Xtra Jeep Build Thread

Rear axle frustration:

#1. Bought a pinion seal today. Diameters are right, but the seal lip is set too deep and doesn’t work right with the yoke.

#2. Putting it together late last night, I discovered the driveshaft u-joint from the D35 was wider than the 8.25 yoke. I consulted the internet and everything generally said they are all 1310. So then I pinged @Jody Treadway today and he said he’d never seen anything but 1310s. So I thought to myself hmmm, it was late, and I was tired, so maybe I didn’t have the caps snapped all the way in. Got home today and verified…nope, caps are in, D35 has a 1330 yoke to match the 1330 joint in the driveshaft. A little more sleuthing led me to this post:
1709003178081.png

U joint - Jeep Cherokee Forum

Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here - U joint - probably the question is silly, but I wanted to know if all ujoints of the front and rear shafts including those of the double cardan are the same.
www.cherokeeforum.com

Well dang. So now I need to either get a 1330 yoke for the 8.25 @ $200 :rolleyes: or get a 1310 XJ rear driveshaft or get a bastard joint (Spicer 5-134x in case anyone is trying to find the 1310/1330 cross reference and runs across this in the future).
 
Pitman arm/China/American company mentality frustration:

I needed to get the stock pitman arm off so I could install the 1 ton reamed one to match the new steering. No biggie, I have an Autocraft pitman arm puller that has served me well for over a decade. Put it on, crank it down, no dice. Apply a little heat, tighten a little, pop! There goes one leg of the pitman are puller :( It had served me well, and was already a bit tweaked, so it was probably time. That was last night. Today I looked at a hundred different options, one of which was the “Made in USA” KD Tools version for $60 at Napa. Except it looked just like the $45 Gearwrench version with the same part number, that everyone online said was an overpriced piece of crap, and Gearwrench bought KD back in 2014. So instead of buying the $45 China one, I bought the $20 China one from Advance.

Got home tonight, couldn’t wait to get that pitman arm off and the steering on and the jeep out of the shop (not yet aware of the u joint mismatch of course). Throw the pitman puller on, crank it down, nothing. Ok, fine, ain’t breaking another one. Whop it a couple times with a 3lb sledge. Damn. This POS is already deformed so bad I can get the socket back on. Fortunately they put a 3/8” square drive, so switch over and carry on.
IMG_2494.jpeg


Snug it a little more, whop a little more, and add some torch for motivation. Finally, after a couple rounds of that, I feel something move. Tighten again, and there you go.
IMG_2493.jpeg


Cheap Chinese crap and American companies destroying their name and peddling crap product.

So now I’m stuck with TWO broke pitman arm pullers and a pitman still attached and no way to install the steering. So I do what I do best…hastily assess my resources and cobble something together.
IMG_2482.jpeg

Cut this heavy wall pipe down to about 2.5” long, then chopped the side off.
IMG_2483.jpeg


Found a 1/2” thick disc and drilled a 1-1/8” hole in the center.
IMG_2484.jpeg


Then burned em together
IMG_2485.jpeg


Found some 1/4” plate leftover from a Rubican Express TJ axle bracket kit I installed in about 2010, and cut a 1-3/8” slot in it to clear the 1-1/4” diameter pitman arm shaft, and burned it on the other end.
IMG_2486.jpeg

Also welded the 1” fine thread nut on and turned a centering tip on the bolt.
IMG_2489.jpeg


Used a coat of paint to cool it off, and stuck it on for final test fit.
IMG_2490.jpeg


Then threw the impact on it and BOOM!
IMG_2491.jpeg



F U China. Way to go real American quality and engineering and machining and fabrication (don’t judge my angry, hasty welds, I was doing it on the bandsaw table too because I didn’t feel like moving the welder or clearing the welding table)
 
jeepinmatt said:
Rear axle frustration:

#1. Bought a pinion seal today. Diameters are right, but the seal lip is set too deep and doesn’t work right with the yoke.

