So I'm in the process of replacing a broke front right cv axle. I find out that someone has put rear axles on the front. Front gear case is for and 03 so I'm not sure if there is a specific reason for this or not. It is lifted 2". 14" wheels with 30" mudlites.

 

Only reason I can see someone doing this is the po wanted to have more shaft travel with the plunging joint rear drive shaft.My two cents is that if you want to keep the lift kit and tires go with Gorilla or some other heavy duty drive shafts for the front,since you're already having to replace a broken one.Never saw anyone do this,didn't ever think whether the rear plunging shaft diameter was the same as the front and would fit in the front diff.People come up with strange modifications.Also the plunging joint was designed for a fixed rear wheel,straight in and out travel,not one that was constantly turning.To me this could be a dangerous combination also.

 

Ok. I think I figured it out. I believe you are right about using rear axles for the extra travel. I wouldn't have thought rears would fit on the front case but it does. Learned something new. I bought new front axles but they wouldn't reach. So I measured the A arms and compared them with my 04 A arm measurement. I know the 03 and the 04 should be the exact same. I'm wondering if they swapped the front A arms on my 03 for a different year to widen the stance. They don't look aftermarket.

 

03 and 04 shared the same a-arms according to the part number usage.On what the previous owner did to make the distance longer,who knows. He could have used a different model a-arm,but which one? At this point I'd think about getting rid of the lift kit,putting it back stock and then you'd know the drive shafts you bought would work as intended. Can get costly to fix other people's experiments and screw ups.