DirtyComanche

Cool. I've got a couple of these things so I'll follow along.

Those RC0501 shackles should do what you want. How bad is the pricing on them there through the vendor? There might be better options.

It's going to feel soft. That's the booster working.

I believe a #10-32 will go, or perhaps #8-32... It's 100% wrong though. Although it might or might not be working perfectly fine on my XJ. I could not find a metric fastener that matched out of the stuff at work and gave up.

That's a nice looking front bumper.

And I second going with the older vacuum controlled turbo. However, it really is up to you, if the newer turbo can be controlled cheaply then it may offer other benefits than just the 15HP, eh? Faster spool time, better throttle response?

Is that mini starter something that can be sourced elsewhere if those guys go out of business?

I have the 'correct' tools to pull them. I couldn't do it. I loaded my press to the limit (20 tons) and it wouldn't go. I could have ground the lock collar off and done it, but then you need a lock collar anyways. A Timken Set 10 (the bearing, race, and lock collar) is $30.71 Canadian off Rockauto. That's like $22 US or something. WHY WOULD YOU BOTHER! http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=1117705&jsn=253 Your races are probably pitted from sitting anyways. You're going to spend $281 on a tool that probably isn't going to do it anyways, when for about $120 you could buy all new bearings/retainers for 3 D44s.

Not really. SKF sells a seal and bearing kit, and there would be nothing wrong with it, but you need more than that. The chain is the big wear part, IMHO. Alloy USA sells one, along with numerous shady eBay sellers, I don't know what the quality is like, and would suggest trying to source an OEM NP/NV chain instead. If you can afford the downtime I'd take it apart and see how things are first. Often the bearings are all fine and a tighter chain and an input and two output seals is all it needs.

I tried to do it on mine. No go. Order the bearings from your favorite parts supplier and don't look back. Timken Set 10 or SKF BR 10.

One of my friends had a "Turdcel". We would get drunk on the weekends and flip it over in his driveway. They're light enough a couple guys can just pick up one side and they go right over. I do have to admit the car seemed to take the abuse well. I'd get an Eagle instead.

I can't imagine having done all that work, and then standing back to look at it and think "Man, that's really really ugly."

I don't see it happening. That's 1.3HP per cubic inch.

Looks like those floor pans fit pretty decent. It's coming along nicely. :cheers:

Check Youtube for tear down videos? Not all the ARBs are built exactly the same, and honestly I've never taken one apart. I'd pull the air collar off and if there is ANY scoring or damage on the sealing surface I'd walk away... Unless you can get it cheap enough to risk not being able to repair it.

That's some interesting info. For a Renix application a guy would have to make a hole/mount for the CPS, or get one of the now non-procurable CPS relocation kits, or perhaps there is some other option. Looking at it, it looks like it would be something of a PITA to swap in a transmission that I honestly don't feel is much better than the AX-15 or NV3550. If they had actually made it a double OD transmission I would be more likely to try it. Now, that said, I COULD put it in my severely underpowered J-truck that currently has a 258/Turbohydraslushomatic-400/CyBorgWarner Quadrainsanity combo. I am debating picking it up either way as if nothing else it can live in the shed (it can keep my spare AW4 company) and be a spare for my JK.

I hate to break it to you, but Novak is wrong as often as they are right. They also don't mention anything about this application (3.8L). Edit. They do mention the 3.8L. My bad. They don't mention anything useful though, other than it will bolt to it with the correct bellhousing. Which could imply that the 3.8L used it's own bellhousing, or that they don't have a clue and didn't want to get pinned down on that one...

I suppose if you defined your goals for the truck that would also be helpful.

