DirtyComanche

Those come with clips! Now, do they sell the clips seperate? (@#$%, I hate rusty's)

I used an angle grinder and a zip disk. I cut the bottom third of each hinge off, then went to town with a sledge hammer. Hmm, that sounds predictably like me. Only thing is, don't pull the hinges off the doors once you get them apart. Realigning them is just a waste of time. It's on my 'to do' list, along with 500 Million other things. I've tried to drive the pins out of the hinges after pulling them apart, seems mine won't budge. I'm not sure why... That was how I had intended to get them apart in the first place.

I'm not willing to say 'impossible' but I am willing to say it'd be darn close.

Pat, where'd you get you D30 alloys? Well, I guess you said call around. If I don't buy the HPD44 that I have a lead on, I might consider them, because I've already got a bunch of money in my D30 anyways.

The allure of this axle is that the 1-ton brakes will still allow a 15" rim to clear. I figure it is also 'upgradable' in that if I blow shafts I can go chromo without worrying too much about the R&P, and if I blow knuckles I can always drop coin on better ones. It's an 8-lug axle though, which isn't going to match much other than D60/70s and 14Bs, which I can get any of for cheap, but I'd have to drop coin on regearing them. But, I'm still not sure, it makes way more sense to go with a D60 front right from the get-go. Even though I don't intend to move up from 35s for a while. The biggest I'd probably ever go is a 37, which is where I'd say is about the limit for the stock D44 knuckles. It really just comes down to that I feel 35s and a D30 are kinda iffy, and that I wouldn't mind some more width. I probably should just not though. That and while the D44 is completely rebuilt and clean, it is open, althoguh I guess I could jsut weld it. All said and done I should probably just make this thing roll first. Then look for something else to stick under the front and rear. We'll see if he gets more desperate to sell it or anything.

Yeah, without ever even getting it to drive, I've decided that I will sell my 8.8 and HP30/parts, in favour of a HP D44 front with 1-ton brakes, that's setup for radius arms already, 4.56 gears, and perfectly clean. Now I've got to find another rear... Maybe. Maybe. We'll see.

The rusty's lift springs should be decent, as they don't make them themselves. That's the rule with rusty's; if it's made in house it blows, if it's farmed out it'll be fine.

For front leaf springs, you'll have to do some beefing. At the very least you'll need to build a new front crossmemeber for the shackles. And you'd have to run some plate along the uniframe up near the front to attach the crossmember too. The steering box area would need to be beefed up too, otherwise it'll get torn off; but that's regardless of whether you're running leafs. The LCA pockets can be used as leaf pockets, but I wouldn't. They aren't ment to take the stress. I'd either cut them off and build new ones, or cut them up and do some reinforcing. XJ/MJ fronts are pretty much identical suspension wise. The LCA pockets got extra reinforcing, and there might be a few other differences. What type of lift is this if it's a 12"? There's not much out there that's that big, as generally people build there own at that point... What size tires are you planning? With 12" of lift, I have no idea what would actually fit... Not to mention that the front D30 is only really good for about 34s (people will debate this to no end) and the rear D35 is good for about 31s, and the D44 rear is only really good for about 37s. Not to mention you'll have a major width/stability issue with 12" of lift and 60"ish wide axle. Oh, you've probably got a BA10/5 too, so watch it blow the first time you dump the clutch. And to answer one of the first questions, just doing the math in my head, at 12" of lift the front driveshaft is going to have barely any spline engagement on level ground. One final thing: Sawzall > Lift Live by it.

You can adapt a VW TDI engine to the AX-15 using a conversion kit for a suzuki(I think...) and the bellhousing from the toyota 5spd (it's an AX-15, just it has a different name and bellhousing). As far as I know, nobody has ever actually done this, but in theory it would work. You'd have to do a lot of research though and a fairly large amount of fab work. Just for a TDI engine, which doesn't seem ideal to me, at least not in comparison with the 4.0. Oh, you could always swap in a chevy 350 diesel. It would be just as hard as a 350 swap. That's baring that you can find one, and keep it running. And for flipping the axles, you'll have 5 reverse gears and one foreward. But if you mount the engine in the bed facing the wrong direction, it would go the right way... But then you've still got really screwed up driveshaft angles and a huge amount of fab work. Not to mention that the oiling on the axles will be screwed with them flipped. And the whole steering thing, and caster... If you were building a tube buggy, it's a reasonable thing to do (with the right axles) but for anything else, no.

