92 xj radiator and locker?s

Jweezy

Jweezy

DD/Hauler(kids,groceries)
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Location
Kannapolis NC
#1
Ok so things have been looking up for me in the form of finances, and want to do some stuff to the xj. ive seen where there have been 2 row and 3 row radiators talked about and its time for a new one so....
?1-whats the dif between 2-3 row and does it make a big difference? also are there vendors here than can ship to my door?
#2
looking to lock/weld front or rear
?2 is there a big difference between welding it and a locker? (without the obvious)
and is there a preferability as to which i lock? f/r? only wanting to do one or the other. stock tcase stock axles 4.5in lift on 32s.... thanks and if this needs to be moved by all means move it...:beer:
 
bump in the night
 
radiator; I put a CSF 3 row replacement radiator in my ECORS XJ. The stock one with plastic endcaps was leaking a bit. Its been a non-issue since I installed it, I guess thats good, but a 2 row may have been good enough. I went with a 3-row because of my expereince in my CJ; with extended high RPMS on the highway, my temps would get very high, and backing off a few hundred RPM dropped the temps significantly. I replaced it with a 3 row, and the differnece wa obvious, I could wind it up and never reach that temp point.
Never had any cooling problems like that with my 2 XJs and 3 radiators.

locker. Do the rear first, it will be the best for offroad gains. It will also be gentler on the front axleshaft U-joints.
I would only weld the rear if you never go on pavement. I drive my ECORS XJ on the road sometimes, and the welded rear causes a commotion driving thru gas stations, parking lots etc, it will turn every head within 1/4 mile.
I would not weld the front, it would be a pain to turn. Never done it, but thats what I heard. I did have a front locker in my CJ before I had power steering, and it was a bitch to turn in 4wd.
 
cool both of tose is what ive heard from several sources, and thats prob the way i will go. thanks
 
Some really good links on the radiator subject:

Gojeep (first upgrade 3-row): http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoRadiatorFitting.htm

Gojeep (2nd upgrade, slight mod to 1st): http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=915594&highlight=radiator

Gojeep (third upgrade 2-row): http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=941880&highlight=radiator

Gojeep (how a rad is made):http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoRadiatorMade.htm

More decent discussion on XJ cooling upgrades:
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=950483&highlight=radiator
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=950483&highlight=radiator

A search on NAXJA: http://www.naxja.org/forum/search.php?searchid=3988511

I went with a two row all metal radiator. I feared the low speeds would hamper cooling in the 3-row. Haven't had any troubles thus far. The 2-rows from radiator barn are CSF rads and provide more flow than the stock 2-row.

www.radiatorbarn.com <-- Great shipping and great prices on the CSF rads.


As for the locker, what he said.
 
Locker in the rear if it's primarily off road, locker in the front if its primarily on road. With a front locker day to day driving will be less quirky and safer for others who may drive the Jeep who aren't used to lockers. Front locker will be harder on front components but only when in 4wd. Would not weld the front.
 
its my dd for now
 
If it's a dd I would definitely suggest the front locker, I just put one in mine with similar specs to your XJ and I cannot tell any difference when driving it on the road. But offroad it has easily doubled what I am able to do, its pretty great.
 
what about the stock axles(breakage) when :driver:?
 
Front D30: Driver side u-joint is going to give and shatter the knuckles when it goes. Upgrade to shafts with 760 joints and it will help. Otherwise keep plenty of spares. Do not weld the front axle, use a locker.

Rear axle: What do you have? 8.25/D35? 8.25 will hold up considerably well on stock shafts. D35 will hold for a while with mild wheeling. I gave mine hell and finally broke it about 4 months after locking it. If you're DDing I wouldn't weld the rear, unless you like chirping on the pavement. Puts a lot of stress on those shafts during tight turns too. Put a ratcheting locker in it or do nothing at all.
 
Just be careful and stay off the skinny pedal as much with a locker in either the front or rear axle unless you also install chromos.. I put it to the floor a bit too much the day after I installed my front locker and broke the passenger side u-joint/axle shaft, learned my lesson real quick. And definitely make sure to have spares shafts and u-joints if you install a locker. But with a locker you do not have to rely on the skinny pedal near as much, you crawl up stuff so much easier.
 
ok well after further thought and investigation, i have changed my mind for now. with it being my dd and funds not being unlimited, i will just wait til i can change axles etc... otherwise the locker will force me to park it(broke) or change them. info does help guys so i will know later on.
 
and its goin to the radiator shop right now! tired of the over-heating!!!!!
 
Seriously look around for a 8.25 Chrysler or even better is the 8.8 ford out of a exploder. They can be found cheap, as in $50 and will probably have the same gearing as your front, and will be the same lug pattern. You can upgrade the front shafts with moly's. I have not experienced this first hand, but I have seen a certain 4Wheel parts store manager in Raleigh, in a YJ absolutely torture his Jeep on pull cable in Mountain city, moly's, locker and 36" tires I think at the time. He was throwing, not moving, but throwing rocks as big as his tires. I want that set up for my XJ at some point!

Don't weld the front or rear in you XJ, it will pop! Go with a ratcheting type locker like a lock rite.

Another traction aid you might wanna consider is a winch. Many times you only really need the extra stuff a few times in a wheeling trip. I winch can get you out of trouble, if you stop in time. 4Wheel parts also has a great deal on a nice winch.
 
FYI, I've got a 27 spline 8.25 if you want to go that route. I'll let it go cheap since you're stuck in k-town with me. :) I bought it for an upgrade, but went the 8.8 route instead.

As for the front, I upgraded to chromolys as Chip said. I'm running 34s and I kept snapping driver side shafts. After upgrading to the molys I have had no issues. It's a lot of money to put in a Dana 30, but if you don't want to go full width..... I've been known to roll boulders with my front axle. :D
 
cltdba said:
FYI, I've got a 27 spline 8.25 if you want to go that route. I'll let it go cheap since you're stuck in k-town with me. :) I bought it for an upgrade, but went the 8.8 route instead.

yeah..... idk crap about axles/ratios/splines etc... so ^^ does me no good:lol:
Click to expand...
 
You need to first identify what axle you have in the rear. If you have the Dana 35 then don't waste any money on it. If you have the 8.25 then lock it and don't worry about an axle swap.

The Chrysler 8.25 axle I have is from a 92 XJ. It will bolt right in to any XJ. It has 3.55 gears, which is what most all 4wd XJs with automatics have. This means you wouldn't have to re-gear this axle. All 8.25 axles up to 1995/96 (??) will be 27 spline. After that they will be 29 spline, which is stronger and preferred. (Splines are the teeth on the end of shaft that goes into your differential.)

The 8.8 axle from an explorer will have a limited slip diff, which is better than the open 8.25, but not nearly as good as a locker. It will have 30 spline shafts. In my opinion, this axle is much stronger than the 8.25. This axle will have disc brakes. There is considerably more work involved in mounting this axle under your XJ. You will have to relocate the spring perches. You'll also have to rework the brake lines/hoses a bit. Overall, I thought it was a easy swap, but it may be more than you want to tackle.
 
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