DirtyComanche

What all is in that...? I see (obvious) full hydro steering, a drop out third so I'm assuming a 9" or a True Hi9, kingpin D60 knuckles, what looks like either Sunray inner Cs or plated Cs, and a Diamond or Spidertrax housing?

CW, what's BUKU engineering? :nuts: On the topic of a 4-link rear... I'd call it a good idea if you want the best performance that you can get and are willing to SACRIFICE a few other things. For most people it makes very little sense and they are much better off working with the factory leaf springs (either spring over or otherwise) as they're actually a pretty good setup (jeep did their homework). For a 4-link rear, you'd probably want to do a dual-triangulated setup... Yes, you could do single triangulated, or parallel (with a panhard/track bar), but neither offer as good of performance. With a dual triangulated setup I don't see any hope of keeping the gas tank in the stock location. I was running propane anyways, so I had the tank where 'inside the bed' would have been. This leaves a lot of space, and it is easy to get the geometry to be fairly near perfect. Also, the 4-link will allow you to run coil-overs (more performance) and hack off the last couple feet of the frame/bed for a better departure. If neither moving the gas tank to the bed, hacking the frame off a couple feet shorter, or running coil-overs sounds like a great idea to you; then I would not recommend 4-linking the rear.

As I see it now... The D44 occupies a very fine space between the D30 and the D60. I hate the D30 in a lot of ways, but I don't see the D44 as offering enough of an improvement to bother in a lot of applications. I'd probably rock a D30 for 33s and mild wheeling. I'd probably not rock 33s for anything but mild wheeling anyways... 35s, no, a D30 won't handle that (IMHO and experience) with some decent wheeling. A D44 could... But once you hit 37s the D44 is at its limit, basically. A D44 MIGHT have a little more hope with 30 spline outers. Bore the spindles, get the shafts made, run drive flanges... Maybe there is 30 spline hubs for a D44 now, there wasn't when I was looking into it. Otherwise, your outer shafts are just too weak. Beyond that, you're still stuck with a 760X style u-joint, which won't be a problem if you buy CTMs (the yokes on the shafts or something else will go before they do). I probably have nothing else to add to the topic. Edit. I do. A point of economics. The Isuzu D44 rears make sense if you can find one and have a 6-lug front for some reason. They are not overly available since not many were sold here, AND they're actually half decent vehicles so a lot of them are still on the road. I think that if a guy knows exactly what he wants out of his build, the isuzu 12 bolt might be a better axle anyways. More strength than a D44 from the factory, almost all have 4.56 gears, disk brakes, some have a factory L/S and now you can buy a lunchbox locker for them (or an ARB). For the price of a 'zu 12B, you couldn't possibly build a comparable waggy D44.

Probably sag, the rears on XJs are bad for that. They'll need replacing or professional re-arching (replacing would be better, IMHO). Otherwise they'll just pop back...

Good to see you're making progress. Do you think you'll have any width issues with a ford 8.8 in the rear? I ran spacers on mine way baaaack when I had one because the tires contacted the sides of the box quite badly. I think 1.25" per side...

Good clear coat is expensive, and/or seriously toxic. If you're going to rattle it and have it cleared professionally, look into the cost first. A full professional paint job could be hardly much more...

I don't ever build anything that is truly permanent. There is NO point in wasting a ton of time and money on the paint. It will be destroyed at some point either by my hand or my driving. Besides, I follow the simple rule: if it's good enough to go on a 2.5 million dollar helicopter, it's good enough for my truck. :rotf:

That sounds typical to bureaucratic nonsense regardless of political affiliation.

My last paint job cost me about $50. Assuming my time is worth nothing (I was a student at the time). Not including buying a compressor (wanted one anyways) and a paint gun (again, wanted) or my RO sander (it was free with the compressor actually). I didn't screw around too much with it and did it in about a week. Came out terrible, but looked good from 10 feet, since I suck with a paint gun. Mostly it was a learning experience, which is what I needed. I used 'tremclad' which is the same as rustoleum. About $10 for a 1.5 quarts. My next paint job I'll probably use Super-K (it's actually called super-kloroplorboroflorn or something crazy, works well but terrible for you) as a primer, and whatever leftover U-tech paint we have at work. Sometimes we have good colours, often not. Currently I'd have the choice of dirty yellow or an off colour grey that was a mixing mistake.

They grow small quantities of 'hemp' (GM or crossbread plant that contains no THC) in BC, I don't know what all becomes of it. You can buy hemp clothing, but it isn't mainstream. Hemp rope can also be found. And hulled hemp seed is a great source of protein for vegetarians, or even regular people for that matter (tastes very nutty, pretty good on salad).

