MarsFab did my WJ Knuckle Swap!

chris

chris

cltdba
Moderator
Joined
Sep 28, 2009
Location
Concord, NC
After the 2010 ECORS finale race at DPG, my steering components and knuckles were kaput. There was considerable damage to the front end from that race! I put the XJ back together with some makeshift parts just to make it to the Rowan-Cabarrus New Year's Party at mbost's house. I managed to flop the XJ that night while trying to get out of a creek bed. (Long story heheh) After getting uprighted, or maybe before, I blew out the ujoint on the stock passenger shaft, which lead to yet another ear-less shaft. :D

So after that I decided to fix it right. Mike, amajeepman, had previously given me a set of WJ knuckles, so I wanted to do this swap since my XJ knuckles were shot anyway. Welp, I didn't have time to do it myself nor did I want to work in the cold so I took it to MarsFab to do the install.

Parts list:
- Raybestos professional ball joints, WJs.
- JKS track-bar bracket
- JKS 1/4" hub spacers
- WJ akebono calipers
- WJ caliper brackets
- Sport-trac rotors
- 2001 XJ hubs/unit bearings to clearance rotors
- Nitro Excalibur 300M joints
- Nitro chromo shafts (existing)
- Rough country extended brake lines
- One Pro-Comp ES9000 shock

Custom work:
- Track-bar, shortened
- Steering components, 1.5" DOM with 3/4 heims
- Ground down the hubs/unit bearings.
- Caliper grinding to clearance 15" wheels.
- Gusseted inner Cs
- Small D30 truss
- Welded D30 tubes

I forgot to take in-progress pictures so there won't be a build thread. I also haven't had time to get close up pics so come find me if you want to see it. (You won't miss this axle!)

I'm very pleased with how this turned out. The steering is tight and the Jeep feels brand new. I initially wanted to put the tie rod on top, but since we used 1.5" DOM we couldn't clearance the new JKS track-bar bracket. In order to get around that we would have needed to bend the tube around it or possibly cut away some of the bracket. I didn't want to do either. So we left it on the bottom. It's 100 times beefier than what I had on there so this shouldn't be a problem. I also have very little lift on my Jeep. Between that and the JKS track-bar bracket, it left the geometry a little off, but there is no bump steer and everything feels great. I also don't drive this on the street so I'm not that concerned.

As usual, Chris' work is phenomenal and very fast! He is now a WJ knuckle swap pro, so if anyone wants this done be sure to talk to him.

Oh, one thing though, you gotta watch his paint jobs... :tongue:

Click these to enlarge them:

ai696.photobucket.com_albums_vv325_cltdba_1991_20XJ_MarsFab_20Work_th_photo1.jpgai696.photobucket.com_albums_vv325_cltdba_1991_20XJ_MarsFab_20Work_th_photo4.jpg

ai696.photobucket.com_albums_vv325_cltdba_1991_20XJ_MarsFab_20Work_th_photo3.jpgai696.photobucket.com_albums_vv325_cltdba_1991_20XJ_MarsFab_20Work_th_photo5.jpg
 
Chris (MarsFab), please feel free to comment on the build if you feel like it. If there's enough content I'll move it to the build threads section.
 
Aww thats cute... but effective HAHA
 
I kinda like the color he chose.
It matches your purse!
Hehehe.......
 
looks soo purdy... cant wait to ride in it this weekend....:gay::fuck-you:


looks like it will hold up this time.:beer:
 
LOL! I thought you'd like that Chris. The tie-rod and drag link are 1.5 not 1.75 just for the record. This is how I handle irate customers. :flipoff2:
 
that's hella-cute!

in all seriousness...that all looks good! nice work!
 
MarsFab said:
LOL! I thought you'd like that Chris. The tie-rod and drag link are 1.5 not 1.75 just for the record. This is how I handle irate customers. :flipoff2:
Click to expand...

Fixed the size. I knew it was 1.5.. hell I ordered the tube. I blame it on a bad day at work yesterday.
 
Thanks everyone! Ready to try it out this weekend!

braxton357 said:
Damn, stout looking 30. I'm impressed that he had not one but two shades of pink paint sitting around.
Click to expand...

This paint was special order. :D amajeepman picked it out and brought it to Chris. Great friends I have!


It started out as a joke and somehow turned into reality. :D I do contribute to the various "Save the Tatas" events, so I think I'll use it to raise awareness for breast cancer.
 
it worked great. rode in, and beat that front susp all to hell sat and sun and looked the same after as before. little less pimk due to rock rash, but held up! i think everyone that followed us broke, and we couldve drove "TaTa" to the hotel!! good work to Chris @ MarsFab!!:beer::beer:
 
about how much does something like that run
 
I like it!
 
bygkuntrey13 said:
about how much does something like that run
Click to expand...

I honestly don't know, but I've heard around $1k+ if you buy all the parts new,and go with tie-rod based steering components and do the work yourself. I didn't keep track of my costs. Some parts were given to me as thanks. Other parts I was hooked up with. Some I bought. I'm sure MarsFab could get you a price together.

If you want to save money you can get almost all of your parts from a junkyard. I'd buy new ball joints and tie rod ends though.
 
I think I paid about $800 for mine and there were no new parts involved. $400 for the knuckles, tierod and drilled rotors. $400 for the install if I remember correctly.

Add on the TNT trackbar and hysteer bracket if you are going to do it. OTK is another $20 and well worth it.
 
loki_racer said:
I think I paid about $800 for mine and there were no new parts involved. $400 for the knuckles, tierod and drilled rotors. $400 for the install if I remember correctly.

Add on the TNT trackbar and hysteer bracket if you are going to do it. OTK is another $20 and well worth it.
Click to expand...

What histeer bracket? WJ is already just that. And $800 for the swap, ouch man. Mine came out to $300 even with new calipers from napa & jks spacers. And drilled rotors are worst way to go, sport trac rotors.
 
WJ knuckles aren't high steer. They do replace the y-link, but to get a high steer setup, you have to either fab an axle bracket or buy one (TNT I think is the only company selling one currently).

I'm not sure why you say drilled rotors are the worst way to go, they seem to work fine for almost every thread I read about the WJ swap.

I'd be interested to see how you got out the door for $300 considering you need new ball joints, plus the calipers and spacers. With that stuff alone you are closing in on $400, nevermind having to buy the knuckles, unit hubs and tierod.

$800 spent to get WJ knuckle swap plus high steer and OTK is money in the bank in my opinion. Some people value their own time more than the cost of having a professional do the work for them.
 
Yea man 300 is pushing it. And after all the stuff you guys have listed you haven't even added in the fact that now that you have raised the track bar up it has to either be shortened or build a whole new one. Then you've gotta build a drag link and tie-rod because using stock jeep stuff kinda defeats the whole purpose of the upgrade. The steering and track bar alone would be more than 300.
 
Let's not get off topic guys. This is the vendor referral section, not the tech section. If you want to discuss the various part costs associated with this swap then please create your own thread in general tech.
 
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