If you're feeling play in the pinion either the yoke has backed off, the bearings are shot, it has ate a shim, the races have spun, or a combination thereof. Tear it apart and asses fully. If it's been used hard, or not had the oil changed, I would not be surprised if every bearing is shot. IMHO I'd put a Truetrac in any day over the Trashlock. The 3.73 and down version is inexplicably more expensive though. Gears and a setup kit aren't that bad of a deal if everything is trashed anyways. So you might as well go with a set of 4.10 gears so you can buy the cheaper Truetrac. I used a hybrid of Isuzu Trooper calipers and Ford Explorer rotors for my disk conversion. I do like the results, although it is something of an oddball setup. I also converted to EB 9" wheel bearing retainers, mostly because mine were screwed and I wanted to be different.

I'm getting some conflicting info on this, is the JK 3.8L NSG370 the same pattern as the 4L/TJ applications, or is it the same as the KJ 3.7L applications? I found a low mile JK NSG370 for dirt cheap... No, I don't really like the NSG370, but it could be worth exploring.

The EGR is of little use, IMHO, and was not included on later models... There isn't much running it anyways, just a line from the manifold to the solenoid, and a line from the solenoid to the valve. Either way it's junk under the hood. Yes, my MJ still has it, but it's long gone on my XJ (which is running a HO intake and exhaust). The intake air preheater setup is also of little use. I live in a rather cold climate, and I turfed it on both my MJ and XJ. No noticeable difference in cold starts. That's what another one of those lines is for.

Sooo... Some things I observed. -These tires suck for this, and running studded tires is about to become a no-no anyways. I need some decent mud terrains or something like that, 265/70R17 or 235/80R17 probably -The air line for the rear locker is leaking, durr -My front tow hooks are garbage because they don't have keepers, so at least I will have to track down some keepers -My rear bumper still looks like crap, and the hitch is seized in (not handy) -Most of the canopy clamps fell off on the washboard -My clutch won't disengage, ordered a new master and line for it to try before ordering a clutch... Hasn't shown up, so I can't determine if I need to order a whole clutch or not at this point. -Really need to get off my @$$ and build up and swap out the upper control arms, and a bad motor mount, both are super noticeable on the washboard

I went for a little drive today... Just off the highway on Willow North: It varied from being solid (as pictured) to seriously sloppy and wet. I left the rear unlocked in hope that if I buried it I'd be able to back out. Turned out there wasn't anything too terrible and walked through all of it. Ran into some dude doing a little gold prospecting on the way. Grey day, but the willow is moving some water: Went to St Marie, then figured I'd pop over to Opatcho, this is the little lake along the way to Opatcho. Not sure what it's actually called, Otipemisiwak? It was easy to get into. Flexing out on a stump at Opatcho. Rawr! : :) Opatcho was a little sloppy to get into, but certainly didn't need or use the rear locker. I then figured I'd try to go to Narrow, because that's a more interesting way to get home. I turned off into Ispah on the way, but it was probably not going to end well with 32" snow tires. If there was another vehicle I would have gone for it though, was mostly worried I'd get down to it and not be able to get turned around and enough momentum to get back up. Just before Pitoney the road deteriorated badly. And then I ran into this guy... He was screwed. Nothing with him, was using a broken piece of a pallet to try to dig himself out. When I took the picture I had actually dragged him a bunch already, and there was some grade there, and just that crappy wet slushy snow. I got to the point I couldn't maneuver well, plus my towhooks suck for tugging, so I resorted to digging him out with a shovel and using a comealong to drag him back to me. I turned around after I got him out, I felt like I could probably make it farther, but likely I would get in trouble and be unable to get through Narrow to the Bowrun FSR. Stopped and took another picture at the bridge over the Willow:

Krustyballer's hitch is designed basically the same as the other ones that used to be commercially available. They don't have gussets because there is no space for them, and they aren't terribly rigid until bolted to the frame. At work we use expanding foam to pack odd shaped items. Basically wrap the item in plastic, throw it in a box, add foam around it until it takes up the void space. Okay, there's a little more to it, but it's costly, so not a great option. I'd add some strategic pieces of wood to them and wedge them into a box. If it can't move around in the box, and the mount ends are blocked so they won't punch through the sides of the box, I don't see it causing any issues.

Looks good with some lift. :thumbsup: