Yukon Gear Pinion install Kit For Dana 44 JK Rubicon Rear Diff
If you are regearing the rear Dana 44 under a 2007-2017 Jeep Wrangler JK Rubicon or Unlimited Rubicon, or chasing a rear-end whine that showed up after bigger tires, this is the pinion-side parts kit you set the new gears up with. Yukon PK D44-JK-RUB is built for lower-mileage axles where the carrier bearings and races are still healthy and can be reused, so you only buy what the pinion actually needs.
The pinion in the JK rear axle rides on two tapered roller bearings, an inner (head) bearing and an outer bearing, pressed against races in the housing. A crush sleeve between them holds rotating preload once the yoke nut is tightened, and a shim under the inner bearing sets how deep the pinion sits relative to the ring gear centerline. New gears almost never share the old set's depth, which is why a regear needs fresh bearings, a fresh sleeve and a full shim selection. Per Yukon, this kit contains Timken pinion bearings and races, a pinion seal, a crush sleeve, a complete pinion shim kit and marking compound with a brush. Carrier bearings are not included.
Drive noise in a Wrangler can come from tires, the transfer case, the transmission or either axle, so separate them first. Our guide to telling a bad transmission from a bad differential by sound walks through that. Then pull the rear cover: check backlash with a dial indicator, grab the yoke and feel for play, and look at the old contact pattern. A seal leak alone can be just the seal (the matching JK Rubicon rear pinion seal is sold separately), but a seal leak with yoke play means the bearings are done.
Yukon lists PK D44-JK-RUB for the Dana 44 rear in the 2007-2017 Jeep Wrangler JK Rubicon and Unlimited Rubicon. Sport and Sahara JKs use a different Dana 44 rear pinion setup and take the non-Rubicon PK D44-JK-STD kit instead, so confirm which axle you have before ordering. Look for the axle tag on the housing or the build sheet, or send us your year and VIN and we will check it. Other Dana 44 parts are on the rebuild kits page.
| Brand | Yukon Gear & Axle |
| Part number | PK D44-JK-RUB |
| Fits | Yukon Gear Pinion install Kit For Dana 44 JK Rubicon Rear Diff |
| Type | Ring and Pinion Install Kits |
| 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.
No. Yukon lists it for the Rubicon and Unlimited Rubicon Dana 44 rear. Sport and Sahara JKs with the Dana 44 rear use the non-Rubicon kit, PK D44-JK-STD. If you are not sure which axle is under the Jeep, send your year and VIN and we will confirm.
No. It covers the pinion side only: Timken pinion bearings and races, pinion seal, crush sleeve, a full pinion shim kit and marking compound with a brush. It is meant for lower-mileage axles where the carrier bearings can be reused. If they are worn, use the master overhaul kit.
You can, but it is a common reason a fresh regear starts whining. The inner bearing has to come off to change the depth shim anyway, and pulling a tapered bearing usually damages it. Fitting new bearings and a new crush sleeve is the standard practice.
Yukon's chart lists 20-30 in-lb of rotating torque for new pinion bearings on the Dana 44 JK and 10-15 in-lb for used ones, measured with the seal installed. Bring the nut up gradually, because an over-crushed sleeve has to be replaced.
Use the grade in your owner's manual. Dana 44 rear axles generally run 75W-90 or 75W-140 gear oil. Change it after the break-in miles on new gears to flush out the wear particles from the first miles.
