Tracker front axles too small? Help:)

[Biggus Dickus]

Hi All!

Any help would be appreciated!

I bought a 1994 2-door Tracker 4x4

The 4x4 isn't working and I traced it to, the front inner axles are too small...they just spin around inside the front diff, the splines don't engage and I can see no signs of damage/stripping, etc...

I did a bit of research and I think a former owner must have swapped out the side gears or the whole carrier from a later model Tracker/SideKick/Vitera to use the bigger 26 spline axles from those vehicles.

Then, later down the road, another owner replaced the front axles using the stock axles for the 1994 year. I'm just guessing here.

Anyway, what is the best (easy, cheap) way to get 4x4 again:

A: get axles from a later 98 Tracker that are 26 spline inner and outer.

B. replace the side gears with 22 spline ones and use the axles I already have.

 

[total newb]

Easy would be axle shafts.

 

[JR4X]

I don’t know what your budget is but you can get two axles complete from rock auto for about $100 bucks. I’d for sure change the axles before pulling the side gears.

However: cautionary note, if those little 22 spline shafts have been banging around inside of the 26 spline side gears the side gear splines might be messed up.

 

[Biggus Dickus]

Right on, thanks for the help guys.

I'm pulling the diff today to check everything and to make sure I'm even right about the small axles.

One weird thing is I can find the CV axles but I'm having a hard time finding the driver's side inner axle that goes into the diff. Not sure if the driver's side CV comes complete with the inner or it's a separate purchase.

 

[JR4X]

Maybe you’ll get lucky and only the easy side is wrong. If they did as you surmise and swapped a junk yard diff in, it should have come with the long side inner installed. If the passenger side isn’t engaging the whole front end will do nothing.