Three soldiers two bunkers away from me in Vietnam were killed by NVA infiltrators because the guy who was supposed to be awake and on watch was high on Mary Jane. Don't EVER try to tell me weed hasn't ever killed anybody. Indirectly, yes... From actually having an 'overdose', no, I don't think so. Laced weed is another matter. Just like getting drunk, there is a time and a place for it if you're going to do it. And just like getting drunk, if you do it at the wrong time or place it can and will have dire consequences. I think it's a pretty stupid drug; although most are. But sure, legalize it. But they need to come up with an on-the-spot and surefire test to see if somebody is under the influence (comparable to a breathalyzer for BAC) so they can nail all the dip$#!&s who smoke before/while driving, operating machinery, or doing other such tasks. While they're at it, the government should get their hands in the pot and make a few bucks, rather than the organized crime that does right now (a big part of the gang/weapons problem in metro Vancouver stems from selling drugs, with a large part of it being pot). I'm certain the government could provide a cheaper product that was safer and the profits of the sale of could actually go to some use. Of course, I have some socialist tendencies by nature, or maybe I'm a 'commie pinko' to most of my southern neighbours. Oh, an FWIW, it's decriminalized here. NOT legal. But small quantities (I believe the limit is 20 or 30 grams, which is actually a fairly large amount but easily enough could be considered 'for personal use only') will only net you a fine with no chance of jail time or a criminal record. There was simply too many cases that would have to be run through court, and many cops had stopped bothering to do anything beyond confiscate product and send people on their way (small time dealers included).

Is there even any numbers on them to match, besides the build plate on the dash?

We're getting a little off-topic here, but IE is a TERRIBLE browser for security 'flaws' (when a dam breaks it's not exactly considered a leak anymore) and everybody would be better off not using it. Firefox is free. I made the switch (from opera) and I will endorse it. I've been living clean and IE free for 6 years now. Oh, yeah, and a few temp bannings to drive a point home wouldn't be a bad idea. As needed. This is one of the better sites for being 'clean' and I'd rather it stayed that way. A little poking here and there is okay. But if I want to be in the Trailer Park of Pirate4x4, well, that's why I bought a red star over there. PS, this might be my first post in this sub-forum; I never bother to look in here.

Did you give up the steering box? I mean, they RARELY go bad, but it can happen... I've got like 4 spares. :nuts:

I don't think it's a MOG... Did the axles have portal boxes?

Are they any good?

TH400. A TH350 wouldn't survive. But it's a 3 speed. Although it honestly shouldn't matter, one would just have to run a higher ratio in the axles (maybe 4.10, or even 3.55!) to keep the highway RPM under control. The low end torque should keep it drivable. A 4L80E would be an option, I guess... Not sure. We're going beyond what I know.

You're probably not going to make the recommended torque for a 1/2" bolt without them. But that will all depend on the exact design of your bumper. In general, if you can put a sleeve in, you should.

I'd love to see you do that. Will peer pressure have any effect on your decision? :evil: Besides, when does the economics of most of what we do ever make sense? Willy I guess you have a point with the economics. After all the sensible thing to have done would have been to NEVER have owned a jeep, let alone as many as I have... I stuck my tongue out in the rain to see what I could find for a 4BT, there isn't as many of them to be had on this side of the border. I guess there isn't as many chip trucks being cut up. Ebay offered up a couple, even some reman units that would probably make more sense in the long run. Of course, then I need to rethink my transmission options too. NV4500 is the simplest. Yeah, but it's got this stick thing poking through your floor. I'm not sure what you're supposed to do with that. And the third pedal is really confusing, it's not like the brake pedal or the gas pedal... Which is most of the issue. I'd rather an automatic. Unless I went with a lower crawl ratio. Maybe. I'm not too sure how that would work out with a 3000rpm redline, and tons of low end. But I think I'd want lower than 2.72:1 in the tcase.

Another one is the weirdos that respond inside a quote with coloured text. I don't know where they get off with doing that. And people that spell colour with a 'u'. That's kinda bizarre.

Terribly. Setting the cruise control and steering with my knees helps in town, but it's still not stellar. That's okay though, I drive a big truck. People get out of my way.

My phone doesn't have a keyboard. It is unable to take pictures or movies, nor can it accept text messages with embedded content. It can't browse the internet, or send an email. It doesn't even offer me any information unless flipped open (no external screen). And it certainly doesn't have a touch screen or play music. Yet, it can send text messages. And I pride myself on NOT butchering the english language simply for convenience. I type complete sentences, and even punctuate accordingly. You'd swear I was typing as I am now...

Me, I guess. But all I do is work, or work on my cherokee-pile.

I'd love to see you do that. Will peer pressure have any effect on your decision? :evil: Besides, when does the economics of most of what we do ever make sense? Willy I guess you have a point with the economics. After all the sensible thing to have done would have been to NEVER have owned a jeep, let alone as many as I have... I stuck my tongue out in the rain to see what I could find for a 4BT, there isn't as many of them to be had on this side of the border. I guess there isn't as many chip trucks being cut up. Ebay offered up a couple, even some reman units that would probably make more sense in the long run. Of course, then I need to rethink my transmission options too.

4 cylinder version of the 6bt found in the dodge rams(with a bit less sophisticated injection system) Injection is mostly the same, at least if you're comparing apples to apples (mechanical to mechanical, and the same basic style of pump... The 24V computerized abomination is a different matter). But a lot of the 4BTs came from stationary applications (pumps, generators, etc) or from hydrodynamic applications (equipment), and have a governor that is only set up for constant speed applications. I'll admit I've been toying with the idea of a swap for my 2drx4 pile. I knocked the swap in the past - the economics don't really make sense and they're really quite heavy. But I like the lack of electrical stuff, and the increase in range would be nice.