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Equal Length Half Shaft on a FWD

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BaddAssGst

15+ Year Contributor
1,054
21
Dec 27, 2004
Toledo, Ohio
I have a Eclipse Gst and I'm doing the AWD E.L.H.S.... I'm really confused on what I need. I've searched and only found 2 websites, which makes it seem much harder then it is. They list all kinds of factory parts, I think can be done without...
Here's what I got so far:
- AWD driver side axle
- AWD seal (i've read you need the fwd seal, but i've also read the awd seal..let me know)
- Tranny Fluid

So my question... who has done this, and who can help me? I just need to know what parts I need for the swap. I have This Website that I am going off of...

Sorry for the long post, I didn't mean to bore you guys.

Any help is greatly appreciated! :thumb:
 
I'm trying to do this and I'm confused also. Not sure if I can use my FWD seal or just have to buy an AWD seal or have to buy the Mopar spacer and the AWD seal or have to buy the Mopar spacer kit and the AWD seal.
 
hey guys i 2 am doing this mod and also ran in to the same problems u guys have, just to let u guys know they no longer offer or make the mopar kit, i called around, the AWD seals will not fit on the tran case, the radius is not the same as the FWD
 
But the awd axle is shorter than the fwd axle on the 93 1/2 year cars.
I've read you need a carrier bearing and a half shaft but thats all I know about it so far.
 
But the awd axle is shorter than the fwd axle on the 93 1/2 year cars.
I've read you need a carrier bearing and a half shaft but thats all I know about it so far.

You do, but thats part of the axle. If you go to the parts store and get the axle its minus the intermediate shaft. Get the intermediate shaft on here or at a junkyard...the carrier bearing will be on it.

Joe
 
Ok, sounds good but where do you secure the carrier bearing? And is the bracket on the carrier bearing all that is needed to secure the intermediate shaft?
 
Alright. Thank you for your help. I guess I just need to order a couple of carrier bearing bolts (unless you know the bolt size and thread pitch) and I'm already hitting up one of the members classified ad for a int. shaft.

So once I get under the car are these bolt holes going to be pretty much right in my face or will I have to search like crazy? I've read something about a washer being needed unless you have your ac bracket?
 
Alright. Thank you for your help. I guess I just need to order a couple of carrier bearing bolts (unless you know the bolt size and thread pitch) and I'm already hitting up one of the members classified ad for a int. shaft.

So once I get under the car are these bolt holes going to be pretty much right in my face or will I have to search like crazy? I've read something about a washer being needed unless you have your ac bracket?

12 x 1.25 , (EDIT: 10x1.25) ones a little longer than the other and requires a spacer between the block and bracket (the AC compressor bracket is what acts as the spacer stock.) And yes, once the axle is in there is only 2 bolt holes that can be used in regards to the placement of the carrier bearing bracket.

EDIT: Your car is a 93......scratch the idea of the equal length half shafts. The 93-94 FWD's have a bigger spline shaft that goes into the tranny. Unless you have a 90-92 FWD trans the AWD one will not work, all the AWD shafts are the same.

Joe
 
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Yeah, I've considered an insert before but I just put my rebuilt tranny back in so maybe next lifetime.
I would seriously do it if the degree of difficulty was not so high.
 
Oh snap! I have the larger axle spline for my car. I guess I can scratch this whole idea.
Too bad nobody makes an adapter. LOL
Torque steer here I come.

All you need is the differential from a 1990-1992 fwd or a front diff from a 1990-1999 awd. Not the gear attached to the diff, just the diff.

I have had good success w/ the SBR lsd insert. While you're swapping the diff, you can put that right in.

Yes this does mean dropping the tranny again. It's not that hard your second time around. AND you'll be doing two worhwhile upgrades for your efforts.
 
Before I get ripped on for this, I KNOW i'm bringing this back from the dead, but something that ALMOST F'd me up on doing this is that the bolts are actually 10x1.25, not 12x1.25. As I needed to clean my holes out from 20 years of rust\build up in there.
 
I know I am going to get shit for bringing up a 12 year old thread but It seems to me that there is a bit of discrepancy when it comes to the seal. VFAQ says that you can't use the FWD seal because it will leak. After several attempts made and 3 different FWD seals, it still leaked. The adapter from MOPAR is clearly not going to be made again but other threads have said that they just used the FWD seal. I know that the shaft diameter is the same but the trans opening is different. The VFAQ page states that the difference might be due to the fact that the FWD shaft presses against the transmission and seals that way and the AWD one doesn't. Has anyone any information about whether or not there is a seal that will work, an adapter for the AWD seal that has been produced, or anything?

here is the thread with the FWD seal being used

http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/equal-length-half-shafts-mod-awd-axle-in-a-fwd.402528/

the VFAW Q and A about the seal


Q: So why do I need this spacer kit? Why can't I just use a new FWD transmission oil seal?
A: We said and tried the same thing. But there are a couple of problems with using a FWD oil seal:

  1. We tried 3 different FWD seals, but the axle still leaked. The axles measured extremely close in size, so it is not an axle difference.
  2. One major difference is that the AWD seal has three sealing surfaces while the FWD only has two, and the AWD seal surfaces are angled differently. The FWD seal is designed to have a CV joint pressing against it, unlike the AWD, and that may factor into how the seal surfaces align on the axle shaft.
  3. The FWD oil seal has no dust cover like the AWD seal, so dirt / fluids have a much better chance of getting past the seal into the transmission.
Thanks for any responses I get about this.
 
You will want to follow the thread linked in your post about the equal length half-shaft mod. The FWD oil seal (MD707184) is the appropriate seal as it is matched to the 90-92.5 FWD trans case. Other than VFAQ article, I do not know anyone that has had leak using MD707184. The VFAQ author neglected to include the part number (if they were even OEM) of the seals that leaked. The 90-92.5 FWD axle and 90-99 AWD axle OD are the same.
 
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You will want to follow the thread linked in your post about the equal length half-shaft mod. The FWD oil seal (MD707184) is the appropriate seal as it is matched to the 90-92.5 FWD trans case. Other than VFAQ article, I do not know anyone that has had leak using MD707184. The VFAQ author neglected to include the part number (if they were even OEM) of the seals that leaked. The 90-92.5 FWD axle and 90-99 AWD axle OD are the same.
Thanks. Yea I know they are the same OD but he was mentioning the difference between the AWD having 3 seal lips vs the FWD having 2 due to the halfshaft pressing directly onto the seal. If no one seems to think it will leak I will give it a go and report back. Thanks.
 
I've had this mod installed on my 91 GST since early 2000. I used MD719710 (driver side AWD seal) and the MOPAR aluminum spacer, which is no longer available. I guess you could measure the difference between the outer diameter of the AWD ad FWD seals and have a machine shop make you a custom part you if want to pursue that route. I may have the two at home, if so I'll post the differences.
 
I've had this mod installed on my 91 GST since early 2000. I used MD719710 (driver side AWD seal) and the MOPAR aluminum spacer, which is no longer available. I guess you could measure the difference between the outer diameter of the AWD ad FWD seals and have a machine shop make you a custom part you if want to pursue that route. I may have the two at home, if so I'll post the differences.
Thanks much would be appreciated. If you could get me some sort of caliper dimensions on it I could probably get one made if need be. Ill give it a go without the AWD seal and just use the FWD seal but If I can I will have the adapter made up
 
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