I have a trailer made out of a 1st get dakota.

When I move the trailer around the wheels turn the rear end gears & the output where the drive shaft used to be turns.

I've been thinking it might be easier to pull if the wheels were not driving those gears etc. but I know some (JEEP) axel's are c clip & if you start trying to take out the guts the wheels wont stay attached.

Does anyone know - can I remove the axel shafts or ring gears & still safely keep the wheels attached to the axel?

Not sure what year exactly the truck was - I think he said 96?? In any case it is in great shape - Just want to make pulling it use less gas.

 

I saw it on the 2nd Gen. You should post up pics here.

The spinning pinion shouldn't be hurting anything.

Yes it is a C-Clip style. But there is an easy way to keep the pinion from spinning. Just remove the upper and lower spider gears. Not the side ones that are connected to the axles. It is easy and the sides still hold the C-clips on.

 

Thanks for the info. I will now have to pull out my hanes manual to see how to do that.

 

Thats a perfect solution Crazy4x4. Good luck MidgetFarms.

 

The only problem I can forsee with that solution is that it might burn up the bearing surface of the side gears! They were never designed to spin along that bearing surface for long periods of time.

But I'm just playing devil's advocate here... it should work just fine.

 

If being used as a trailer i'd imagine it to be alright. It'll only be on the road for usually short periods of time. I guess it all depends on how much you use the trailer. A good point from 95 tho; something i didn't think about. I have thought about using the rear axle off my truck to make a trailer once i replace it.

 

I think I'll just leave well enough alone. I was hoping to remove all the rotating mass by pulling the exel shafts & all, but for just the spider gears I'm not really saving enough to bother.

Plus then I'd have to buy a diff seal etc.

So far I have not used the trailer at all - waiting on the title inspection. But I plan to use it for dirt for the garden, wood chips, mulch & the occasional run to the landfill.