Oh, depending on what year, the 4.0 and 5spd is a great combo. However, if you got the imfamous BA10/5 peugeot (mid 89 and earlier) it WILL break. The 4.0 in itself is pretty bulletproof, just keep changing the oil unless it doesn't work. The later 5sp (AX-15) is quite strong. Wait, you say it's an 87. It's got peugeot. Unless it got swapped (it happens)

The front D44s are GM? Unless you run the GM tcase or dig up a D300 or such, the pumpkin is on the wrong side. If you're at 10" the 14B rear would be a good idea... And the 6.2 desiel will never fit. I'd suggest long arms too... Oh, jeep diesel engines are quriky and rare. Beyond that I don't know anything about them.

RWD 3.4

According to this, they're for 5" of lift: http://www.yuccaman.com/jeep/re_db.html Enjoy.

The tranny will be a Torqueflight 904, I guess they're okay... And I figure that the majoy issue with these things is rust. Put it on a lift if possible, and inspect the unibody/floors. Or, take a flashlight and crawl around some.

It's like a 10mm or 12mm or something... The only time that the tranny oil has been changed since I owned it, I didn't do. The mechanic had to file down a peice of bar stock in order to get the plug out...

The torque converter slips to make up for that. To the point you can actually run higher gears than with a 5spd, apparently. I'd a advise a tranny cooler. But I'm a fan of the 3-footed dance, and would only run a slushbox if I had no other (decent) options.

Are they keeping the front 5-link? If it's not inconvenient, take pics, I always like looking at things. And what the heck is the land of Fruits and Nuts? :?:

A toyota 8" would also work. It would match the bolt pattern and width, at least. And you can get disk brake ones, and factory e-lockers, I think. But, FSJ AMC 20's had one peice shafts, and apparently are fairly strong other than the light tubes, and the keyward or plugs that hold them to the center section. At least, that's what I hear.

You can do it... but if you have to ask, you're in over your head! Bascially, you're going to have to set the front up with the same bracketry as the 5-link. There's some crappy kit out there that includes all the stuff you'll need to weld on. I think it's RE. There's diagrams on pirate4x4 somewhere on how to locate everything. Either that or run front leaf springs, which are a topic of their own. The rear will be easy enough, as it's just spring perches. Then there's brake lines, and new driveshafts. Unless the old ones are close enough, in which case all you'll need (probably) is adapter ujoints. Oh, you'll have to mess with the waggy steering a bit, but I think it's actually pretty similar to the stock stuff. And shock mounts, forgot those. Yeah, can be done. Your engine really doesn't matter. Although, I'd be asking myself "Why? It's a bloody 2.8" Edit: My only real advise would be 'get reading' Front leaf springs, waggy D44, MJ http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthre ... did=232083 Half way down the page, Waggy D44 with RE brackets http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthre ... =waggy+d44

It's for the better... This way you can focus your wallet on one.

Since we're telling stories: Back with one of my ex's (before she was an ex), I was taking her over to her place in the 'manche. Low and behold, run into a stock but clean 88 Pioneer about 1/2 block from her place, and I follow.... and... it pulls in to the house next door! Now, I figure "hey, maybe I could score a cheap 'manche here, as this neighbourhood is upscale! Decent folk don't drive these things." But, here's the clincher... Who gets out of the truck? My elementry school Principal! Now, to understand, this woman was a total b*@$£ then, and the 10+ years since I'd even seen her hadn't helped! And it was obvious too... So I basically shoved that idea. It was freaky at the time...

Wanna get hardcore into the interior stuff...? www.layitlow.com Look in the forums.... No, I'm not a member of that site. I hate gaudy stuff. But they know bodywork and interiors. Which my cutlass needs both of.

Where's the Chrysler museum? Detroit? I need to check that out sometime.

AFIK, the difference in clocking is with the tranny, as Pete said.

I pretty much finished off all the suspension part that I'll write. I don't really feel like getting into true 4 and 3 links, or even 1/4 elliptical. I figure if you've gotten that far you shouldn't be reading a FAQ.