Edited for clarity in response to cahill:
I have a 97 unlocked LX w/ 140k on it, owned since almost new, gear oil in diffs changed every 30k mi w/ M1, front axle service at 90k mi, etc. I’ve recently obtained a complete set of factory locking axles off a high mileage truck (230K+ mi).
Questions:
1. As someone who knows little about how axle components wear, I’d like to know the pros and cons of swapping in the high-mileage locked axles vs. modifying my existing axles with the locker parts from the locking axles (retrofit), considering the fact I’ll be doing axle rebuilds (bearings/seals) either way. Just to clarify, I'm asking about pros/cons between these options:
2. There’s a decent amount of what appears to be surface rust on the 230k mi. locked axle housings. If I’m going to swap them in, is it worth sand blasting and repainting, or just leave them as-is, if my concern is for how the rust might progress long-term?
I have a 97 unlocked LX w/ 140k on it, owned since almost new, gear oil in diffs changed every 30k mi w/ M1, front axle service at 90k mi, etc. I’ve recently obtained a complete set of factory locking axles off a high mileage truck (230K+ mi).
Questions:
1. As someone who knows little about how axle components wear, I’d like to know the pros and cons of swapping in the high-mileage locked axles vs. modifying my existing axles with the locker parts from the locking axles (retrofit), considering the fact I’ll be doing axle rebuilds (bearings/seals) either way. Just to clarify, I'm asking about pros/cons between these options:
a) Swapping 230k mi. factory locked axles for my factory unlocked axles
b) Modifying my factory unlocked axles with parts from the 230k mi factory locked axles
I am not asking about ARB air lockers or any non-factory locker options.2. There’s a decent amount of what appears to be surface rust on the 230k mi. locked axle housings. If I’m going to swap them in, is it worth sand blasting and repainting, or just leave them as-is, if my concern is for how the rust might progress long-term?
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