If there is already a thread on this I apologize, but could not seem to find one. There are many people out there who are looking at purchasing used rubicon axles, and thought there should be a thread of exactly what to look for and examine when checking them out. I understand aftermarket is better, but there is still a use for used rubicon axles for a fraction of the price. Are there ways to check if the lockers work? Any tips on checking if the axle tubes are straight? Is there a way to tell what year the axles came from by looking at part numbers on the axles? At what point is too many miles? What are fair prices for front, rear, package deal?
Pretty good idea imo - a lot of people go through this swap.
Since the locker works by a magnet and 12V power - there isn't a proper way to "test" them without hooking it up to a power source.
Trying to pry the locking ring over will just cause issues. Your best bet is to inspect the carrier, and if possible hook it up to 12V power.
I'm pretty sure - even a 9V battery will have enough power to temporarily lock the locker.
The proper way to check a housing is with an alignment bar. Being that most people do not have one - refer to below.
Checking the tubes can be done with a straight edge.
Let me be clear on this, unless it SEVERELY bent, you will NOT be able to eyeball a bend that is enough to cause problems.
A couple easy ways to tell, if the tubes are bent at the differential - typically the plug welds would be cracked.
If they aren't that is a good sign. However, take the straight edge and find a flat point on the differential.
Make sure the edge is level - and compare it to the axle tube. Does the tube sit higher at any point outwards from the cast section?
If it does, then there's some form of bend. It should sit as straight as it does at the cast section - to the C's.
Running a straight edge along the tubes will determine if there is a bend outside of the housing.
Also - check for any leaks inside the tubes that would have came from an axle seal - when it's bent the shaft sits cockeyed and causes leaks.
Along with that - check how the shafts sit in the tubes. With a bent tube, aligning the unit bearings becomes pretty difficult.
Any broken brackets is a pretty good sign that it came out of something in an accident - ie a control arm mount ripped off or cracked.
Also - you can test the orientation of the shafts when rotating the pinion. If both are rotating forward even though it's unlocked your likely looking at a bent housing.
The differential should act as an open differential when unlocked. Anything else and there's an issues with the locker or it's bent.
Another option is pulling the carrier. If you are going to regear it anyway, pulling the carrier isn't a problem.
Once you pull the carrier, look inside of the axle tube with a light. If it's bent - you'll definitely see it from here as the C on the other side of the housing won't be aligned.
I wouldn't necessarily say there's a threshold for miles on the axles. Chances are you're going to re-gear them which is going to replace bearings etc.
I wouldn't pay much for them - but this is my opinion. I value the housing at nothing. So I'd be purchasing them for the lockers, shafts etc.
I paid $400 for my front assembly. While this might seem stupid low, it turned out to be bent. All in all, it wasn't too bad as I have the ability to straighten housings.
In reality, you're probably looking at $1000/per axle.
