5.7 Hemi + TJ + No Drive Shaft

Road_Warrior85

Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2007
Location
Jacksonville, NC
Hello All,

Anybody remember me?

I am back from Iraq/Afghanistan (actually got to split my deployment between each location), and I FINALLY get my jeep back.

As some of you may remember, I had Brendan down at Performance Innovations swap my 4.0 for a 5.7 Hemi. As you also know, that didnt work out very well.

While I was deployed, I had another shop unf^ck Brendan's mess.

Below is the engine bay after Brendan finished.
aimg24.imageshack.us_img24_8438_a004.jpg

Here is the engine bay after the second shop finished.
aimg22.imageshack.us_img22_8428_enginetopview.jpg

Not many major differences, but no more loose, random wires hanging around, and much cleaner set up.
No more check engine lights, no more 2" exhaust pipe (for a Hemi? come on, thats too small).
No more Limp mode in the transmission.

Its a perfect jeep......... Or so I though.

It only has about 2500 miles on it after the swap and my rear drive shaft is gone now.
The CV joint has been completely demolished.

Sadly, I ignored the extra vibrations coming from the jeep when I got home because it had been pretty much a year and a half since I had really driven it.
Then came the popping sounds.

Once I realized something was certainly wrong, I looked underneath and could see metal shavings coming out of the CV joint, and even some splatter marks where the U-Joints where slinging their grease out.

Brendan didn't do his measurements I guess, as the output of the T-case is not in the same position as before. As any of you can agree, just moving that mount 1 inch in any direction changes your angles quite a lot.

SO, now I am without a vehicle, and going on leave Wednesday. Too bad I have no drive shaft to actually get me to Alabama.

Monday morning a call to Tom Woods is in order I suppose.

Unless of course somebody knows a local shop that can build me a shaft that is just as good as the legendary T.W. shafts (that name is as common to drive shafts, as Chevy is to V8 Swaps)
 
http://www.carolinadriveline.com/
^ these guys are in Spartanburg, do GREAT work and back it all with lifetime guarantees.

Tell them the situation and they will get you rolling on time.
Probably 1/4 the price of TW
 
If you want to drive to Kannapolis talk to Josh at universal automotive. Very nice work and very fast turn around.
 
Carolina Driveline eh???

Well, I am sure they probably could get me a shaft much quicker than TW can over in Utah.... I will have to give them a call tomorrow.

Thanks for the heads up
 
Carolina Driveline turned out to be a great idea.

Ordered a shaft today for much cheaper than I think I could have gotten anywhere else, and much sooner than I could from anywhere else too.

Turns out that after my motor/tranny got mounted, it left my shaft at 100% full compression, with the CV joint at 100% max flex. It didnt take too long for that to kill it either.

Thanks again for the heads up on C. D.
 
very nice jeep.
did you have any problems getting the jeep inspected after the engine swap?
i've been stalling doing a swap like that because all the bad storys i hear about trying to get my 99 jeep inspected afterwords.
 
Good to see your TJ done correctly, and even better to see you home. Good luck with that driveshaft. And always remember. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, and looks like a duck... It's probably an ass clown that shouldn't be wrenching on a bicycle much less a jeep.
 
Tom at Carolina Driveline is a stand-up guy, I wouldn't take a driveshaft anywhere else. I'm actually making a special trip from the beach just to drop off a few items.


J.R.
 
Have you changed anything else, I guess how did you mate it to the trans. Auto or stick. Also I really want to do this and was wondering the cost on the project. PM me if you dont mind.
Did you order a install kit, etc. Very curious
 
The drivetrain length on the 4.0 and hemi motor is excactly the same.

So the tcase is in the excact same spot that it would be with the hemi or 4.0 motor.

You also reused your original driveshafts

There is no room to move it front or back, especially with reusing the original driveshafts. So explain how the motor position ruined the driveshaft again?

You sure that the massive lift and axle pinion angles that were already on the jeep had nothing to do with it? Or do you just want to talk smack on the internet, but will probably have nothing to say when someone calls you out on the technicalities.
 