#2. Putting it together late last night, I discovered the driveshaft u-joint from the D35 was wider than the 8.25 yoke. I consulted the internet and everything generally said they are all 1310. So then I pinged @Jody Treadway today and he said he’d never seen anything but 1310s. So I thought to myself hmmm, it was late, and I was tired, so maybe I didn’t have the caps snapped all the way in. Got home today and verified…nope, caps are in, D35 has a 1330 yoke to match the 1330 joint in the driveshaft. A little more sleuthing led me to this post:
View attachment 413119

U joint - Jeep Cherokee Forum

Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here - U joint - probably the question is silly, but I wanted to know if all ujoints of the front and rear shafts including those of the double cardan are the same.
www.cherokeeforum.com

Well dang. So now I need to either get a 1330 yoke for the 8.25 @ $200 :rolleyes: or get a 1310 XJ rear driveshaft or get a bastard joint (Spicer 5-134x in case anyone is trying to find the 1310/1330 cross reference and runs across this in the future).
Click to expand...
O’Reilly part 369. Ran them for years. 12$
 
jeepinmatt said:
Rear axle frustration:

#1. Bought a pinion seal today. Diameters are right, but the seal lip is set too deep and doesn’t work right with the yoke.

#2. Putting it together late last night, I discovered the driveshaft u-joint from the D35 was wider than the 8.25 yoke. I consulted the internet and everything generally said they are all 1310. So then I pinged @Jody Treadway today and he said he’d never seen anything but 1310s. So I thought to myself hmmm, it was late, and I was tired, so maybe I didn’t have the caps snapped all the way in. Got home today and verified…nope, caps are in, D35 has a 1330 yoke to match the 1330 joint in the driveshaft. A little more sleuthing led me to this post:
View attachment 413119

U joint - Jeep Cherokee Forum

Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here - U joint - probably the question is silly, but I wanted to know if all ujoints of the front and rear shafts including those of the double cardan are the same.
www.cherokeeforum.com

Well dang. So now I need to either get a 1330 yoke for the 8.25 @ $200 :rolleyes: or get a 1310 XJ rear driveshaft or get a bastard joint (Spicer 5-134x in case anyone is trying to find the 1310/1330 cross reference and runs across this in the future).
Click to expand...
I know on the xj with aw4 when you run a slip yoke eliminator you can now run a front drive shaft as a rear. With lifting it 2.5 inches you are right around the point when you might need one or a t-case drop. A sye and running a front drive shaft as a rear would eliminate your issue lol.
 
Noel said:
O’Reilly part 369. Ran them for years. 12$
Click to expand...
I have a Spicer one arriving today. $36, but I'd rather spend the money now on a good one. I've had mediocre luck with cheapo joints.
 
Keith1138 said:
I know on the xj with aw4 when you run a slip yoke eliminator you can now run a front drive shaft as a rear. With lifting it 2.5 inches you are right around the point when you might need one or a t-case drop. A sye and running a front drive shaft as a rear would eliminate your issue lol.
Click to expand...
Interesting, but I'll go back to stock height before I have to mess with all that and spend that money. I still have a set of stock springs I'm probably gonna end up putting on the rear with the shackle relocation because the 2.5" springs look more like 4" springs currently.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Interesting, but I'll go back to stock height before I have to mess with all that and spend that money. I still have a set of stock springs I'm probably gonna end up putting on the rear with the shackle relocation because the 2.5" springs look more like 4" springs currently.
Click to expand...
After you buy that roof top tent from @Andy J. , and the backs loaded with your mini fridge it probably set about right then.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Pitman arm/China/American company mentality frustration:

I needed to get the stock pitman arm off so I could install the 1 ton reamed one to match the new steering. No biggie, I have an Autocraft pitman arm puller that has served me well for over a decade. Put it on, crank it down, no dice. Apply a little heat, tighten a little, pop! There goes one leg of the pitman are puller :( It had served me well, and was already a bit tweaked, so it was probably time. That was last night. Today I looked at a hundred different options, one of which was the “Made in USA” KD Tools version for $60 at Napa. Except it looked just like the $45 Gearwrench version with the same part number, that everyone online said was an overpriced piece of crap, and Gearwrench bought KD back in 2014. So instead of buying the $45 China one, I bought the $20 China one from Advance.

Got home tonight, couldn’t wait to get that pitman arm off and the steering on and the jeep out of the shop (not yet aware of the u joint mismatch of course). Throw the pitman puller on, crank it down, nothing. Ok, fine, ain’t breaking another one. Whop it a couple times with a 3lb sledge. Damn. This POS is already deformed so bad I can get the socket back on. Fortunately they put a 3/8” square drive, so switch over and carry on.
View attachment 413121

Snug it a little more, whop a little more, and add some torch for motivation. Finally, after a couple rounds of that, I feel something move. Tighten again, and there you go.
View attachment 413120

Cheap Chinese crap and American companies destroying their name and peddling crap product.

