Timken carrier and pinion bearings, races, shims, seals and crush sleeve to rebuild a standard Dana 30 front axle in a Jeep XJ, YJ, CJ or Scout.
A front axle that howls on deceleration, a growl from under the engine that changes with speed, or a pinion seal that keeps weeping on a Jeep Cherokee XJ, Wrangler YJ or CJ usually means the Dana 30 front needs new bearings. The Motive Gear R30RMKT master bearing kit has the bearings, races, seals, shims and hardware to rebuild a standard-rotation Dana 30 front differential in one pass, whether the old bearings wore out or you are putting in new gears for bigger tires.
The Dana 30 carries a 7.12 inch ring gear and a 26-spline pinion. The pinion rides on two tapered roller bearings, a large head bearing behind the gear and a smaller tail bearing near the yoke, held in preload by a crush sleeve or preload shim pack and the pinion nut. The carrier spins on two more tapered bearings, and shims behind those bearings set both backlash and carrier preload. Pinion depth is set with a shim behind the head bearing race. When any of those bearings wears, the gear mesh moves, preload falls off and the gears start to sing. On axles without a vacuum disconnect, the front ring and pinion still turn with the wheels in 2WD, so a worn front bearing can be heard even when 4WD is not engaged.
Per the manufacturer listing, the kit includes Timken tapered bearings and races for the carrier and the front and rear pinion positions, the pinion seal and slinger, axle seals, pinion nut and washer, crush sleeve or preload shim pack, ring gear bolts, cover gasket or RTV, thread locker, marking compound and brush, plus pinion and carrier shims. Motive has noted that during supply shortages some kits ship with bearings of equal or better quality in place of Timken.
Raise the front, put the transfer case in neutral or 2WD, and spin a wheel by hand while someone listens at the cover. A rough, gritty feel or a grinding note points at bearings. Grab the yoke and rock it up and down; any clunk means pinion bearing wear or lost preload. Drain the oil and look for bright metal. If the teeth on the ring gear show pitting or chipping, plan on a new gear set with the kit, such as a Dana 30 short pinion 4.11 gear set, because bearings alone will not quiet damaged gears.
This kit is for the standard-rotation (low-pinion) Dana 30 front with a 26-spline pinion, used in 1985-2001 Jeep Cherokee XJ, 1987-1995 Wrangler YJ, 1971-1986 CJ5, CJ6 and CJ7, 1986-1992 Comanche, 1984-1993 Grand Wagoneer, 1966-1971 Ford Bronco, 1967-1977 International Scout and 1980-1988 AMC Eagle. It does not fit the reverse-rotation, high-pinion Dana 30 used in Grand Cherokee ZJ and WJ and many lifted swaps. Check the axle tag or count the yoke splines, and if you are unsure send us your year and VIN. Ring and pinion, carrier and spider gears are not included. More axle rebuild parts are in our rebuild kits section.
Mark the bearing caps, then use a Dana housing spreader to free the carrier rather than prying it out. Drive the old races out and seat the new ones fully square. Set pinion depth with the supplied shims and check the pattern with the marking compound. Yukon's published Dana 30 setup figures are 12-15 in-lb of pinion bearing preload with new bearings and 0.006-0.011 in backlash; always follow the specs from your gear maker if they differ. Crush the new sleeve slowly and never back the nut off once preload is passed; replace the sleeve if you overshoot. Install the inner axle seals with an inner axle seal installer so they seat flat in the tube. Refill with 75W-90 GL-5 gear oil, and give new gears the break-in drive cycle the gear maker recommends.
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Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
No. Those Jeeps use a reverse-rotation, high-pinion Dana 30, which takes different pinion bearings. R30RMKT is for the standard-rotation, low-pinion Dana 30 front used in XJ, YJ, CJ and the other listed vehicles.
No. It is a bearing and installation kit. Ring and pinion, carrier and spider gears are bought separately.
Yes, in almost every case. Regearing means pressing the carrier bearings off and changing pinion depth, so new bearings, races, crush sleeve, shims and seals are the right way to set up the new gears.
The kit includes the axle seals along with the pinion seal and slinger. Install the inner seals square with a seal installer so they do not leak into the knuckles.
A 75W-90 GL-5 gear oil, filled to the bottom of the fill hole. Check your owner's manual for the grade specified for your year.
No. A crush sleeve is a one-time part. Use the new sleeve in the kit and replace it again if you go past the preload spec while tightening.
