DirtyComanche

GW's from 70 something to 88ish came with D44 fronts ALWAYS. Earlier ones could come with a D44, but it's passenger drop. Or they came with a D28 or something. Anyways, you want the later ones. Just make SURE it is not a vac disco axle. They are weird. The vacuum actuator is cast into the pumpkin by the ring gear. Really screwy $#!&. Luckily they only did that for two years, so they're pretty rare. As far as what else you'll need for a 4x4 conversion, a GW is unlikely to be helpful. Unless you want to swap in a 360/TH400/NP229 combo. So just go to the wreckers and get a front axle. A complete cherokee can make a good parts donor. But not really in your case. Personally I'd get a YJ/TJ NP231 tcase, and a cherokee AW4. The YJ/TJ tcase is clocked higher, which is something I really wish I had. Then you'll jsut have to get misc. parts from the junkyard more often, but a complete donor vehicle is not necessary with what you already have. Oh, and you'll need adapters for you D44 rear to run the chevy 6 bolt pattern from the GW. You can't adapt the D44 front to the smaller 5x4.5 pattern. You can change it to the ford 5x5.5 pattern though. That is, if you D44 rear is from a cherokee/comanche.

Anybody have an idea on those spring perches though?

Contrary to popular belief, the height sensing porportioning valve seems to do diddly squat. Or at least that's how I see it.

Or build the perfect trail rig! It's blank slate! Get some fullwidths, a chevy 350 or dare I say a caddy 500? Th-400. An atlas or moster box, or just a NP203/D300 setup. Ditch the bed and bring out the tube bender! It actually makes more sense to start with garbage sometimes.

Hmmm, maybe I should have mentioned that. Throwing away the D35 just goes without saying normally. But that is why I said to find a GW with D44's front and rear, and steal both. Or the izusu 12B. I've been checkin mine out and it's a fine peice of steel. You can always get the boring ford 8.8 (explorer, newer ranger) and adapters for the larger bolt pattern (of the front).

They're 20" long, IIRC. They would probably work. Depends how flexy your crap is. Go get some junkyard ones and see. (Don't knock junkyard brake parts)

Image Not Found Hmm? Wire wheel? Sand blast? Spray them with acid? Or just hit them with tremclad (rustoleum)?

Hmm, learn something new every day. I never really looked at them...

Yeah, krawlers kick @$$. VERY PRICEY. And I dunno about you, but I've never even seen a used set for sale. GWs are pretty easy to find. Find one with a D44 front and rear, then steal both diffs... Or talk to a wrecker. Who buys GW parts? Nobody. Or do what I'm doing, GW D44 front (or maybe a narrowed ford D44, but it's GW width and outers) and an isuzu 12B rear. Disk brakes all around. Both axles can be had cheap (who buys isuzu parts? Nobody). The isuzu rear will almost for sure have 4.56s (some had even lower). Regear front to match.

If I rub frame... Okay, yeah, it doesn't matter. Even with the flatbed on it it should be fine. Uh, I just gotta make sure this isuzu rear is what it's supposed to be...

N on Tcase, N on trans. If the rear DS is spinning, the oil pump in the tcase will spin. The trans won't spin though. I don't know why the manual says you're supposed to pull the DS. Makes no sense to me.

That ad sucks, aren't YJ's LP? Anyways, they will fit. I suggest getting a different rear axle though. Waste of money to regear a 35.

Tires are a "Cup of tea" thing. Everybody likes something different. People trash boggers, and yet you see comp buggies running them. Normally they cut them, but yeah... But TSLs generally are considered to be good tires. But they ain't street friendly! They often aren't even round.

Front is tricky. There's few good candidates. The nearest thing that I can think of is the Grand Wagoneer LPD44. You'd have to get it regeared, and weld brackets onto it. It's a lot of money to drop if you aren't doing it yourself. It's that or narrow an axle, or go fullwidths.

Somebody should. Mine has always worked and I have a spare if it stops...

Nope. There's a bunch of joints between the steering wheel and box. They shouldn't go bad, but check 'em out. Otherwise, can't help ya.

Tie rod ends. They all wear out if somebody forgets to grease the steering.

Because we'd clean up. Pure and simple. Comanches actually have a racing history, unlike the XJ.

what do you mean by loose? Like, you can turn the wheel a ways before the tires turn? It's not likely to be the steering box. A TRE or such maybe...

Those actually look good. They wouldn't survive me though.

Thanks.

He's got bulge fenders or w/e. His clearance issue should be his LCAs. Thus I said lower BS is better. Unless they only have a stock sized opening, which would make them garbage. Honestly, you'd not be able to turn with 4.5". I've got 4" and my LCAs are narrower than stock (LAs) and I rub the $#!& out of them with my 35s...

I'd ask what an 8.8 actually measures, but I don't think anybody knows... I've got 1.25" spacers on both sides of mine right now. Is it 58" WMS? Or 57.5"? This is going to be a bit tight, perhaps... Oh yeah, anybody remember exactly how wide the leaf spring perches are supposed to be? My old oens are 43.5" Centre-centre. That's wrong, by a bit. I'm thinking 42"?

Probably would do you fine. They're a bit aggressive if you're DDing it. Perhaps. But what the heck, eh? Oh, go phone the auto wreckers and tire places and see if you can get something used first. It's often a way better deal, especially if you decide they're too small.

33's would be a BETTER choice in that the D30 will have a hope of living with them with stock or 297X shafts. The unibears won't blow up every week either, as you coul run a 4" BS rim without rubbing the LCAs much. And it won't look goofy. Depends what you wheel though.