1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ - Project Teal-J II, Part 5

You can reuse your existing gears but since we were going to run bigger tires, it was the perfect time to install a new set of 4.56 gears, also from Superior. Once the pinion bearing was pressed on, the pinion gear was put into position.

Next, the new bearings included with the Super 44 kit were pressed onto the new Detroit Locker. If you already have a locker like we did, you cannot reuse it with this kit because the Detroit Locker that comes with the kit is built to accept the larger axles with more splines.

The new Detroit Locker can now be slid into position. It is a bit tricky because the shims on this Detroit Locker are actually on the outside of the bearings. While this makes installing it a bit more of a chore, it does make adjusting the shims easier as the bearings don't have to be pulled off.

With the locker in place and bearing caps on, backlash was checked to make sure it was within the proper range.

Next, the pattern was checked, and it was fine. Gears set up the right way will make contact in the middle of the gear, just as you see here.

Now it was time to install our new, stronger axles. With the axle bearings in place, the retaining rings were pressed on.

The new Superior axles are stronger than the stockers for several reasons. First, they feature a larger diameter of 1.42 inches and 33 splines compared to the 1.31-inch diameter of the 30-spline stock axles. Also, the Superior axles are made of a heavy-duty alloy and feature rolled splines. You can also see here where the stock axles (bottom) neck down while the Superior axles do not. All of these features add up to make for a much stronger axle.

Once the new axle bearings are in place along with their retainers, the new axles can be put into the housing. Then the flange can be bolted down.