Yukon Gear Pinion Install Kit For Jeep JL Dana 35 Rear
Putting deeper gears under a Wrangler JL Sport or Sahara after a tire upgrade, or chasing gear oil that keeps showing up on the rear yoke? PK D35JL-REAR is the Yukon Gear & Axle pinion installation kit for the 200mm Dana 35 rear axle that Jeep fitted to many non-Rubicon JLs. Yukon lists the contents as the pinion bearings, pinion seal, pinion depth shims, a crush sleeve and a new pinion nut. Carrier bearings and axle seals are not in the box, so this kit suits a gear swap on a lower-mileage axle where the side bearings are still healthy, or a pinion-side repair where only the front of the center section is being opened.
The JL Dana 35 is a newer design than the YJ and TJ Dana 35 of the same name, and its pinion parts do not interchange with the older axle. The pinion rides on two tapered roller bearings pressed into the housing. A shim under the inner bearing sets how deep the pinion head sits relative to the ring gear centerline, and the crush sleeve between the two bearings holds a light rotating preload once the nut is torqued. On a part-time 4x4 the rear axle carries engine torque every mile, so this pinion sees far more work than the front one. When its bearings loosen, the pinion deflects away from the ring gear under throttle and the contact pattern shifts toward the tooth edge. That is when the whine starts, and if it is ignored the teeth chip. A new gear set changes the pinion head dimension, which is why depth shims come in this kit rather than relying on the original shim.
Because the rear works full time, compare noise on throttle, on a light cruise and on coast rather than 2WD versus 4WD. Our whine diagnosis guide covers what each condition says about the gears and bearings, and the pinion bearing noise guide explains how bearing growl differs from gear whine. Drop the rear driveshaft, grab the yoke and push, pull and rock it. Any movement or a notchy spin means the pinion bearings have lost preload. A wet seal on a quiet axle may be a seal-only job, but once the yoke is off for gears or a locker, it makes sense to renew the bearings at the same time. If roughness also comes from the carrier side, step up to the JL Dana 35 master overhaul kit, which adds the carrier bearings.
Yukon lists PK D35JL-REAR for the Dana 35 200mm rear in the 2018-2020 Wrangler JL Sport, Sport S, Unlimited Sport, Unlimited Sport S and Unlimited Sahara, and the 2018-2019 Unlimited Moab. Not every JL in those trims got the Dana 35; some were built with the Dana 44 rear, and every Rubicon has the Dana 44. Read the tag on the rear axle tube or check the build sheet before ordering. A JL with the 220mm Dana 44 rear needs the JL Dana 44 rear pinion kit instead. For later model years or anything outside this list, send us your year and VIN and we will confirm. More axle kits are in our rebuild kits collection.
Yukon's setup chart lists the D35 JL rear (200mm) at 12-19 inch-pounds of pinion bearing preload with new bearings (6-10 used), 0.006-0.011 in backlash for a five-cut gear set or 0.004-0.007 in for a two-cut set, 110 ft-lb on the ring gear bolts and 50 ft-lb on the bearing caps. Measure depth with the new pinion, shim it, then snug the new nut in small steps and check rotating torque each time, since an over-crushed sleeve cannot be backed off. Common gear choices for bigger tires include the Dana 35 M200 4.56 gear set. If you want traction while the carrier is out, the Eaton ELocker for the JL Dana 35 goes in during the same setup. Read the pattern with marking compound as covered in our backlash and pinion depth guide, refill with the gear oil grade in your owner's manual (typically 75W-90 or 75W-140), and follow the ring and pinion break-in procedure before towing.
| Brand | Yukon Gear & Axle |
| Part number | PK D35JL-REAR |
| Fits | Yukon Gear Pinion Install Kit For Jeep JL Dana 35 Rear |
| 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 pinion bearings, pinion seal, depth shims, crush sleeve and pinion nut. Carrier bearings and axle seals are not included. For a full bearing job, the YK D35JL-REAR master overhaul kit adds the carrier side.
No. The JL Dana 35 (200mm ring gear) is a newer design, and its pinion bearings and shims do not carry over to the YJ or TJ Dana 35.
Check the tag on the rear axle tube or the vehicle build sheet. Rubicons all have the Dana 44 rear; Sport and Sahara models came with either the Dana 35 or the Dana 44. If in doubt, send us your year and VIN.
Yukon's chart lists 12-19 inch-pounds of rotating torque for new bearings in the D35 JL rear and 6-10 for reused bearings. Bring it up slowly with the new nut and check often.
It is a useful starting point, but new gears change the pinion head dimension, so check the pattern with marking compound and adjust with the shims supplied in the kit.
Use the grade listed in your owner's manual, typically 75W-90 or 75W-140, and add friction modifier only if the axle has a clutch-type limited slip. Change it after break-in.
