Pete M

sorry, I was thinking fronts. I know less about the XJ rear shafts other than the sealed t-case output came about in ~96.

are we talking about front or rear driveshafts?

avoid anything before 87. other than that, year matters not. try to find one with the same engine/trans. :thumbsup:

yup. Jeep seems to like to engineer their Jeeps to only drive around on the pavement. :dunno: bastards. :fs1: but the JK axle really is a pretty good deal for the money. :yes:

that's different for sure. I like it. :thumbsup: maybe an MJ tailgate skin would work?

those are some TINY little tires! not sure I'd be willing to drive on a street in something so small.

JK axles do have some weak points that show up when run under a 3 ton Jeep. Should work great under a rig that is half that weight. :thumbsup: especially when you can buy a truss with XJ mounts already on it ready to go. :D

what you're describing is fairly common, but not usually a structural problem. but when in doubt, stab at it with a screw driver and see how solid it feels. :thumbsup:

sure you're not thinking about the TJ dana 44?

that's the budget for the welder. gas, clothing, etc are separate line items. my uncle is buying it for me as payment for building the XJ. I guess I should probably just expect to drop in a bit of my own money to step up to a nicer welder. that eastwood looks pretty sweet...

later this year I'll be installing Mopar JK wrangler Rubicon dana 44 axles under a cherokee (for my uncle). the axles will be around 4400 for the pair, but they are all brand spankin' new parts and have 4.10 gears, disk brakes, and push-button selectable lockers front and rear. they are a couple inches wider than stock axles so you can run stock JK rims that are all over craiglist for cheap. TNT makes a truss for the front that contains all the needed brackets already lined up for installation in an MJ/XJ. just need to cut off the stock stuff and weld on the truss.

Need one that'll weld 1/4", preferably doing that on gas. beyond that I'm not sure I know enough to have opinions. It's been 20 years since I last welded anything and I was using a machine the size of a fridge to do it. :D the Hobart Handler 190 and millermatic 190 are in the running so far. would love a dual power unit, but can't find ine cheap enough.

What is the end plan for this truck? tire size? offroading style? I ask because a dana 30 can be built pretty darn tough. plenty of guys running them. :thumbsup:

I don't remember ever reading such a thing for this swap. :dunno: not once.

I still don't understand. why does he need to balance the thing that's already balanced? Does he understand the 3.4 is already balanced?

not hard at all. just tape off the tire (with a million pieces of masking tape), cover the rest of the tire with a couple towels, and do all the proper prep to the rim. proper prep is key. :thumbsup:

what I would do: -paint current rims black -get 1.25" hubcentric spacers for rear -smile :D

when in doubt, take a break and change the gear oil :D

yup, those will fit fine. :thumbsup:

figured as much, but being the internet and all, you might want to add in the smiles when ya do that. otherwise someone might really think you are a jerk. :thumbsup:

You'll probably fail well, they are kinda hanging out in the breeze. :yes: I would add a flat gusset across the pairs of tabs so they look more like this: awesome build! :thumbsup:

autozone will loan you a C-clamp style balljoint/ujoint press if you want to try it yourself. :thumbsup:

I've heard nothing but good things about the MTZ. :thumbsup:

neat! :thumbsup:

I would totally rent one :D