hotness said:
The drivetrain length on the 4.0 and hemi motor is excactly the same.
So the tcase is in the excact same spot that it would be with the hemi or 4.0 motor.
You also reused your original driveshafts
There is no room to move it front or back, especially with reusing the original driveshafts. So explain how the motor position ruined the driveshaft again?
You sure that the massive lift and axle pinion angles that were already on the jeep had nothing to do with it? Or do you just want to talk smack on the internet, but will probably have nothing to say when someone calls you out on the technicalities.
Click to expand...
Brendan, long time no talk..... Nice to see you have gotten a new screen name.... did your other get banned as well?
Now, since you bring up technicalities...... Can you honestly tell me that my T case is in the SAME position it was before my swap? If you are not Brendan Burke...... Then NO YOU CANT. If you are not the one who did my swap how would you know? You sure as hell haven't measured up my jeep before.
As for not having enough room to move it forward or back..... How many Hemi swaps have you done? How do you know this to be a fact?
If you say this, then maybe you aren't Brendan, because that would mean you have never looked under my hood. If you were able to look under my hood in person, you would see that there is almost 4 full inches of space in front of the motor. It could in fact be moved if need be.
Now could it be my lift and tires????? Well, that may be possible.... but I dont think so.
Here's why.
I have had that lift for 3 1/2 years. That rear drive shaft has handled just fine this entire time.Yet after only 2,000 miles with the Hemi, I have spilt the CV joint. Even more ironic..... I measured to get a new shaft. From my T case to axle is 16 1/8" and a 20 degree angle. My drive shaft is 16 inches at full stuff. You can't tell me that my drive shaft is not bottoming out when the suspension stuffs. You also can't tell me that my drive shaft, which was designed BY FABTECH, to be used with their lift kit, would last 3 1/2 years with it at full stuff all the time like that.
Even more, If you take my old drive shaft and flex it at the CV joint, it can only bend 20 degrees. This means that EVERY rotation of the drive shaft required the CV joined to operate at 100% of its range of motion. I am pretty sure Fabtech would not supply a drive shaft that must do that. I also am very skeptical that a shaft could operate for 3 1/2 years like that. So you will not convince me that this is all just HIGHLY ironic timing.
Now Brendan, as I have said before..... I am not trying to ruin your business (if you want to call it that). From what I have been told, you ruined it yourself.
I am also not trying to "talk smack on the internet." If you feel that is the case, then by all means. Meet me in person and I will say all of this and more to your face. If you would like, I can get you an invoice of all the things another shop had to do to clean up your mess, and unf*ck what you did to my Jeep. You can just reimburse me those costs and from then on I will forever more keep my mouth shut about any of the many complaints I have about how you do business.
NOW, if by some odd chance you are not Brendan Burke, but rather somebody who is oddly offended by me having problems with the work done by some random shop. I greatly apologize for accusing you of being him. To be called Brendan Burke when you are in fact not him is probably one of the most serious insults I know. I certainly would not want to insult you like that. However, I do find it quite odd how any of my comments could bother you, unless you are Brendan Burke..... well, or if you are his family.... but if you are his family you shouldn't be mad at me for his actions.
 
got pictures of rest of jeep. Sounds like a sweet ride. Bet new power plant really brought it to life
 
Bryan said:
Have you considered trying to recupe your money in small claims court?
Click to expand...

I wanted to... but it would have been a waste.
It would have cost 1,000 to 2,000 in legal fees, and then he wouldnt have paid me back.
He doesnt have enough assets to sell to pay me back. He rents his shop space..... his truck is over 15 years old... and as young as he is I highly doubt he owns his home either.
The only assets he has are his tools.

I am not out to screw over anybody. His way of doing business will screw him over in due time (supposedly already has). I am not going to waste so much of my money, just to put a debt over his head that I will never collect.

As a matter of fact... I should charge this guy for advertising fees. If you look on Ebay, you will see that he is using photos of MY jeep to advertise that he can perform a Hemi swap for anybody that will give him 11,999.
See below link....
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jeep...QQitemZ220373656054QQptZAutomotiveQ5fServices
 
if your rear shaft was at full compression due to t-case moved back u may want to look at your front its probably about to pull out of the splines and that will leave a nice hole in your tranny and oil pan. im not going to offend anyone here but you should have more room in front of the eng. because a hemi is shorter than a 4.0 post a pic of the tranny mount and the bolt holes in the belly skid then we may be able to see if it has been moved.
 
novacayne75 said:
if your rear shaft was at full compression due to t-case moved back u may want to look at your front its probably about to pull out of the splines and that will leave a nice hole in your tranny and oil pan. im not going to offend anyone here but you should have more room in front of the eng. because a hemi is shorter than a 4.0 post a pic of the tranny mount and the bolt holes in the belly skid then we may be able to see if it has been moved.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I already thought about the front shaft but have not been able to check it out yet. I am on leave, and dont have my jeep with me (since no rear shaft at the time I left). So I can't take any pictures either.

My front shaft seemed to have ample room, but I have not had the suspension at full droop since the swap yet either. My intentions are to put it on a lift and let the front drop, to see if the shaft has enough travel or not.
 
you should leave feedback/warning about your jeep's failure after this.

I'm not involved or have any idea how things happened, but unless he explicitly said "Hey, you're going to need a new driveshaft" I think you have reason to be annoyed.
Not to mention I'd be pissed for not having AC. I don't like having things not hooked up, (assuming that was finished, and the compressor isn't plumbed there)
Cause right now he has 100% feed back on ebay.
:D
Be polite of course, but if he's capable enough to do a hemi swap, he should have noticed that DS was completely compressed.
 
hscrugby said:
Not to mention I'd be pissed for not having AC. I don't like having things not hooked up, (assuming that was finished, and the compressor isn't plumbed there)
Cause right now he has 100% feed back on ebay.
:D
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was pissed too, that was the finished picture.... There were a few things that didnt work.... like the vents. Defrost was the only vent that would blow air.

You mention his feedback....... I looked, the date he joined ebay was JANUARY 2009............. He finished my Hemi swap in MAY 2008 and has been advertising on Ebay since JULY 2008.

what that means is....... when he gets bad feedback, he creates a new account.
 
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