DirtyComanche

So he was saying that if you do all the work, he will charge you for the job? Umm, yeah, no.

Yeah, if you dent them they tend to fold up pretty easy.

I'm sure you can make a wired version, it's still just a solenoid pack that's running it... You could also buy a cheap wireless controller off Amazon/Ebay and wire that in. One came with the winch for my plow, I think I still have it sitting in the box somewhere...

His site says $219 for an OEM XJ rear shaft, so I'm guessing an MJ version would be a bit more due to length. Seems like he includes everything. He's about $500 for the AA SYE and a basic driveshaft to go with it.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/motor-tranny-t-case-performance/2300337-sye-kit-cv-driveshaft-package.html Just saying...

I was thinking "Hey, that body looks pretty clean" and then you posted that. :eek:

Another interesting anti-theft device is the Grant steering wheel anti-theft dealio. https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/grt-2001/overview/ Basically allows you to remove the steering wheel in a quick disconnect manner, but it requires a key, and there is a blanking cap that goes on in place of the wheel so you can't turn the shaft with a pair of vicegrips or the like. Some gangster type shows the install here, about 7 minutes in he shows how it works: Not the cheapest option between buying it and a Grant wheel, but it will leave the vehicle completely undriveable. Also, unlike a normal quick disconnect wheel, you don't need to take the wheel with you as you can't put it back on without the key.

Without a SYE, if you have the rear yoke out of the tcase it will dump all the ATF. The tcase is actually pressured lubed, there's a gerotor pump in it, so it sprays pretty good when you get up to speed. If you put the yoke back in, it will probably fall out... IMHO, half the advantage of a SYE is you can pull the shaft and not worry about it puking. Hence I'm a fan of them, even though we don't normally 'need' them.

Nice progress.

Another boring picture... Parts have started to arrive. Image Not Found

x2 on USA6x6 being sketchy, but i don't believe Stan (6x6 tj and 6x6 dodge builder) used anything from them, at least on these two builds. he may have used their dropbox on his 6x6 tow rig though. The dodge is on rockwells, which are toploader axles. they came in duece and a half rigs in 6x6 form. the tj has a 2nd tcase (divorce mounted 205) that acts as a drop box. 6x6 TJ build thread: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/jeep-non-hardcore/1055085-urban-assault-tj-zombie-killer-build.html I was thinking of different rigs. USA6x6 had built a Dodge for somebody, and a Wrangler of some sort... That was a hell of a long time ago.

I honestly still have no idea. At least I can't think of any way you could use it that would work. The arrangement you have pictured is common, like I said earlier, axles that are intended for that use. They differ significantly from conventional single drive axles in that the input pinion is a straight through design with an output yoke on the other end of it. This ensures that the ouput side is rotating the correct way, and is not subject to any differential, biasing, or rotational speed difference.

So how do you intend to use that 8.25" drop out third member?

Search USA6x6 for the TJ and the Dodge. Just don't ever order anything from whatever company they're doing business as currently. They built gearboxes that bolt to the pinion snout of the 9" or 14 Bolt, which gave you an input and output on the middle axle. The M715 was built by Mikel. It has a hybrid NP200/205 tcase in it (3 outputs), and two D70 rears that are offset from each other, IIRC. It also has a 6BT and NV4500? in it. His other fullsize Jeep is actually a J-truck, it has a 4BT in it. I think the M715 is leaf springs though, I'd have to go and look, I believe he tried links originally but it didn't perform how he wanted. The easiest solution is buying axles that were already setup for a tandem or 6x6 application. Rockwell, Dana, Meritor, Marmon-Herrington, etc, build a host of axles that were already meant to do this.

This reminds me... My JK has a fullsize spare. But I don't have the jack. Dodge... No spare. I leave it behind the shed because the winch thinger is broken so you wouldn't be able to lower it if you needed to anyways. Guess what? I have a jack in the Dodge. I keep meaning to snag one of the decent scissor jacks from the boneyard for the JK.

Hmm. Only 2400 miles, or 37 hours straight of driving... Tempting.

. :MJ 1: . Glad you got 'er on the road!

That will happen with TREs from time to time. Either keep tightening it, or clean the hole up with a taper reamer. Just don't strip it... I've also drilled a new hole on them in custom applications where I didn't want to ream the hole any deeper. Nothing from Teraflex indicates that it shouldn't fit.

Too big or too small? If it's too big of a hole, it might be wallowed out. Their instructions seem to indicate that it works with the factory bracket.

Yes, those test sockets are for the DRB II tool to adapt to. You can read some information from them using a multimeter, but for all sense and purpose it's pretty much useless without the tool.

I still don't know what the OP wants. But if it's Ford vs Chevy, I would absolutely buy a Chevy for the half ton market. The 5.3 is bulletproof, and the chassis they put it in lasts a long time with only minor issues. We have a whole fleet of them at work and they just keep going and going. If you're looking at a 1-ton I would be torn, I love the Duramax and how the IFS rides, but I am not a fan of the 6L gas jobby, nor do I like the lack of prowess of the truck in off-road situations, and the cost to keep the IFS together is slightly more (mostly because you can't let it wear out until it falls apart, it becomes undriveable before then). Also, the later diesels need to be be deleted and tuned, they just have too many issues with the DPF and associated junk otherwise. I have zero faith in anything diesel with a blue oval on it, unless it's the 7.3L. The newer Stuperduty trucks have an awesome chassis and axles though. I know nothing about Ford gas engines because I've never had to deal with them, and I plan to keep it that way. Ultimately, I would build a Fummins and put the cab from something that was actually cool on it. Or drop a later Duramax/Allison in. All above comments assume you want a 4wd truck.

It may not help that the buy and sell group I use most is called "Billbilly motor swap". As the name would imply, having teeth is not a requirement to join.

Just to give everyone an idea how terrible the body/bodywork actually is... Image Not Found Holes, bondo, bondo over holes, rusting from the backside: Image Not Found More holes: Image Not Found Holes, bondo, ah, you know what I'm talking about: Image Not Found More of the same: Image Not Found Has some sway bar links from something else???? Image Not Found Ooo, a random switch and fuse, just hanging out there. Image Not Found There is an engine in there: Image Not Found Anyways, still gotta finish the XJ before I do anything with this.

Also, the easiest way (IMHO) to measure across the axle to find a point to weld something on is to throw the brake rotors on and measure from the back sides of them. Some assumptions are made with this method of measuring, but if the axle is assembled correctly and the brake rotors are not worn, it is more than accurate enough. Or I will bolt a piece of flat bar to the backing plate/wheel bearing retaining nuts. Obviously you should do what works best in your situation.

I guessed on that one. I read a lot of other builds and came up with a number based on what they had all done. I didn't have a real welder at that point, so I cleaned the axle up, took all the old brackets off, and then took it to a welding shop with the new perches and told them to put them on at 42" center-center (IIRC) and to point the pinion up x*. I think my magic number was 6*, but that was 10? years ago. Also, it depends if you want to do a SYE w/ double cardon driveshaft or not. You want the pinion pointing about 2* below the output on the tcase if you have a SYE, you want it pointing basically level if you are not going to do one. Knowing what I know now, and having a digital angle finder, I just draw lines on the axle where the perches need to go in regards to center-center, then assemble everything with the u-bolts hand tight, then wiggle everything until the angle looks good, then I use a piece of pipe to simulate a driveshaft and check that I'm at the right angle, taking the angle of the 'driveshaft' and of the flange/yoke. At that point I can either tack the perches right there, or measure the angles and pull it out. Up to you, YMMV, my profession demands extreme degrees of precision but my hobbies do not.