So now I’m stuck with TWO broke pitman arm pullers and a pitman still attached and no way to install the steering. So I do what I do best…hastily assess my resources and cobble something together.
View attachment 413122
Cut this heavy wall pipe down to about 2.5” long, then chopped the side off.
View attachment 413123

Found a 1/2” thick disc and drilled a 1-1/8” hole in the center.
View attachment 413124

Then burned em together
View attachment 413125

Found some 1/4” plate leftover from a Rubican Express TJ axle bracket kit I installed in about 2010, and cut a 1-3/8” slot in it to clear the 1-1/4” diameter pitman arm shaft, and burned it on the other end.
View attachment 413126
Also welded the 1” fine thread nut on and turned a centering tip on the bolt.
View attachment 413127

Used a coat of paint to cool it off, and stuck it on for final test fit.
View attachment 413128

Then threw the impact on it and BOOM!
View attachment 413129


F U China. Way to go real American quality and engineering and machining and fabrication (don’t judge my angry, hasty welds, I was doing it on the bandsaw table too because I didn’t feel like moving the welder or clearing the welding table)
Click to expand...
I pitman arm puller is one of the few Snap-on tools I have. On second thought, I've broken it once too, lol.
 
ramjo said:
After you buy that roof top tent from @Andy J. , and the backs loaded with your mini fridge it probably set about right then.
Click to expand...
I'm still working on him on that. Cheapest running/driving vehicle I ever bought was $400, so I ain't paying more than that for a tent!
 
justjeepin86 said:
I pitman arm puller is one of the few Snap-on tools I have. On second thought, I've broken it once too, lol.
Click to expand...
Looks like the OTC conical style puller, but $200 instead of $80. :rolleyes: I'm sure it would work fine, but hopefully I won't need another anytime soon.
 
jyaks said:
@jeepinmatt I've got some transfercase skid plate drop brackets if you end up needing them. They are the full bar not the puck size ones that leave a gap. View attachment 413168
Click to expand...
Thanks, but like I said, I’ll change the suspension height before I start doing SYE, t-case drop, etc. This was supposed to be a simple project of just cleaning it up and driving it, haha.
 
No major updates today. Got the bastard joint from O O O O’Reilly on the way home from work. Old one wouldn’t push out with the arbor press, but only took about 5-7 tons on the hydraulic press. New one went in smooth and easy.
IMG_2508.jpeg


Then got the brake lines reconnected, sway bars reconnected, etc.

Also got the new pitman arm on and steering hooked up. Everything looks good and has plenty of clearance.
IMG_2507.jpeg
 
benXJ said:
you did leave the rear shackels loose before putting any weight on them, right? once its on the ground, then snug up the bolts.

could explain the high rear
Click to expand...
No, that would require me to roll around on the ground like a peasant instead of electronically ugga-dugga-ing it from an upright position. :laughing: I'll have to start with that I suppose.
 
jeepinmatt said:
No, that would require me to roll around on the ground like a peasant instead of electronically ugga-dugga-ing it from an upright position. :laughing: I'll have to start with that I suppose.
Click to expand...
You might also just need to put a lot of weight in the back to get them to settle. Another method could be jumping it about 10 feet in the air.
 
Keith1138 said:
You might also just need to put a lot of weight in the back to get them to settle. Another method could be jumping it about 10 feet in the air.
Click to expand...
I PICK B!!!!
 
Loosened the shackles tonight and set it down, didn’t seem to make any difference. Also even sitting and bouncing on the tailgate didn’t seem to generate much movement, so I think the springs are just super stiff.

Next step was to bleed the brakes. I pumped em and the pedal never seemed to materialize, but when I got out to check fluid level I saw this…
IMG_2528.jpeg


Looks like one of the lines has rusted through. There was an odd paintless spot in the same area, and I’m guessing it’s because a pinhole leak was spraying every time you put on the brakes. Sucks, but rather find it now than when driving down the road and the brakes fail.

Since that was a bust, I set about removing the headliner and managed to get it out without much issue and no damage.
IMG_2529.jpeg
IMG_2530.jpeg
IMG_2531.jpeg
IMG_2532.jpeg
IMG_2533.jpeg
 
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