Will rear axle from 02 fit 05?

[WesChapman]

I need to have my rear axle rebuilt, but like so many of us, money is tight. I found a 2002 KJ being parted out and I can get the rear axle for a decent price, but will it fit an 05? Can I easily swap the drum brakes for my disks? By easily, I mean no welding or fabricating. It needs to be bolt on simple, otherwise I'm not wasting the time and money.
Since I sometimes like standing in a corner and beating my head against the wall, I thought I would try to rebuild my 05 axle myself. The money saved on labor could go towards therapy.

 

[tjkj2002]

It will bolt on,yes it is fairly easy to swap the disc's over also.The axles will need to be pulled(and brakes of course) then after that it's just for nuts on each side.You also will need to swap the pinion yoke from your '05 to the '02 axle since they are different between the 2 years,and the 8.25 uses a cruch sleeve so do it the correct way and get a new sleeve(you will need a inch/oz torque wrench).

 

[WesChapman]

Good to know. Thanks for the info. Now the guy is changing his mind about the price and wants more. Guess I'll just wait until February when I have the $$$ to get my rear end rebuilt. It's been howling for 53000 miles, I think it should go another 4000. Still no metal on the magnet and no grinding noises yet.