Yukon Gear Dana 20 / 44 Axle Bearing and Seal Kit Replacement
A rear wheel that hums at highway speed, a backing plate wet with gear oil, or rear brake shoes ruined by a weeping axle seal on an older Jeep, Scout II or early Ford 4x4 usually traces back to the axle bearing and seal at the end of the tube. The Yukon Gear and Axle AK SET10 is the replacement kit for that job on the Dana 44 rear and the AMC Model 20 rear. Each kit includes one axle bearing and one seal and services one side of the axle, so order two if you are doing both wheels. Yukon lists the bearing as Timken brand.
The listing title says Dana 20 / 44, but the manufacturer's fitment chart shows this kit for the Dana 44 and the AMC Model 20 rear axles. The Dana 20 is a transfer case, not an axle. If your Jeep has the AMC 20 rear, read our AMC 20 rear axle problems and rebuild cost page before you order.
In these rear axles the outer end of each shaft rides on a bearing at the end of the axle tube. That bearing carries the weight of the vehicle at that corner along with every cornering and braking load, and the seal beside it keeps gear oil from the differential from reaching the brakes. Gear oil from the center section helps lubricate the bearing, so a leaking seal and a noisy, dry bearing tend to show up together. On many of these older trucks the bearing is pressed onto the shaft and held with a retainer, and the shaft is located at the brake backing plate, so pulling the axle is required to service it.
Raise the rear, support it on stands, and spin each wheel by hand in neutral. A failed bearing feels rough or gritty and often makes a dry rasp you can hear at the backing plate. Check the backing plate and drum for oil, and check the gear oil level in the differential. Gear whine that changes on throttle and coast usually comes from the ring and pinion instead; our guide to telling transmission noise from differential noise walks through the road test. If the carrier bearings or gears are also worn, our Dana 44 axle problems and rebuild cost page helps you decide whether a full overhaul makes more sense; on an AMC 20, the AMC 20 differential master bearing kit covers the center section.
Yukon's fitment chart for AK SET10 includes the Dana 44 rear in the 1975-1979 Ford F-100, 1975-1978 F-150, 1972-1980 International Scout II, 1972-1976 Jeep CJ5, 1972-1975 CJ6, 1973 Commando, 1986-1989 Cherokee 4WD, 1986-1992 Comanche 4WD, 1971-1990 Wagoneer, 1986-1991 Grand Wagoneer, and Jeep J10 trucks. It also lists the AMC Model 20 rear in J10 and Wagoneer trucks from the late 1970s and 1980s and the 1976 CJ5, the 1997-2006 Wrangler Dana 44 rear, the 2007-2016 non-Rubicon JK Dana 44 rear, and the 2004-2007 Nissan Titan and Frontier M226 rear. Yukon notes that some applications are flanged. Axle swaps are common on these vehicles, so pull one bearing and match it, or send us the year, model and axle tag. A CJ5, CJ7 or Scrambler with a one-piece-shaft AMC 20 conversion uses the Yukon AK M20-1PIECE kit instead, which includes its own shims.
Drain the axle, pull the brake drum, and remove the backing plate nuts so the shaft can come out; a slide hammer helps, and the 13-piece rear axle bearing puller and seal driver kit covers the puller and the drivers. Press the old bearing and retainer off and the new ones on with a proper press; never heat or hammer a bearing onto a shaft. Drive the new seal in square, put a film of gear oil on its lip, and if your axle uses end-play shims, keep them on the side they came from. Inspect the shaft where the seal rides and replace a pitted or grooved shaft, such as the Yukon 1541H alloy TJ and XJ Dana 44 left rear shaft. Refill with the gear oil grade your axle calls for, adding friction modifier for a limited slip, and clean any oil off the brakes before driving.
| Brand | Yukon Gear & Axle |
| Part number | AK SET10 |
| Fits | Yukon Gear Dana 20 / 44 Axle Bearing and Seal Kit Replacement |
| Type | Bearings |
| Condition | New |
| Ships | Same business day (in stock), from the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
No. Each kit has one axle bearing and one seal and services one side. Order two kits to do both rear wheels, which is the usual practice when one side has failed.
The Dana 20 is a transfer case, not an axle. The manufacturer lists AK SET10 for the Dana 44 rear and the AMC Model 20 rear; the Dana 20 in the listing title refers to the Model 20 axle.
CJ7 and Scrambler AMC 20 rears are not on the AK SET10 chart. If yours has one-piece axle shafts, the AK M20-1PIECE kit is the one Yukon lists for those Jeeps.
Yes. The bearing and its retaining ring are pressed onto the axle shaft, so you need a hydraulic press or a shop to do it. A slide hammer makes removing the shaft from the tube much easier.
Yes. The seal comes in the kit, and an old seal on a new bearing is the most common reason the leak comes back and ruins the new brake shoes.
