derf

That's just it. I'm getting out bid on run down shanties that need a ton of work. And as we get later into spring and summer, the competition is just going to get worse. I'm probably just going to hold off until September and then start looking. The summer blitz will be over and fewer people will be fighting for houses. I'm in a decent house now that I can do month-to-month until the feeding frenzy is over. Besides, I'll have a more solid down payment in 6 months, making it easier to have better leverage.

I'm getting to the point where I am considering punting on the whole effort until this fall.

If I had big lottery money, I'd have a Morgan in my stable. They're interesting cars with a unique history. I like how they're able to keep the classic form alive while being able to stay modern.

Strictly opinion here: If I had the two axles sitting in my garage and was choosing between them, I'd take the Dana 44 every time. Mostly because I would seriously consider going above 3.55 for anything much over stock size tires, even with the manual. And with an automatic, I would start with 3.73 or more just for stock tires. (for reference, I run 4.56 with 32's in my automatic XJ and wouldn't go with anything less.) Since regearing would be on the table no matter what, I'd take the Dana 44. More options when it comes to lockers/limited slips and the gear ratio options line up nicely with the Dana 30. But the real kicker is that I already have everything I need to swap gears myself, including setup bearings, for the Dana 44. Factor in that the 44 has MJ perches on it already, it would be my clear choice. All that being said, the 8.25 is not a bad axle. There's enough options for upgrades and lockers/limited slips to make it a good choice in an MJ. Spring perches and shock mounts are trivially easy. The brakes are a bolt-in either way. You can't go wrong with the 8.25 if that's what you end up deciding on.

All AMC vehicles used GM key configurations. It took several years to get converted over to Chrysler setups. It was probably a combination of production contracts (agreeing to buy columns/locks for x number of years) and just working in the design change to a production year. Or in the case of the full size Grand Wagoneer, they didn't bother because they were already working on killing it off and didn't want to change too much.

Since it's out of a project, it could be either the AX15 or NV3550. Either would be a great option. But get information on what it came from so you know what you need for things like rebuild parts and so forth. These are a good place to start getting information to tell them apart: https://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/transmissions/manual/ax15/ https://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/transmissions/manual/nv3550/ I can't recommend a good price. Being on a pallet ready to go adds value to me because it's less work. But being on a pallet, there's no way to know anything about the donor for sure. It might have 270K miles on it for all you know. What are they asking for it?

x2 Don't touch the pinion. Leave the adjusters alone to start. Swap the ring gear over and install the differential. Measure, adjust, measure, adjust, etc. until you get a good matching pattern with backlash in spec. And when you adjust, turn both sides the same amount in the same direction. You want to keep the distance between the two the same so you keep preload on the bearings the same. You just want to move it towards or away from the pinion and leave everything else alone.

So this one certainly isn't the right one. There were a couple reasons this one isn't selling.

You'd have to pay me to take a truck with that 6.2 diesel. And then I'd either scrap it or, if it's in good shape, put in a good engine. Keep the MJ.

I'm just being thorough. I have nothing going on after work and I want another data point in my research on traffic patterns to see how the commute will look to that part of town. I likely won't want to buy it but it's worth looking for several reasons.

Yeah, I'm not in a rush because I can do month-to-month on my lease. It's just frustrating dealing with idiotic sellers. And competing with stupid buyers who are over paying and snapping up stuff fast, driving up prices. I'm set to look at one after work today. It's been on the market a while. It's on the corner of a side street and a major thoroughfare. The garage opens to the major street which is "less than ideal". But it has a stop light at the intersection. And it may be possible to reconfigure the garage to open into the alley rather than the main street. So it's worth looking at. But, like every house on the market that's been there for a long time, there's usually a good reason why it's not selling in this market. And starting tomorrow, the next round of houses should start hitting the market so the search will continue.

I'm right behind ya, in about 5 months. I figure I should probably decide what I want to do when I grow up.

The Older Dana 44's had shims between the bearing and the carrier. I have done 3 of them (2 full size Wagoneer, one XJ) with setup bearings. Very easy to do that way. I just did gears on an 04 Rubicon (same basic Dana 44 center section) and the shims were between the race and the housing. The case spreader really helped but I really like them in between the carrier and bearing. They're a lot easier to manage that way.

I've done several sets of gears. If the shims are between the bearing and the carrier, having setup bearings makes things easier. If they're between the race and the differential housing, your job is easier. I've seen shims both ways and they can vary on the same brand axle from one year period to another. Whatever you do, you stay with the way the axle is set up right now. A dial indicator to measure backlash is is important: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UMD1K2M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Having a case spreader makes things easier but isn't vital. I've done it both ways. I like having the case spreader. Since you're only doing the carrier, you can skip a couple of the tools. The pinion needs the inch-pound rotational torque indicator and a very big torque wrench (200 ft-lb or bigger). But you're not touching the pinion so you don't need that. The bearing retainer caps must go back on exactly how they come off. Mark them so that you know not only which side is which, but which end is "up". Always put them back on exactly the same way. Every time. No exceptions. Step one is to do an initial pattern before you do anything else. Use the gear marking compound and run the pinion over it a couple of times. Take a picture. That's where you want to get back to. Step two is to remove the carrier and measure the shim packs that come out of the axle. BE VERY CAREFUL TO NOT MIX UP WHICH SIDE THE SHIMS ARE ON. Step three is to use the shims out of the axle with the new carrier. DO NOT USE ANY OTHER SHIMS TO START. Step four is to install the carrier, run a pattern, and measure backlash. Step five is to evaluate the pattern. If it's off, adjust the shims and go back to step four. If it matches the original pattern, you're done. Step 6 is to finish installation. If you had to use setup bearings, press on the real bearings. Reinstall everything and torque to spec. Hose out the differential with some brake cleaner at least. Inspect the seals and bearings out at the ends of the axle shaft. Replace if you think it's warranted. Button it all up and fill. Drain and check the fluid after about 500 miles.

I got pulled over on suspicion of speeding in a small town in TX. Hit me with a tint ticket. Of course, it was cheaper to pay the ticket than to fight it even though he likely didn't have the radar gun logs to show he even tagged me for the alleged speeding (since I wasn't speeding). I hate small town cops who write BS tickets.

So the seller, who has been sitting on this overpriced house for almost 2 months, is being a pain to deal with. He ended up getting 3 offers (one mine) today. He doesn't want to work with an escalation clause. So it's time to move on. 3 up, 3 down. End of an inning. Time for the 7th inning stretch.

I'll hear back on an offer probably today. Hopefully this one works out.

It should be an NV3550. Just as good as the AX-15, more or less.

Are you sure there's any oil in it?

I looked at 7 houses this weekend It looks like the house with a 3 car garage is going to be a miss. The one with the parts washer is still a possibility. I hate house hunting.

Obligatory...

On the advice of council I decline to answer because I honestly feel my answer could tend to incriminate me.

I got mine in college. I was in a fraternity. Alcohol was involved. For the rest of the story I plead the fifth.

On other forums, I've seen oil threads blow up worse than any political thread. It's always entertaining to watch. I think people here are much more level headed though so I don't suppose that will happen here. I haven't used that brand before. Haven't even heard of it. I suspect it's just putting a specific label on bulk products they source from somewhere else. I bet that if you change fluids and filters on schedule and get rid of the milk shake in the differential, you should have decent luck just like any other moderately priced store brand.