Yukon Gear High Performance Replacement Gear Set For Dana 30 Reverse Rotation in a 4.56 Ratio
The YG D30R-456R is the front gear set people search for when a Cherokee XJ or Wrangler YJ goes up to 33 in. tires and the 4.0 starts hunting for gears on every grade, or when the front diff howls on the highway in 4WD. It is a new Yukon Gear & Axle 4.56 ring and pinion for the reverse-rotation, high-pinion Dana 30 front axle used under the 1984-2001 Jeep Cherokee XJ, the 1986-1992 Comanche MJ and the 1987-1995 Wrangler YJ.
Jeep mounted the pinion above the axle centerline on these fronts to get the driveshaft up out of the rocks. With the pinion up high, the ring gear turns the opposite way from a standard front, so the teeth are cut the opposite hand to keep the stronger drive side of each tooth carrying the load when you accelerate forward. A standard-rotation CJ gear set is the wrong cut for this housing, so the reverse set is not optional. Yukon specifies this one with a 7.20 in. ring gear, a 26-spline pinion and 10 ring gear bolts, and it is made for the Dana 30 that sets pinion preload with shims rather than a crush sleeve. At 4.56, the pinion spins 4.56 turns per turn of the tire, which is the ratio most XJ and YJ builders pick for 33 in. tires with the factory engine.
Pull the cover and count teeth, or read the axle tag, to learn the current ratio, then confirm the rear axle ratio, because the front and rear must match exactly or the transfer case will bind in 4WD. A high pinion entering above center on the passenger side confirms the reverse design. Our Dana 30 vs Dana 44 guide and axle ratio and code guide walk through identification, and the regear after bigger tires guide helps confirm 4.56 is the right number for your tire size.
Yukon lists this set for the 1984-2001 Jeep Cherokee XJ, 1986-1992 Comanche and 1987-1995 Wrangler YJ with the Dana 30 front. It is not for the low-pinion CJ front, which takes standard-rotation gears like the YG D30-411 set, and it is not for the 2007-up JK front. Some later XJ and TJ fronts use the short-pinion version of the Dana 30; if your pinion is shorter, the Dana 30 short pinion 4.56 set is the match. Because these axles changed during production, check the axle tag and pinion design, or send us your year and VIN before ordering.
The carrier has to suit the ratio. The Dana 30 carrier break falls at 3.73, so a front that came with 3.55 or lower gears needs a 3.73-and-up carrier such as the Yukon YC D706008 open carrier. If you are doing both axles on an XJ at once, the XJ 4.56 gear and install package pairs this front with the Chrysler 8.25 rear.
Do not reuse the old bearings. Yukon lists its YK D30-F master overhaul kit for the XJ, MJ and YJ reverse fronts, with Timken bearings, shims, pinion seal, ring gear bolts and marking compound. Yukon's setup chart gives a 0.065 in. starting pinion shim, 12-15 in-lb of pinion bearing preload with new bearings and 60 ft-lb on the bearing caps. Because the teeth are reverse cut, read the pattern carefully on both drive and coast sides. Fill with 75W-90 GL-5 gear oil and follow our ring and pinion break-in procedure, then change the oil early.
| Brand | Yukon Gear & Axle |
| Part number | YG D30R-456R |
| Fits | Yukon Gear High Performance Replacement Gear Set For Dana 30 Reverse Rotation in a 4.56 Ratio |
| Type | Final Drive Gears |
| Condition | New |
| Ships | Same business day (in stock), from the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
Yukon lists the XJ from 1984 through 2001. Some late fronts were built with the short-pinion Dana 30, so check the axle tag or measure the pinion, or send us your VIN and we will confirm.
No. The CJ Dana 30 is a low-pinion, standard-rotation axle and needs standard-rotation gears. This set is cut for the high-pinion reverse axle.
No. Dana 30 carriers are split at 3.73. Going from 3.55 to 4.56 requires a 3.73-and-up carrier or a locker built for that range.
Yes. Front and rear ratios must match exactly on a part-time 4WD Jeep, or the transfer case and tires fight each other when 4WD is engaged.
No. It is the ring gear and pinion only. Add a master overhaul kit with bearings, races, shims, seal and ring gear bolts.
