1/2 Ton TJ Build

small details are important too

Added a $10 axle strap to the rear to make sure the rear doesn't fall out. The orange hose is the axle vent.
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Added some tread tape to the sliders so nobody falls and busts their butt getting in and out as it is a long way down!
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Charles did an excellent job fabbing up some sway bar disconnects on the cheap. Black pipe from Lowes was about $8 and the heims were about $7 each.
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paint that thing before it gets surface rust
pics of exhaust man!
 
chromoly shaft time

Broke a front axle on its maiden trail run at the Fun Caravan. Decided to order some chromoly front shafts. I want to get a front locker too so that I can do it all at once, but not sure if I will get it yet or not. I'd hate to have to pull the shafts out an extra time to put the locker in. We'll see.
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ask for one from Satan Claus- you can pull shafts in an hour
 
I used to run a very similar setup I think you'll really like it once you work out all the kinks.
 
new center section and Detroit

Well, so far I have been extremely happy with the setup. Thanksgiving weekend at URE I cracked the center section of the 9" and drove it home in front-wheel drive. Chase at East Coast Gear Supply had a used Strange nodular case and Daytona Pinion support, so I sent him my gears and spool and had him build it with my gears and a new Detroit Locker. I got tired of the spool on the road.
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I have a set of matching waggy 44's to put under my TJ when time is right. I like your set up lightweight and simple. I know everyone seems to push toward 60's but 44's are more than fine if you can mind the skinny. Were you beatin on it when your front broke? :driver: I like the way it sits now do you plan to stay with 35"s or go any higher?
:beer: cool build
 
f i s h said:
I have a set of matching waggy 44's to put under my TJ when time is right. I like your set up lightweight and simple. I know everyone seems to push toward 60's but 44's are more than fine if you can mind the skinny. Were you beatin on it when your front broke? :driver: I like the way it sits now do you plan to stay with 35"s or go any higher?
:beer: cool build
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I was going down a hill slowly when the front shaft broke. My guess is that the shaft was 31 years old and probably had a stress fracture in it already. I'll stay with the 35s for quite a while since they are brand new, but I've got plenty of room to go bigger without lifting more.
 
Age gets the best of everything huh. What size coils did you use? Got any more action shots? Looking at your avatar it looks like the rear axle is moved forward alot. Gas tank clearance?
 
f i s h said:
Age gets the best of everything huh. What size coils did you use? Got any more action shots? Looking at your avatar it looks like the rear axle is moved forward alot. Gas tank clearance?
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Rubicon Express 4.5" in the front, Rubicon Express 5.5" in the rear. Gas tank clearance is not an issue, we cycled the suspension multiple times before we made it permanent. The rear axle is not forward, just an optical illusion. Action shots attached.
 

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Did you eliminated the C bushing? I'd like to see a few pictures on how you modified/fabricated the mount around that area.

Great looking Jeep!
 
Looks sweet. :beer: You are clearing those 35's by a mile. Were you at the last farm event in it? That mud looks familiar. :lol: With the rear 4 link do you miss the rear sway bar on the road? How hard was it to center the rear axle?

Enough 20 questions :bounce2:
 
BigBody79 said:
Did you eliminated the C bushing? I'd like to see a few pictures on how you modified/fabricated the mount around that area.
Great looking Jeep!
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Did not eliminate the C bushing, we cut the Ford radius arms and built supports on it and used a builder bushing. I snapped these pics for you. I'll see if we have any pics of it clean.
 

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f i s h said:
Looks sweet. :beer: You are clearing those 35's by a mile. Were you at the last farm event in it? That mud looks familiar. :lol: With the rear 4 link do you miss the rear sway bar on the road? How hard was it to center the rear axle?
Enough 20 questions :bounce2:
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I was at the Farm at Halloween.
I still have the rear sway bar. We used the original sway bar and built new links for it. It is surprisingly well mannered on the road once we got the steering dialed in.
Centering the rear axle was not a problem; we hung a nut on a string and tied it to the crank pulley, same thing from the rear output shaft of the t-case, and same thing from the center of the rear axle. With 3 points, you can make a straight line.
 
Thanks for the pictures! I have always wondered how people got around that problem of those C bushings. Jeep looks good. I like full bodied wheeling.
 
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