USA Standard Bearing Kit For Dana 44 JK Non-Rubicon Rear

Re-gearing a Jeep Wrangler JK Sport or Sahara for bigger tires, or chasing a whine from the rear axle that gets louder with speed, both end at the same place: new carrier and pinion bearings in the Dana 44 rear. The USA Standard Gear ZBKD44-JK-STD kit is built for that axle on 2007-2018 JK Wranglers that are not Rubicons. It carries the inner and outer pinion bearings, both carrier bearings, a pinion seal, pinion nut, a new crush sleeve, gear marking compound and a brush. It does not include pinion or carrier shims, ring gear bolts or a cover gasket, so plan to reuse your shims or buy them separately.

What the bearings do in a JK Dana 44 rear

The pinion rides on two tapered roller bearings held in preload by a collapsible crush sleeve, and the carrier rides on two more tapered bearings at each side of the housing. Together they hold the pinion at a fixed depth and the ring gear at a fixed backlash. The JK rear works hard: heavier tires, lifted driveline angles and trail loads all push on these bearings. When they wear, the pinion moves under load, the contact pattern wanders off the teeth, and the gears start to howl. Fresh gears on tired bearings will not hold their setup for long.

Symptoms of worn rear axle bearings

• Whine or howl from the rear that rises and falls with road speed
• Noise that changes between acceleration and coasting, a classic pinion bearing sign
• Rumble or growl that stays the same on and off throttle, more typical of carrier bearings
• In-and-out or up-and-down play at the pinion yoke
• Gear oil seeping from the pinion seal, often after a worn bearing has let the yoke wobble
• Metallic glitter or chunks in the oil when the cover comes off

How to confirm the problem

Drive at the speed where the noise shows up and note whether it changes on throttle, off throttle or neither. Our acceleration versus deceleration whine guide explains how to read that. Then raise the rear, grab the yoke and check for play, and pull the cover to look at the oil and the ring gear pattern. A wheel bearing hum changes when you swerve left and right; a diff bearing noise does not. The pinion bearing noise guide covers the details and what the job costs.

Fitment

This kit is listed for 2007-2018 Jeep Wrangler JK rear Dana 44 axles, excluding Rubicon models. Rubicons need their own parts; the JK Rubicon rear pinion kit is the matching pinion kit for that axle. The 2018 JL Wrangler is a different axle and does not take this kit. If you are not sure which axle you have, check the axle tag or send us your year and VIN. More axle parts are in our rebuild kits collection.

Install notes

• Yukon's setup chart for the JK Dana 44 front or rear lists 20-30 in-lb pinion preload with new bearings and 10-15 in-lb with used bearings, and 0.006-0.011 in. backlash on a 5-cut gear set.
• The crush sleeve is one-use. Tighten the pinion nut in small steps and check rotating torque each time. Overshoot the preload and you need a new sleeve.
• Ring gear bolts on this axle are 7/16 or 1/2 in. depending on the gear set; torque by bolt size and use thread locker. Bearing caps are 80 ft-lb.
• Carrier bearings come off easiest with a puller like our Dana 44 clamshell carrier bearing puller.
• If you are re-gearing, the Revolution JK Dana 44 rear 3.73 ring and pinion pairs with this kit; for a full refresh with shims and axle seals, the ZK D44-JK-STD master overhaul kit is the step up.
• Fill with 75W-90 or 75W-140 GL-5 gear oil, add friction modifier only if your carrier is a clutch-type limited slip, and follow a break-in: easy for the first 15-20 miles, then cool down, and no towing for 500 miles.

Does this kit fit a JK Rubicon rear axle?

No. It is listed for 2007-2018 JK Wranglers excluding Rubicon models. Rubicon rear axles use a separate kit.

Are shims included?

No. This kit has the carrier and pinion bearings, pinion seal, pinion nut, crush sleeve and marking compound. Pinion and carrier shims, ring gear bolts and the cover gasket are not included.

Do I need new bearings if I am only changing gear ratio?

Yes. New gears need a fresh setup, and original bearings that have been pressed off are usually damaged. Setting new gears on worn bearings is the most common reason a re-gear starts whining early.

What pinion preload should I use?

Yukon's chart for the JK Dana 44 lists 20-30 in-lb with new bearings and 10-15 in-lb with used bearings, measured with an inch-pound torque wrench on the pinion nut.

What gear oil goes in after the rebuild?

Use 75W-90 or 75W-140 GL-5 gear oil. Add friction modifier only if the axle has a clutch-type limited slip carrier.

Does it fit the 2018-up JL Wrangler?

No. The JL uses a different rear axle. This kit is for the JK body style only.