Warning long post:
Well it’s been interesting lately. I’ve got a HP D44 I took on a trade that I had to rob some parts off of to rebuild a TJ for a guy. Sloppy work, sucked to drive down the road. However, it has made me hate taking trades to do work on people’s stuff. But anyway, I need to pick up some spindles for it so I can completely assemble it and get it ready for it’s new owner.
Well I also picked up some GM d60 housings a little while back. I’m using the leftover guts from the k5’s dana 60, some brakes I got of a 8 lugged 10 bolt, that I originally swapped onto the 10 I already had under the k5, some spindles I’m picking up off a member on here, and then I’ve got to source some SRW ( holy $$) or I’ve considered dual rear wheel hubs. It’s literally a spare parts build to sell so I can put some new tires on the k5. I troll a local shop with my bullshit Wonton Offroad. They got so scared when I started putting stickers on stuff I built, they started stalking me, on social media. So I’m not a business,I don’t do this crap for a living I’m just trying to build my stuff using skills I’ve acquired over the years instead of coming completely out of pocket.
Well I found the Eldorado calipers for parking brakes were back in stock, so I snagged a set for the JK and the k5. I picked up some hardware for them from 8luggedbrakes and caliper brackets from Barnes4wd, so I’ll be able to have that done on the 14 bolt for the JK. I also picked up new studs that will be the same thread pitch as the 2005 superduty front I picked up a few years ago, more on that later. I noticed Busted knuckle has their own shave cover, I might try it out as it has a better price tag than the others right now. I’ve got 5.38 gears, an install kit, along with a pinion guard for it. So besides some tone rings, rear locker, and ABS pickup mounts rear axle will be ready to mock up under my JK here soon. I haven’t decided on what type of locker I want to run out back. ARBs for a 14 bolt are stupid high priced.
I bought a stupid duty 60 a few years ago from a truck that had a boat ramp incident. It didn’t get water in it I’ve checked, but still it’s always about the stores of things. I picked up a Jesse Haines Fab weld on crossover steering kit for it. I might have to see if I can find a slightly longer pitman arm to get it to work with the JK factory arm or I’ll have to mod the crossover arm a little bit. And I know some are probably wondering what I’ll do with the 8 on 170 pattern, I picked up a drill guide a few months or years ago to change it to 8 on 6.5 from Hired Gun Offroad. I’ve got to buy a 5.38 gear set, and I’ll likely do a mini install kit unless I see a bearing with abnormal wear. and I’m cheap so it’ll likely get a spool up front. I’ve also been tracking a ram for it on amazon I’ll likely scoop up after I get some of these projects sold. Supposedly Eaton redesigned their e-locker for the 60s and now it doesn’t monetarily unlock when changing directions. But I’m also very tempted to just run a spool.
Speaking of projects part of the deal I’m selling with the traded D44, is the Rubicon rear axle from my JK. I’ve got to regear it to 4.88 as the D44 has that as well. And it’s going to get some chromoly rear shafts since it needs to be converted to a 5 on 5.5 pattern to match the wheels I took on a trade. Now this d44 has been narrowed to 66” WMS to WMS. So the JK rear will be around 1/2” or so skinnier than then the traded d44.
That deal will pay for some Fox 2.0 coil overs for the front of the JK and everything to 4 link the rear and 3 link the front. Now I’ve just got to save up for some tires and also figure out what tires I want to run. I’ll have to drive it too and from the trail, but if I build a cage and possibly mod the frame rails like I want to, I’ll be ready to send it. I plan on rocking stock shafts until I break one, because I’ll have ball joint eliminators instead of an upper ball joint. When that time comes hopefully someone makes a u joint shaft instead of having to sell my left but for a set of RCVs. Or if they don’t I might just throw some of those 1550 jointed stock shafts in it, maybe even see if I can put full circle clips on the joints.
I’ve got to pick up some chromoly inner shafts for the k5, and also thought about a lunch box locker for it. I only plan on running 40s, maybe 42s. I’ll eventually build a doubler for it, an I’d like to LY6 swap it with a cam. That’s just gonna always be my long term project but I’ll always try and key it on the road. The k5 I just don’t want to beat all to hell, I’ve owned it half of my life. My best friend growing up is selling his first truck and I definitely promised myself I’m keeping it. I’ll take it to uwharrie and likely some other places but if it’s a tight trail, I’ll just take the JK.
