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Project 2drx4. A cherokee.


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Bringing this back so you can hear me ramble, and say inappropriate things...

 

So, I stuck some frame rails on the front:

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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:

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The axle is in the approximate full-bump location, and is offset to compensate for not yet being narrowed.

 

 

Bad-@$$ homemade EGR delete:

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Just another mystery of this pile. Like the daytime running light installation...

 

In place, I think:

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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:

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But maybe not.

 

 

Shot from behind:

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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.

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:nuts: man :dunno: that is so much work. but it will look good when its done. and i love the custom rear 4 link. and the new frame. wow man i wish i had a welder and a garage .hope to see some new pics :popcorn:

 

 

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.

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Can't tell for sure, but it looks like you don't have AC. Why not mount the alternator above the mechanical fan, in place of the idler pulley. (Where the AC compressor would have been).

 

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.

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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?

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I like the 241/205 option. Or even a Box4Rocks into a Stak or Atlas depending upon how much you want to spend.

 

I agree that a D300 probably isn't the best option for what you want to do. I also agree that you probably won't be happy with just a single transfer case. The more I wheel, the more I like the multiple gearing choices.

 

Willy

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I like the 241/205 option. Or even a Box4Rocks into a Stak or Atlas depending upon how much you want to spend.

 

 

That's pretty much out of the question. The economy blows, so I'm very unwilling to put that much money into it at this point. Also, the 4-speed upgrade for the atlas is actually cheaper than sticking the box4rocks in front of it, I think, or at the very lead it works better (clocking makes way more sense, and there is less clearance problems).

 

I'm thinking I will try to wrangle up some parts. We'll see how well that goes first...

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Which case do you want to clock? The Box4Rocks kit allows you to clock the rear case into just about any position possible. The front case can be flipped too for clearance if necessary.

 

Willy

 

 

The front probably has to be flipped, or passenger drop. I guess you don't need a clocking ring on the front to flip it. It's hard to say how anything will fit without having any of the components on hand. Either way, the 4:1 atlas is much slicker than the other setups. :dunno:

 

But I will feel for a passenger drop 241D (or such) and a usable ford 205 for now. If I can flip my driver's 241D without things getting too weird, that might be the best option. I'll throw the case front onto the tranny and see whenever I get back home.

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Which case do you want to clock? The Box4Rocks kit allows you to clock the rear case into just about any position possible. The front case can be flipped too for clearance if necessary.

 

Willy

 

 

The front probably has to be flipped, or passenger drop. I guess you don't need a clocking ring on the front to flip it. It's hard to say how anything will fit without having any of the components on hand. Either way, the 4:1 atlas is much slicker than the other setups. :dunno:

 

But I will feel for a passenger drop 241D (or such) and a usable ford 205 for now. If I can flip my driver's 241D without things getting too weird, that might be the best option. I'll throw the case front onto the tranny and see whenever I get back home.

 

For the 231 I'm pretty sure you don't need a clocking ring to flip it. This appears to confirm that. A couple posts down he also added a hole to make sure the front bearing gets oil. Pretty interesting thread, with an interesting solution for his shifters.

 

I think the 241 shouldn't need a clocking ring either.

 

Willy

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  • 4 weeks later...
Which case do you want to clock? The Box4Rocks kit allows you to clock the rear case into just about any position possible. The front case can be flipped too for clearance if necessary.

 

Willy

 

 

The front probably has to be flipped, or passenger drop. I guess you don't need a clocking ring on the front to flip it. It's hard to say how anything will fit without having any of the components on hand. Either way, the 4:1 atlas is much slicker than the other setups. :dunno:

 

But I will feel for a passenger drop 241D (or such) and a usable ford 205 for now. If I can flip my driver's 241D without things getting too weird, that might be the best option. I'll throw the case front onto the tranny and see whenever I get back home.

 

For the 231 I'm pretty sure you don't need a clocking ring to flip it. This appears to confirm that. A couple posts down he also added a hole to make sure the front bearing gets oil. Pretty interesting thread, with an interesting solution for his shifters.

 

I think the 241 shouldn't need a clocking ring either.

 

Willy

 

If you drill a couple new holes in the back of the tranny, you can flip the B4R,

but a clocking plate is needed to adjust it up, or down from there.

 

(B4R + D300 with clocking plate on input).

 

The output of the B4R has a ton of clocking options for the rear T-case

(you can kinda see the clocking plate sandwiched here:)

 

Mocked up/installed:

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