DirtyComanche

So, congratulations to me, I finally figured out that it is actually 10:30 here. Not 11:30 as I would have suspected earlier. Things are making way more sense now. Edit, now if only I could figure out what forum this sort of stuff should go in...

I imagine the donor is the one that's trashed. My answer is simple. Use wood. Lots of wood. Like they do in the shipyards. Let it all crush until it's happy. It won't go anywhere then.

I don't have too many worries about the length of my front shaft. I think as I had left it my front axle is at least 4" forward over stock, and it will have minimal static angles due to the height of the rig. The main issue with it actually might be if it clears the LCA backets on the frame. If anything, having it shorter with a tcase that keeps it tighter to the transmission might be better. Other than that might result in some interesting compound angles, not the end of the world for a front shaft. It's all rather academic without parts to see what fits best.

I shy away from the 203/205 setup because it isn't low enough, or so I think, again I should do some math. They're both 2:1. The 3:1 gears for the 205 are quite expensive (since they come with a new case), and I'm not sure if the 203 gears are still available. I'll say it again, I'm a little strapped for cash, as I have to budget at least $3K for rims/tires :ack: Also, I wanted to maintain the street manners of this... Somewhat. SM465s are great. I just hate shifting them. Also, a lack of overdrive is a bit disconcerting. The alternative is to leave my rather high ratio gears in the axles (I have a set of 4.10s that are okay enough to run), and say screw the OD. That might work, other than it will leave some fairly wicked gear splits. I'd probably have to, again, do some math before I figured if that was a good idea. Cheap, yes, but I don't know about adapters. Or how well it will fit, but I don't recall it as being a terribly large trans (mainly height is the issue, not that I can't work around anything). I wonder what the combined weight of a SM465/203/205 setup is... Also, I think an AX-15 shouldn't ever fail behind a 4.0L if it good shape, and some level of common sense is used while driving. I could be wrong. I may look into the costs associated with a rebuild, since mine probably isn't 'in good shape' :rotf: .

Bad bang for the buck, at least around here. I haven't been able to get a price on one even. I'm figuring it would probably be $1200 min. Beyond that, it seems a little funky to me, needs flange conversions (I think), and can't be twin-sticked. Which isn't a requirement, but if you're going to spend the money... Also, I'm not sure on the 4:1 doing what I want, totally. I'd have to bother to do a little math, but I think I'd like a lower low, and a mid-range gear.

If I'm reading it right, it isn't worth it. Wrong drop, wrong input, flanges have to be changed, and it's only 3:1. If I was going to be happy with that, 2.72:1 would be close enough. I passed up another one for $2K that was 3:1. I'd still have to run a doubler in front of it, IMHO. There's also a stak 3-speed mini for sale in Calgary, same deal, totally unused (in shipping crate). Too much money for now... Same goes for spending $2k on an atlas, really. Oh, BTW, I was in Calgary for most of the weekend. Went to pick up some parts (work related) and wound up sitting around due to shipping related issues. Now I'm in beautiful La Ronge, Saskatchewan, hoping that the locals don't steal my truck.

I'd skip the small lift. Put the 31s on and trim as needed (the right rims and they'll fit without). When the money permits, SOA and do a 5"~ lift in the front. No sense buying a set of rear springs, front springs, LCAs, etc, just to turn around and either toss 'em or sell them for cheap in short order.

You could do the bed sides in a similar enough way. But you have a point, I don't think of a MJ having a bed on it... Mine hasn't had one in ages.

If I was doing it on a rusty MJ... I'd do it how I did it on my XJ. Go nice and high, even with the old door sill. This allows the removal of a ton of metal - it solved almost all of my rust issues. What is left isn't bad enough to warrant any replacement of sheetmetal. The MJ/XJ are basically the same in the area in question, just the corner will come out a little different. I can picture it in my head, it will be obvious when you get there. Tying it in will be obviously different than how mine had came out. I had a plan, I just never wound up using it!

Figured I'd post in tech too because I'd like more opinions... My XJ has 1-tons, 37s (planned), double beadlocks (planned), a 4.0L (as long as I stick with it), probably going to go AX-15, and will weigh some serious numbers... Oh, and I consider component failure to be basically unacceptable. So... I'm pretty undecided on my transfercase... I was just going to run the NP241DLD and call it good. Strength wouldn't be an issue, and I located a flange to do a hack'n'tap style SYE on the rear for cheap. The only issue is I really don't like the 2.72:1 low. I had figured I could fight it with the AW4, just run a big trans cooler. Right now I'm leaning away from the AW4 and keeping the AX-15... There is no way I will live with the AX-15/NP241 setup unless I run something silly like 7.17s in the axles (which I won't do for other reasons). This requires a doubler, or something else. My first instinct was I probably could run the box4rocks 231 doubler with the 241 behind it. Strength wise, I don't think I'd have any real issues. Driveshafts would be a different matter. The front would be grossly too long. This would require a 2-piece shaft with a carrier/hanger/midship bearing. Given that I'm unwilling to run 1310 ujoints, this leaves me with a sneaking suspicion that I'd have a very costly front driveshaft as I don't think the junkyard would yield many usable parts. From there I figured 'A D300 as the second case would be easy! :brows: ' As I looked into that, I started to get :( Both outputs on a D300 are 27 spline - unacceptable stock NP231 junk basically. So, they'd have to be changed. After that the common failure point appears to be the gears, and they like to go badly when they do. The option is to run the lowmax 4:1 gears, which are pricey. And then I started looking at case failures... Stak makes a better case, but you might as well have bought a real stak at that point. My conclusion is that the D300 was engineered to be a damn fine 1/4 - ton tcase, and that's it. My likely final weight is simply going to be too much for it to jive with my requirements for reliability. So, I could buy a stak or an atlas. Maybe by christmas time I'll have saved up enough 'fun money' for that. Probably not. The last option I could think of is the one I've always written off. The bloody old NP205. Basically indestructible, at least that I can tell. I will have to look into the failure points of them, but I'm certain they've all happened behind big blocks and been in 8000lb trucks. I could either run the NP231 box4rocks into it, or a NP241 box4rocks... I'm leaning towards the 241. I think I should track down a passenger drop case for that (earlier dodge, maybe some others?) as there might be interference potential with the front output on the NP205 otherwise. As I gather, it would probably make the most sense (and be the strongest) to track down a short chevy 32-spline NP205 input gear so I could use a 32 spline output on the doubler. I'd install this in a ford NP205 with the round pattern as they have 32 spline front outputs, and 32 spline rear without a slip yoke (haven't checked that for sure). A major issue is the one shift rail won't work; the case has to be drilled for it to come out of the back. Beyond that I can grind them to be twinstick. Also, it weighs a lot, so I absolutely need an extra mount on it, which will require some more research. My last concern is sizing of the NP205 and how well it will fit (seat interference might be the problem, my floor certainly isn't). I'd have a 5.33:1 with the 241/205 setup. I would like input as to of the technical accuracy of what I've said, and what people think beyond that. Is there other options I've missed? Etcetera...

See how screwed the internals are before buying a rebuild kit. It might need more than that. In which case a new (used) low mileage case can be a better deal. You also might want a chain if yours is sloppy. I'd look around and compare kit contents before I bought one. You also might need a special bearing puller to get the one front output bearing out as it is installed blind. The FSM has a number for the tool, but I'd sure Jeep would want eleventybillion dollars for it. Maybe somebody knows a good trick.

So... I'm pretty undecided on my transfercase... I was just going to run the NP241DLD and call it good. Strength wouldn't be an issue, and I located a flange to do a hack'n'tap style SYE on the rear for cheap. The only issue is I really don't like the 2.72:1 low. I had figured I could fight it with the AW4, just run a big trans cooler. Right now I'm leaning away from the AW4 and keeping the AX-15... There is no way I will live with the AX-15/NP241 setup unless I run something silly like 7.17s in the axles (which I won't do for other reasons). This requires a doubler, or something else. My first instinct was I probably could run the box4rocks 231 doubler with the 241 behind it. Strength wise, I don't think I'd have any real issues. Driveshafts would be a different matter. The front would be grossly too long. This would require a 2-piece shaft with a carrier/hanger/midship bearing. Given that I'm unwilling to run 1310 ujoints, this leaves me with a sneaking suspicion that I'd have a very costly front driveshaft as I don't think the junkyard would yield many usable parts. From there I figured 'A D300 as the second case would be easy! :brows: ' As I looked into that, I started to get :( Both outputs on a D300 are 27 spline - unacceptable stock NP231 junk basically. So, they'd have to be changed. After that the common failure point appears to be the gears, and they like to go badly when they do. The option is to run the lowmax 4:1 gears, which are pricey. And then I started looking at case failures... Stak makes a better case, but you might as well have bought a real stak at that point. My conclusion is that the D300 was engineered to be a damn fine 1/4 - ton tcase, and that's it. My likely final weight is simply going to be too much for it to jive with my requirements for reliability. So, I could buy a stak or an atlas. Maybe by christmas time I'll have saved up enough 'fun money' for that. Probably not. The last option I could think of is the one I've always written off. The bloody old NP205. Basically indestructible, at least that I can tell. I will have to look into the failure points of them, but I'm certain they've all happened behind big blocks and been in 8000lb trucks. I could either run the NP231 box4rocks into it, or a NP241 box4rocks... I'm leaning towards the 241. I think I should track down a passenger drop case for that (earlier dodge, maybe some others?) as there might be interference potential with the front output on the NP205 otherwise. As I gather, it would probably make the most sense (and be the strongest) to track down a short chevy 32-spline NP205 input gear so I could use a 32 spline output on the doubler. I'd install this in a ford NP205 with the round pattern as they have 32 spline front outputs, and 32 spline rear without a slip yoke (haven't checked that for sure). A major issue is the one shift rail won't work; the case has to be drilled for it to come out of the back. Beyond that I can grind them to be twinstick. Also, it weighs a lot, so I absolutely need an extra mount on it, which will require some more research. My last concern is sizing of the NP205 and how well it will fit (seat interference might be the problem, my floor certainly isn't). I'd have a 5.33:1 with the 241/205 setup. Thoughts?

Bad idea. An 8.8 isn't good for 39s, IMHO. A hybrid that uses D30 or D44 parts won't be either. Buy a D60. A HP ford one works great. The 'desirable' 78-79 ones (or whatever they are) are not desirable for use in a MJ/XJ, don't pay extra for one. Narrow if desired. Or, for about $399 you can get a bare 9" housing. Cut to length (they will do it for you), press on some Cs, add a third member, knuckles, shafts, etc. Do whatever. A HP third is a good idea, but mucho $$$.

A rear D35 is worth nothing. I have thrown away several in the last year alone. Everything else, I can't say. You don't need the drag link if you steal that P/S setup though. Actually, you can use any P/S box out of an XJ. Just the pump/brackets need to come from the 2.5L. I'd not be willing to pay more than $100, I don't think. But I have 2 or 3 spare boxes and probably a pump for a 2.5L on hand. :roll:

http://www.avkfasteners.com/ I think they sell plain or plated steel ones. We have stainless ones at work, but they carry a funny part number (not an AN or MS number), and we have to buy them from Dart Aerospace or something... Probably really pricey. Hard as fork to pull.

What's actually wrong with the green thing? It got hit by hail? Everything looks peachy in the photos. But they say it's damaged 'all over'? They wrote it off because of hail damage on the hood and top? Or what? If it's cheap, scoop it. Could always part it out if nothing else.

I don't have A/C, but I need OBA. So that's where the pump will be going. Maybe. Nothing is ever set in stone.

Actually, I don't like the 4-link the way it is in that picture. It will be changed to a dual triangulated setup. It'll be tight. I didn't do it that way from the start because I didn't think it would fit. And I wouldn't recommend dong this in a 2-car garage with a low ceiling and everything else... I need a real shop.

I could pretend to love that for a while. Not long.

Bringing this back so you can hear me ramble, and say inappropriate things... So, I stuck some frame rails on the front: Image Not Found I wasn't smart enough to figure out how to make the piece between those frame rails and the ones in the mid area other than by sticking it all together and using the 'measure once, cut 40 times' method. Also, I put my hood on to give me that fuzzy feeling that I was making forward progress. I didn't use any bolts because that would be hard. Then I figured I should test fit the 4.0L shaped peg into the roughly 4.0L peg shaped hole: Image Not Found The axle is in the approximate full-bump location, and is offset to compensate for not yet being narrowed. Bad-@$$ homemade EGR delete: Image Not Found Just another mystery of this pile. Like the daytime running light installation... In place, I think: Image Not Found The wood is just to wedge it nice and tight because I'm going to leave it there for a while, and the engine isn't totally level for that reason... I put the engine in basically the same place as stock, but my frame rails are narrower so the alternator didn't clear (I expected), and the mechanical fan is only a 16yo C-hair away from self clearancing on the frame. So, probably going to have to run dual Taurus e-fans. Clearance around the axle is good, and there will be room for the downpipe near the driveshaft. Also, the engine clears the stock brake booster, not that I really care since I was looking for an excuse to bolt on some hydro-boost. I think I will remount the alternator something like this: Image Not Found But maybe not. Shot from behind: Image Not Found That's an AX-15 in there. I'm actually contemplating the unthinkable, keeping it and using a box4rocks or similar NP231 doubler with my NP241. Probably not. But it isn't like me to make a plan and stick with it. And in closing, I'm full on wallowing in wheel/tire dilemma land.

I smell white trash. I can't see it in that picture, but I can see the signs of it.

I do about 14Km each way. Pretty much nothing... I might change that to 50Km each way. Which would be all highway, not even a traffic light (but there is one bridge, which is about 30' long, and never causes real delays).

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: Just like playing starcraft.

Cool flatbed, it really 'fits' with the rest of the truck. Now go close your hood. (And maybe post more pics)

I don't understand their reasoning for doing that, as it is common in places other than just CL. It's not like I go 'Jeez, that's a nice Fiero. I was looking for a jeep, but you know what? This would be way cooler.' It's more like 'I'm going to send this %*#& an email to tell him he's a $! idiot'. Maybe I just have anger issues. :dunno: