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I know most people won't need this but I wanted people to know it's out there. I just added a field in my gear ratio calculator to put in portal axle gear reduction. I know few people have portals but I know at least a few do. https://grimmjeeper.com/gears.html Check it out if you like. And if you see anything broken, let me know. Oh, and I added the GM 2WD 4 speed Muncie and Saginaw transmissions to the list. Some of you may find them useful.

Doesn't hurt for it to stay sealed. Though a diff fluid change is likely a good idea. You could start by pulling the fill plug and checking the fluid level. Also look to see if it's too dark or milky. Or filled with what looks like glitter. A worn out limited slip just turns into an open differential. So it's not critical that you must fix it when it wears out. Unless you really want the limited slip to work. You can get a clutch rebuild kit if you want. It can take some effort to get it installed with the new clutch discs. And whatever you do, be careful with the shims when you pull out the differential case. Don't mix them up. They're on the outside of the bearings.

A lunchbox locker wouldn't do that unless it's broken. And there would be other problems that were obvious. A completely worn out limited slip (like the factory one in my CJ) acts like an open diff. It really depends on how marginal it is. I haven't tested mine to see if it actually limits slip at all but I doubt it. If it's like mine where I can turn the brake drums by hand, it's about 100% shot. If you need the tires on to get enough leverage and it still takes some effort, it may still be hanging on a little. Enough to still limit a little bit of slip.

What is your backlash?

For suspension bolts, I prefer shouldered bolts like that. So long as the shoulder (unthreaded part) ends just short of where the nut needs to be. The threads on a fully threaded bolt can dig into the steel sleeve of a bushing. My JL Wrangler had fully threaded bolts from the factory. I bought a kit of shouldered bolts to replace the factory hardware. I don't know about that particular website. I do like the idea of buying from a forum member like Boxy Jeep. For a lot of my specialty hardware needs, I order from https://boltdepot.com/ most of the time.

Need to see the other side of the teeth to know what to recommend.

That's way off. And you don't show the other side of the teeth so we can't see the other half of the pattern. And I know you don't want to take it apart multiple times but you will very likely have to. It's part of the process.

The wheel cylinder was definitely leaking. And the brake fluid was a dark brown. So it's a good thing I'm replacing almost everything front to back. I do want to go on record that whoever designed the parking brake setup in the rear drums needs to get a swift kick in the jimmy. It's definitely one of the more annoying setups to get back together.

So a previous owner went to the trouble of replacing the rear shafts. But they did aftermarket 2 piece shafts... This Jeep is definitely an example of pervasive half-assery for sure.

Well, I'm exhausted now... Time to get to the brakes.

Lots of goodies inside. Better than Christmas.

And as long as I'm remembering, here are the donor axles...

The tax return showed up today. All the parts to regear the axles going under this Chief.

Yep. The passes can be rough in CO. Scenic for sure though. Make sure your cooling system is in good working order. The Eisenhower tunnel is a little higher than Vail pass. Both can be a challenge. I like US50 or US160 through Southern CO. Monarch pass on US50 is over 11,000 feet (like I70). Wolf Creek pass on US160 tops out at 10,8xx. I80 through southern Wyoming tops out below 9,000 feet. US64 in northern NM tops out just over 9,000 feet. Those can be a little easier if they aren't too far out of your way.

I don't know that we need to standardize maps. It's not bad to have multiple maps to get more information.

I'll be building my own custom sliders as I build my MJ. Spring 27 is ambitious for me too.

More trail ideas for the mild trails folks. Chicken corners Easy trail with scenic views. There's a cool overlook that is good for a photo shoot. Onion Creek This one winds through a valley with high walls. Many water crossings. It's a fun trail. Gemini Bridges An easier trail that has scenic stops at natural rock bridges.

Metric would be 10.9, for a similar to grade 8 SAE.

Yeah, AMC in the 80s was so random on SAE vs Metric on pretty much every fastener. They used whatever was the cheapest when the contract was signed. If SAE saved them a dollar on every million fasteners, they would pick that. If the metric was cheaper that day, that's what they picked.

One thing also to consider is trail communication. It's good for everyone to have a 2 way radio so we can chat while we're driving. CB is falling out of favor. Though I still have them. I have my ham license but most people don't. So that's not the best option. The 4x4 community is standardizing on FRS/GMRS. I'd suggest this as the best option for most people. Decent quality handhelds are inexpensive on Amazon. Or you can do like I did and get a fixed mount radio to install in the Jeep. We can pick a channel and set up a privacy code so we don't have to listen to everyone else out there.

Fins N Things This is a good trail for people new to Moab. Lots of slickrock and some fun hills. Not too difficult for a vehicle close to stock. There is a day use/week use fee of like $10 to access this trail. Hell's Revenge A favorite trail for many. It has some optional obstacles to challenge more built rigs. Lots of optional lines lets you do the easy route while being challenging for more built rigs. An XJ on 32s and 3-4" lift has zero trouble making it on some of the harder lines. Hell's gate is intimidating but not technically challenging. Same day/week use fee as Fins. Poison Spider A difficult trail for more built rigs. But you get to a scenic overlook at the top of the bluffs west of town that is pretty cool. Top Of The World A rough trail and you need to be built a little. But the overlook is pretty stunning. Google top of the world and you can see the pictures people take. It's a bit of a drive to get there but worth it.

Growing up, we had a '78 Ninety-Eight, an '80 Ninety-Eight, and a '90 Eighty-Eight. They were decent cars in the day. Well, I take that back. The '78 had the 350 diesel and it was a POS. But we got 25 MPG. When it was running.