derf

It was, until you had to make it up at the end of the school year.

No real kits. Just jump on rockauto and add pieces to your cart. That's probably the best place to get everything at once. That's what I did for my XJ.

It's "I can make something good out of what I have and save a ton" syndrome. People overestimate their skill but they don't understand how ro actually design things. They have a vision but they lack the skill to actually build it. And then they run into the actual cost of building things so they half-@$$ it to bring it in under budget.

No XJ ever came with a front 44. Find a good front axle. Then worry about picking the matching rear. It would help us to suggest the better options if you tell us your goals and intended use.

Yep. TJ/LJ Rubicon (2003 to 2006) is the only bolt in donor available. They're rare and command a premium price tag, even with the inferior locker they use. Everything else will require welding on brackets. And none of the other Dana 44's use the 5 on 4.5" bolt pattern to match the rear. If you're set on a Dana 44, it's easier to get a donor and find the matching rear from the same or similar donor so that you have a matching bolt pattern front and rear. The rear is easy. Spring perches and maybe shock mounts if you can't reuse the factory spring plates. Most common donor for the front is the narrow track 1980-1991 Jeep (Grand) Wagoneer (no "Grand" from 80-83) and 80-83 Cherokee. 1979 and older are passenger side drop so they don't work well. They are very close to the same width as a stock XJ/MJ axle. They have a 6 on 5.5" bolt pattern. The matching rear is an inch or three narrower but it's easy to put on some spacers. There are other options for a rear that will have the same bolt pattern. The wide track Cherokee (80-83) and J10/J20 pickups are donor candidates if you want a wider wheel track. Another donor that people use is the mid to late 70's Ford F150 and F250. They use a high pinion Dana 44 (stronger) but I think they're a little bit wider than the stock XJ/MJ axle. The F150 uses a 5 on 5.5" bolt pattern. The F250, an 8 on 6.5". The F150 has a 9" rear to match, and the F250 uses a not entirely desirable full float Dana 60. The 9" has the potential to be a good axle but it requires a little bit of investment to get it there. Fortunately, it's well supported in the aftermarket so it's easy to find what you need. One important thing to note, when upgrading to a front Dana 44, you will need to get a shorter front driveshaft. Depending on which axle you started with and which one you go with, you will likely also need to shorten the rear driveshaft as well.

Got the "final coat" on the first wall. Needs a little more sanding and I'll go back and texture when everything is done. This is definitely a slow project.

I want to see it with the stock tires.

I have a ProMig 140, which is a 110v welder. It would be fine up to 3/16. Make sure you have a good 20A circuit to run it.

Thanks for all your hard work by the way.

Yeah, translation is hard, especially with technical discussion. 30 years ago I could have helped. About all I remember now is "Quiero dos cervezas mas." and "¿Donde está el baño?"

It's also easy to bump up horsepower numbers by moving the torque curve up the RPM band. Put in a big cam with opened up intake and exhaust ports and you move the torque curve up quite a bit. 17 pounds of boost on a stock engine won't push you much over 300 HP. But bore and stroke it, big cam, ported heads, bigger valves, and boost will get you there.

Yes. You can even swap a 97+ front end if you want. Though it's a little bit of extra work.

You just need compatible ABS sensors. There's no more speedo sensors in almost everything these days.

I looked at that. The engine/trans/tcase works better as a single unit because of the computer. Swapping in JK or JL axles to get the speed sensors needed for controlling the transmission would be needed. Doable for sure but it's not a quick and easy swap for sure.

Unlikely. You'll probably need custom lines.

Yeah, the LS swap is definitely "some assembly required" but it has the most off-the-shelf parts available to support it. Motor mounts, exhaust, cooling, wiring harness, computer flashing, etc. are all readily available and make the swap easier than a build-it-yourself swap.

I became a member of the Jeeps Unlimited forum back when I got my new off the showroom floor 2001 XJ (not the one I have now).

I'm with George on this subject... (NSFW language)

There are lots of old people with experience. They disagree with each other as much as any other group because their experiences in life have differed greatly. They don't all come to the same conclusions. Smart people learn from their own experiences. Smarter people learn from other people's experiences. The smartest people keep learning until they die.

Yeah, I'm a big fan of doing something that other people haven't done. But I also recognize why "everyone does an LS swap".

I had considered making a Chevy Astro into an expedition camper. It's based off the S10 and probably could have been a decent platform for modification with, I'm sure, some hurdles.

You can shorten that to "politicians talking"...

I do too. Just because I can see it in others doesn't mean I'm not right there with everyone else. When I make a conscious effort to fight it, I can get along with a lot more people. But I catch myself being the old fart way more often.

Yep. From the farm town cafe to the big city coffe shop, everyone sits around in their own echo chamber. No one wants to put forward the effort to look at anything from someone else's point of view.

Some of the worst offenders there are old farts set in their ways getting their knickers in a twist when dealing with change.