and fork, the light won't work, unless it is modded somehow. The light switch is inside this cover and is activated by the fork and the vaccum.
You can do without the vaccum by using a posi cable, but you will still need the cover and fork to work the light.
Mine...Alloy usa 30 spline.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/cewtwo/IMG_0374.jpg

[partsphil]

Nice shiny axles!! I am jealous. I just ordered a set from the junkyard and am waiting on delivery.

[partsphil]

After I swap in the TJ axles, and put in the TJ seal at the carrier, will it be possible to use my old YJ axles for spares? Will the yj shaft on the passenger side still slide through the newly installed seal at the carrier? It should still seal at the outer portion of the vacuum disconnect if I am thinking right.

[SLOPAR]

After I swap in the TJ axles, and put in the TJ seal at the carrier, will it be possible to use my old YJ axles for spares? Will the yj shaft on the passenger side still slide through the newly installed seal at the carrier? It should still seal at the outer portion of the vacuum disconnect if I am thinking right.

No, your passenger side shaft will no longer work because you eliminating the inner shaft but your driver side will work fine. I have mine on the bench right now and I'm waiting for the next rainy Sat. to get out there and do it. I will say, this is the first I have heard of keeping the shift for to acutate the light, very interesting.

[BlackYJ]

Theorectically your old shafts will still work, however, you need to keep both passengers side shafts, plus the shift collar. The downside would be since you have a seal at the carrier the splines and shift collar would not see any oil.

[SLOPAR]

Just go to the junkyard and get a set of XJ non vac. front shafts. They have the small u-joints so they are dirt cheap, great for trail spares.

[jeepster93]

As Slopar said.
Once you change the axle oil seal, the yj axle intermediate shaft will no longer fit in the seal.
The yj axle is larger around than the tj axle is, so the seals are not the same.
Other than the oil seal, they are innerchangeable.

[BlackYJ]

As Slopar said.
Once you change the axle oil seal, the yj axle intermediate shaft will no longer fit in the seal.
The yj axle is larger around than the tj axle is, so the seals are not the same.
Other than the oil seal, they are innerchangeable.

But at the carrier where the new seal is they are the same size, out at the shift motor they are bigger, is this not correct? Thats why I said theorectically you could still use the YJ shafts but the shift motor and collar would not get oil because of the seal at the carrier

[jeepster93]

But at the carrier where the new seal is they are the same size, out at the shift motor they are bigger, is this not correct? Thats why I said theorectically you could still use the YJ shafts but the shift motor and collar would not get oil because of the seal at the carrier

I found the new 1 piece shafts thinner than the stock YJ intremediate shaft, a lot thinner. It has to do with the ingagement gear on the yj shaft, that the tj shaft doesn't have. The yj gear end is too big around to pass through the new seal that you will need for the tj shaft.
The old intermediate shaft will not fit through the new seal on the pass side. The driver side axles are about the same I think.
Edit-
The passenger side seal is inside the vacuum port on the outside side. There is no seal on the passenger side at the carrier, it is inside the vac shift port. The driver side seal is at the carrier, not the passenger seal.
The seal is in here, on the right side...
(you see that plastic piece,in the axle hole? it needs to come out also.)Too many mods need to be done to have the tj and yj passenger side shafts be innerchangeable on trail, more of a garage thing imo.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/cewtwo/CRW_3261.jpg

[JDsJeep]

Stu-offroad.com has a good write-up on swapping the shafts. I used it when I did mine. Only took me a week to do it!

[butch6924]

I was reading some old posts about swapping in TJ axles in a YJ. One of the guys said that he left the old disconnect housing and fork in place and it just went right around the new axle, thus allowing the 4x4 light to keep working. Has anyone else done this and are there any bad effects from leaving this housing in place?

Another option is to use the indicator switch in the vacuum port at the transfercase. You'll need to plug the vaccuum lines that feed the case switch, but by swapping in the electrical switch, in place of the vacuum switch and running wires to the leads at the old plug on the axle, you can bypass the housing and it's parts all together. This is how the TJ's work and the indicator switch is basically the same.

[kloppk]

I was reading some old posts about swapping in TJ axles in a YJ. One of the guys said that he left the old disconnect housing and fork in place and it just went right around the new axle, thus allowing the 4x4 light to keep working. Has anyone else done this and are there any bad effects from leaving this housing in place?

This would be fine but you should remove the fork.
If left in it would droop down and rub on the TJ axle shaft.

[tjbliley]

Another option is to use the indicator switch in the vacuum port at the transfercase. You'll need to plug the vaccuum lines that feed the case switch, but by swapping in the electrical switch, in place of the vacuum switch and running wires to the leads at the old plug on the axle, you can bypass the housing and it's parts all together. This is how the TJ's work and the indicator switch is basically the same.


Or you could just connect the vacuum lines(green to black) from the motor on the axle and not have to buy anything other than a vacuum line connector.