Yukon Gear Pinion Install Kit For Jeep JL Dana 44 Front
Re-gearing the front axle on a Wrangler JL Rubicon or Gladiator, or tracing a front pinion seal that will not stop weeping onto the skid plate? PK D44JL-FRONT is the Yukon Gear & Axle pinion installation kit for the 210mm Dana 44 front axle. It contains the parts that live on the pinion and nothing more: inner and outer pinion bearings, the pinion seal, pinion depth shims, a crush sleeve and a new pinion nut. Axle seals are not included, and neither are carrier bearings, which makes this the right box when the pinion side of the axle is the only part being opened or when you already have carrier bearings in hand.
In the JL front axle the pinion takes engine torque from the front driveshaft and turns it 90 degrees into the ring gear. Two tapered bearings hold that pinion, and their job is to keep it at an exact depth and a light, steady rotating preload so the teeth mesh in the middle of the face. The depth is set with a shim behind the inner bearing and the preload is held by a crush sleeve squeezed between the bearings when the nut is torqued. Fresh gears need a fresh depth measurement, which is why Yukon packs depth shims in this kit. Old bearings that have lost preload let the pinion climb out of mesh under load, which shows up first as whine and later as chipped teeth. A new nut is included so the final torque is applied to clean, undamaged threads.
On a part-time system the front axle carries almost no torque in two-wheel drive, so compare the noise in 2WD and 4WD on a straight road; a whine that only appears in 4WD points at the front center section. Our whine diagnosis guide explains how to read throttle-on versus coast noise. With the front driveshaft off, rotate the yoke by hand: notchy feel or any end play means the pinion bearings are done. A wet seal on an otherwise quiet axle is often seal only, but if you are already pulling the yoke for gears or a locker, do the bearings at the same time. Owners chasing front locker faults can rule those out first with our JL locker actuator guide.
Yukon lists PK D44JL-FRONT for the Dana 44 210mm front axle in the 2018-2020 Wrangler JL Rubicon, Unlimited Rubicon and Unlimited Sahara, the 2018-2019 Unlimited Moab, and the 2020 Gladiator Launch Edition, Overland and Rubicon. Many JL Sport and Sahara models use the smaller Dana 30 front instead, so check the axle before ordering; the front is identified on the axle tube tag and by the 210mm ring gear. It does not fit the 220mm Dana 44 rear, which has its own JL Dana 44 rear pinion kit. If your build year or trim is outside that list, send us the year and VIN and we will confirm.
Yukon's setup chart lists the JL 210mm front at 14-26 inch-pounds of pinion preload with new bearings (8-12 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 70 ft-lb on the bearing caps. Measure pinion depth with the new gears, set it with the supplied shims, then tighten the new nut in small steps, checking rotating torque between each one. The JL front is reverse rotation, so order front gears such as the 210mm front 4.88 set rather than a rear set. Need carrier bearings and the rest of the hardware too? The JL front master rebuild kit covers both sides. If the front cover was dented on the trail, now is a good time to swap in the JL 210mm nodular iron front cover. Refill with 75W-90 or 75W-140 gear oil and follow our ring and pinion break-in procedure.
| Brand | Yukon Gear & Axle |
| Part number | PK D44JL-FRONT |
| Fits | Yukon Gear Pinion Install Kit For Jeep JL Dana 44 Front |
| 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.
Yukon lists it for the 210mm Dana 44 front in 2018-2020 Wrangler JL Rubicon, Unlimited Rubicon and Unlimited Sahara, 2018-2019 Unlimited Moab, and 2020 Gladiator Launch Edition, Overland and Rubicon. JLs with the Dana 30 front need a different kit.
Inner and outer pinion bearings, pinion seal, pinion depth shims, crush sleeve and pinion nut. Axle seals and carrier bearings are not included.
No. The rear is the 220mm Dana 44 with different parts. Use the matching JL Dana 44 rear pinion kit for the back axle.
Yukon's chart lists 14-26 inch-pounds with new bearings and 8-12 inch-pounds with used bearings, measured on the pinion alone before the carrier goes in.
No. It works for a pinion bearing or seal repair on the original gears too. Reuse the original depth shim when keeping the factory gear set, and set preload to the used or new figure that matches your bearings.
