Yukon Gear 1541H Alloy 5 Lug Rear Axle For Chrysler 8.25in Cherokee and Durango

Snapped a rear shaft in your 1991-1996 Jeep Cherokee XJ, or found the bearing journal grooved and the axle seal weeping onto the brakes? Yukon YA C53008134 is a new 1541H alloy rear axle shaft for the Chrysler 8.25-inch rear end in those 4WD Cherokees: 27 splines, a 5-lug flange and 29-7/8 inches long. It is a one-shaft replacement, so you buy one per side that needs it.

What the rear axle shaft does in a Chrysler 8.25

The 8.25 under the XJ is a C-clip, semi-float axle. The inner end of each shaft slides into a side gear in the carrier and is locked in place by a small C-shaped clip that sits in a groove on the shaft tip. The outer end rides directly on a roller bearing pressed into the axle tube, so the shaft itself is the inner race. That design is simple and cheap, but it means one shaft carries the weight of that corner of the Jeep, all of the torque to the wheel, and the bearing load on its own polished journal. When the journal wears or the shaft twists, the bearing and seal fail with it. 1541H is a heat-treatable alloy steel that Yukon uses for its stronger-than-stock replacement shafts.

Symptoms of a worn or damaged 8.25 axle shaft

• Rumble or growl from one rear corner that rises with road speed and changes on long sweeping turns, often a pitted bearing journal on the shaft.
• Gear oil on the inside of the rear wheel or brake shoes, from a seal that can no longer seal against a scored shaft.
• A clunk on takeoff, or one wheel that stops pulling with an open differential: twisted or stripped 27-spline ends.
• A rear wheel that wobbles or a drum that pulses under braking, which points to a bent shaft or flange after a hard hit.
• Shaft that moves in and out of the housing, which means a missing or broken C-clip and an urgent stop before the wheel walks out.

There is no trouble code for a bad axle shaft on these Cherokees. Diagnosis is done with the Jeep on stands and the shaft in your hand.

How to confirm it before you order

Lift the rear, pull the wheel and drum, and check flange runout with a dial indicator. Then drain the 8.25, pull the cover, remove the pinion shaft lock bolt and the pinion shaft, push the axle in and take out the C-clip. Slide the shaft out and inspect the bearing journal: a groove you can catch with a fingernail means the shaft is done, even if it is straight. Our Chrysler 8.25 rear axle problems and rebuild cost guide covers the noises that get blamed on shafts but are really pinion or carrier bearings, and the wheel bearing noise guide helps you separate a hub hum from gear whine.

Fitment

Yukon lists this shaft for the 1991-1996 Jeep Cherokee 4WD with the Chrysler 8.25-inch rear: 27 spline, 29-7/8 inches long, 5 lug. The title mentions Durango, but the Yukon fitment table only covers those early Cherokees. Count the splines on your old shaft and measure it from the shaft end to the outer edge of the flange before you order. If yours has 29 splines, it is a later axle and needs the 29-spline 8.25 Cherokee and Durango shaft instead. Not sure? Send us the year and VIN before you buy. More axle parts are in our hard parts collection.

Install notes

• Always install a new axle bearing and seal with a new shaft. The old bearing has been running on a worn journal and will chew up the new one.
• Reuse the C-clip only if it is flat and undamaged; torque the pinion shaft lock bolt and use a new cover gasket or RTV.
• If the side gears, spider gears or carrier bearings look tired while it is apart, a Chrysler 8.25 master bearing kit or the Yukon 8.25 master overhaul kit saves pulling it twice.
• Refill with 75W-90 gear oil to the bottom of the fill hole. Add friction modifier only if the axle has a Trac-Lok limited slip.
• A Hardcore 8.25 differential cover is worth adding on a Cherokee that sees rocks, since the stock cover dents into the ring gear.

The shaft is new, in stock and ships the same business day from the USA.

Does this fit my 1997-2001 Cherokee?

Not by Yukon's fitment table. YA C53008134 is listed for 1991-1996 Cherokee 4WD with the 27-spline 8.25. Later 8.25 axles use 29-spline shafts, which is the YA C52098902 version. Count your splines to be sure.

Will it fit a Durango?

The product name mentions Durango, but Yukon's fitment data for this 27-spline, 29-7/8 inch shaft only lists 1991-1996 Cherokee 4WD. Durango owners should match spline count and length, or send us the year and VIN first.

Do I need a new axle bearing?

Yes. On the 8.25 the roller bearing rides directly on the shaft journal, so a new shaft should always get a new bearing and seal.

Is this one shaft or a pair?

One shaft. Both sides of the 8.25 in these Cherokees use the same 29-7/8 inch length per Yukon, so order two if both are worn.

What gear oil goes back in?

75W-90 gear oil filled to the bottom of the fill plug hole, plus friction modifier if the axle has a Trac-Lok limited slip.