Yukon Gear Minor install Kit For Dana 30 Front Diff

Regearing a Jeep Dana 30 front axle and the bearings are still in good shape? This Yukon MK D30-F minor install kit gives you the seals and shims for a gear change without paying for a full set of bearings you do not need. It is cataloged for the front Dana 30 under the 1971-1986 CJ, 1987-1995 Wrangler YJ, 1984-2001 Cherokee XJ, 1986-1992 Comanche MJ and the 1970s and 1980s Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, the trucks where owners most often swap ring and pinion after going to bigger tires.

What the minor install kit does in a Dana 30

In a Dana 30, pinion depth is set with shims behind the inner pinion bearing race, and carrier bearing preload and backlash are set with shims behind the carrier bearings. A new ring and pinion almost never wants the same shim stack the old set did, so a gear swap needs a fresh assortment to work from. The kit also replaces the parts that should never be reused once the axle is apart: the pinion seal and the inner axle seals that keep gear oil from running out the axle tubes into the knuckles. Listed contents are a pinion seal, axle seals, a shim kit, and marking compound with a brush for reading the gear pattern. Retailer descriptions disagree on whether a crush sleeve is in the box, so plan to have one on hand if your pinion uses one.

Symptoms that bring you to this kit

• You are changing ratio for larger tires and the front and rear axles need to match.
• Gear oil seeping at the pinion seal or wetness at the inner end of the axle tubes, which often shows up as oily knuckles.
• Whine from a worn ring and pinion that needs replacing, while the bearings still turn smooth with no roughness or play.

If the noise is a growl that rises with road speed, or the pinion yoke has play you can feel by hand, the bearings are worn and this minor kit is the wrong choice.

How to confirm a minor kit is enough

Pull the cover, check pinion yoke play, and with the carrier out spin each bearing by hand. Any notchiness, pitting on the rollers or a race with spalling means you need a full master kit. Yukon positions this kit for reusing bearings in like-new condition, which usually means a low-mileage axle being regeared. For a rough axle, a Dana 30 front master bearing kit replaces every bearing and race (check its listed fitment against your Jeep). Our Dana 30 front axle problems and rebuild cost guide covers what fails and what each repair runs.

Fitment

Listed applications are the front Dana 30 on the 1971-1983 CJ-5, 1971-1975 CJ-6, 1976-1986 CJ-7, 1981-1985 CJ-8, 1987-1995 Wrangler YJ, 1984-2001 Cherokee XJ, 1984-1991 Wagoneer XJ, 1986-1992 Comanche MJ, 1972-1973 Commando and the full size SJ Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. Some catalogs describe this kit as a standard rotation Dana 30 kit, while many YJ and XJ front axles are the high pinion reverse rotation version, so match the tag on your axle tube or send us your year and VIN before ordering. It is not the kit for the 2007-2018 Wrangler JK Dana 30, which has its own kit, and the 1997-2006 TJ is not on the listed fitment. More Dana 30 parts are in our rebuild kits category.

Install notes

• Pull the carrier bearings and the inner pinion bearing without damaging them, since you are reusing them. A clamshell style puller, like our Dana 30/60/70 bearing puller set, grips the inner race instead of the cage.
• Set pinion depth first, then carrier shims for backlash and preload, and read the pattern with the supplied marking compound before final assembly.
• Install the new pinion seal square and drive the inner axle seals fully home without folding the lip. If you are replacing inner shafts at the same time, the Revolution chromoly front axle kit for TJ, YJ and XJ Dana 30 is the matching upgrade.
• Fill with 75W-90 gear oil to the bottom of the fill hole and recheck for leaks after the first drive.

Does the MK D30-F include bearings?

No. It is a minor kit for regearing on bearings that are still in like-new condition. It contains a pinion seal, axle seals, a shim kit, and marking compound with a brush. If your bearings are worn, buy a full master bearing kit instead.

Is a crush sleeve included?

Retailer listings disagree on this point, with some descriptions saying a crush sleeve is included and the parts list omitting it. Have a crush sleeve on hand for your axle so the job does not stall waiting for one.

Will this fit my Jeep XJ or YJ Dana 30?

The XJ (1984-2001) and YJ (1987-1995) front Dana 30 are on the listed fitment. Many of these axles are the high pinion reverse rotation version, so match your axle tag or send us your year and VIN and we will confirm before it ships.

Does it fit the Jeep Wrangler JK Dana 30?

No. The 2007-2018 JK Dana 30 uses a different kit. This one is for the older front Dana 30 under the CJ, YJ, XJ, MJ and SJ.

Why replace the axle seals during a regear?

The inner axle seals are disturbed when the shafts come out to pull the carrier, and an old seal that leaks lets gear oil run into the knuckles and starves the gears. Replacing them while everything is apart costs little and prevents a second teardown.