Yukon Gear Replacement Standard Open Spider Gear Kit For Dana 44 / Non-Rubicon JK w/ 30 Spline Axles
A clunk from the back of a Jeep Wrangler JK when you turn into a driveway, a click that repeats at walking pace in a tight turn, or chunks of metal on the rear cover magnet usually trace to the spider gears in the open rear differential. Yukon YPKD44-S-30-JK is the replacement open spider gear kit for the Dana 44 rear under non-Rubicon JKs with 30-spline axle shafts. It replaces the gears and pin inside the factory case so you can keep the carrier and ring and pinion you already have.
The JK rear is not a typical Dana 44. It uses a larger 8.9 inch ring gear with a 1.625 inch, 24-spline pinion, and Dana runs one carrier for every ratio. Inside that open carrier, each axle shaft splines into a side gear, and two pinion gears ride on a cross pin between the side gears. Driving straight, the whole set turns as one. In a corner the pinion gears spin on the pin so the outside tire can travel farther than the inside one. Every turn, every tire hop off-road and every hard launch passes through those small gears and their thrust washers, which is why they wear, chip and loosen over time. This kit includes two side gears, two pinion gears, the cross pin shaft, the roll pin that locks the pin in place and new thrust washers.
A steady whine that follows road speed is more likely ring and pinion or bearing wear than spider gears.
Drain the oil and look for metal, then pull the cover. With one rear tire held, rock the other back and forth and watch the gears through the case windows. Chipped teeth, a stepped cross pin or thrust washers worn thin all point to this kit. Our spider gear failure guide walks through the inspection, and the Dana 44 problems guide covers the other common rear-axle faults.
YPKD44-S-30-JK fits the open differential in the Dana 44 rear axle of the 2007-2018 Jeep Wrangler JK and JK Unlimited without the Rubicon package, with 30-spline axle shafts. It does not fit a Rubicon JK rear, which uses 32-spline shafts and a locker, a JK with a factory Trac-Lok, the JL rear, or the standard Dana 44 found in older Jeeps and trucks. The kit for a standard 30-spline Dana 44 is the separate YPKD44-S-30, which retains its pin with a bolt instead of a roll pin. Check the axle tag and your old parts, or send us your year and VIN to confirm.
| Brand | Yukon Gear & Axle |
| Part number | YPKD44-S-30-JK |
| Fits | Yukon Gear Replacement Standard Open Spider Gear Kit For Dana 44 / Non-Rubicon JK w/ 30 Spline Axles |
| Type | Differential Spider 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.
No. The Rubicon JK rear uses 32-spline axle shafts and a locking carrier. This kit is for the non-Rubicon open rear with 30-spline shafts.
The swap is done through the case window after pulling the axle shafts out a few inches and removing the cross pin. Many builders pull the carrier anyway to inspect the bearings, but it is not required just for the gears.
The JK rear Dana 44 has its own carrier and gears. This kit uses a roll pin to retain the cross pin, while the standard Dana 44 kit uses a cross pin bolt, and the parts are not interchangeable.
Worn spider gears, washers and a worn cross pin create slack that shows up as a clunk when torque changes direction in a turn. A loose driveshaft or U-joint can sound similar, so check those too.
No. Friction modifier is only for clutch-type limited slips. Fill with the gear oil grade listed for your axle.
