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How to Remove the Vacuum Shift From a Jeep

Removing the vacuum shifter from your Jeep requires access to the front axle housing from under the Jeep. The vacuum shifter, used in the early Cherokee and Wrangler models with a Dana 30 axle assembly, engages when the Jeep is shifted into four-wheel drive. These actuators have long been a problem and a weak link in the system. If yours is not working, removal and replacement or converting the axle to do away with it may be your best option.

Instructions

1

Position a jack under the front of your Jeep and raise it off the ground. Position a set of jack stands under the front axle housing, then lower the Jeep until it is resting securely on the stands.

2

Slide under the passengers side of the Jeep and locate the vacuum shifter or actuator on the axle housing. It sits behind a small metal skid plate or guard. Remove the two bolts from the skid plate with a socket and ratchet, then remove the skid plate and set it aside.

3

Locate the two black vacuum lines on the end of the shifter. Pull the lines off the shifter and lay them aside. The lines are different sizes so there is no concern about mixing them up later.

4

Remove the four 10-mm bolts from the four corners of the actuator or shifter using a socket and ratchet. Set the bolts aside for reuse later.

5

Pry the shifter assembly loose from the axle housing with a stiff putty knife, then lift the assembly off the housing. Scrape any remaining gasket material off the housing and place a clean rag in the opening until you are ready to reassemble it to keep dirt and water out of the axle.