TrollHammer

I saw this video a few weeks ago and had been thinking of doing something along these lines if I decide to build:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Snowbatm...28/H2KQDYeVkaY

Does anyone know if this wheeler is on Cherokeeforum? His Youtube username is Snowbatman99, which I didn't find here.

Anyway, in case anyone else knows the answer, what I'm trying to figure out is what else he might have done to beef up the axles to turn those big tires than just 30 spline axles, considering he's running dana 30s front and rear, or if he just knows how to drive and not to break them.

I have a parts jeep for the donor axle I can do this with, I'm just trying to figure out what all I'm going to end up spending in the end. I'm counting on lockers already, and probibly if I have the cash 4.56 gears. I'm probibly not going to go over 35" tires for a good long while and may start with 33-34s, as I'm trying to balance between clearing the ground and keeping my CG low (the jeep in the vid is showing this idea, check out their pucker ridge vid too.)

I've heard the passenger side axle breaks easy with big tires, but I've not actually witnessed it. I've seen a driver's side snap on a guy goofing around in a gravel pit, but I'm just trail riding and have had no issues with stock gearing and stock axles.

The benifits I see of using a front Dana 30: Rear steer, Cheap since I have all the stuff for it, and better for break downs since all the same parts would work for each axle. It would, ideally, also give me coils all around.

I just want to know if the guy tried it with stock axles, or if he went straight to higher spline counts and expensive axles.

The other thing I'm wondering about is how bad the bind is between the tcase and the rear axle, or if he had the rear diff recentered, because if this is the case I'll probibly not even worry about it. I figure I'd just reuse the front driveline and everything else from the donor vehicle.

One last thing: has anyone heard of stacking an np231 with an np242, or perhaps two np231s for an additional gear reduction? Between my jeeps I can do either combo, I just don't know if there's an adapter for this or not.

I'm starting from scratch so I'm gathering info before I spend anything.

CodeXJ

I would have thought they'd be full width Dana 44s front and rear, or something stronger. That's a lot of tire for a Dana 30!

Stacking transfer cases seems like a real PITA. You could always get something like a TeraFlex 4:1 kit for the NP231, but it's a bit expensive.

89eliminator

i'd be willing to bet thats not a D30 in back hahaha. i think it would be something that has waaaaaaaaaay more cons than pros.

Iant333

A D30 is actually weaker than a 35. If you were to run it as a rear axle it would be a joke as far as strength, compare a D35 and 30 pinion gear and axleshaft side by side, the 35 is actually beefier, and those arent even cut out for 33's. 44 or 60 would be a better bet.

The only way i'd do what you were talking about is if you were to build some sort of 4 banger ultralight buggy that was really small and light.

And no you cant stack t-cases like that, you can put a doubler on them however.


To be honest, I wouldnt even bother with rear steer in anything short of a full on buggy. In anything that even resebles a factory XJ still you arent going to need it, time and money is better spent elsewhere.

sandaddik2

i think itd be almost cheaper or at least get more for your money to do a d300/231 doubler compared to a 4:1 for the 231.
as for his axles id think he had a 44 rear especially for going on as long of trips as he says, those tires look like 35s maybe they just look bigger cuz the jeep isnt sitting very high

5-90

Why step down? I believe you can find some D35 set up as front axles under some years of Ranger and/or Explorer, if you want to go that route.

At least then you're not losing any nominal strength. Although a D44/D44 or D60/D60 quad-steer would rock!

Iant333

Those are TTB's but I guess you could weld C's onto an XJ rear. It just seems dumb to do any work to a 35 in my opinion.

Brett

that group of guys runs out in eastern oregon ive run into em before
all they do is snow wheelin nothing else
as soon as the snow melts off they go back to work earnin money to fix thiere rigs and do it again they have a chevy swb rear steer too its pretty shweet

CodeXJ

I would have thought Dana 44s too, but on one of his Youtube videos he states both front and rear are Dana 30s. Apparently his buddy's rear-steer Chevy is front/rear Dana 44s though. IMO that'd be the way to go.

sandaddik2

x2 the numbers dont matter, the d30 is better than a 35 because the pins that hold the spider pins in the diff are notorious for breaking in the 35, the 30 seems to hold together better.

TrollHammer

I did a little research last night from my phone. There's a 30 spline upgrade kit, but it's about $1k. I'm looking at shaft diameters to see what that compares to, but it's hard- not many people do it, so theres not much info on the upgrade. It does sound that 30 spline chromemoly shafts beefs the thing up to just shy of a stock 44, though. Dana 30s what they stated they used on that XJ. Yeah, I know bigger axles are better, it's just what I have right now.
My issue is that there's just no Dana 44s around my area. EVERYONE wanted them, so they are just not much of an option unless I go out of area, and then you gotta pay gas or shipping. Still, compared to the $1k an axle price tag, it may still be smarter anyway, unless I only go as far as 33" tires.

Oh well, it's just like everything else I seem to do: I've got the 80% of the project that doesn't cost much or is free, but the rest that kills it price wise.

My cousin may still have a pair of chevy axles, but then I'd be doing a lot more fab and have to go full width, which I want to stay away from. Seems pointless to make a nimble rear steer wider than it needs to be. Most of the trails I've followed him on berely fit a cherokee width as it was, I can't imagine trying to wedge a wider axle through on top of wider tires!

It does look that way, but they did have a couple vids that weren't in the snow. I guess I steered ya wrong on the pucker ridge vid, there are none listed as such, it's this one:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Snowbatm...21/_ze4xhhF4_c


Oh, and as far as the t-case deal goes, what I'll probibly end up doing in the long run is just go higher on the gearing, like 4.88 or so. I'm going to end up trailering anyway, so it doesn't matter if I lose some highway speed in high gear. I keep forgetting that I'd figured this one out before: AW4 trans with 33-35" tires=4.11 gears to drive like stock (speed wise), but my last trip up the hill taught me I need deeper gearing for crawling (I usually just bonzied up stuff because of mud, it was dryer and I couldn't do that, I had to crawl), and so I'd been thinking 4.56. If i'm getting new gears anyway, I might as well make 'em count and get 4.88 and then I don't have to double anything, I'll have plenty of control.

Iant333

30 splines wont change the fact that the 30 has flimsy *** gears. I have seen them blown out as front axles locked on 33's. A rear axle has to endure MUCH more strain than a front.

TrollHammer

Just wondering, what were they doing when they blew the front gears out? rocks, trail, roots, mud? As I said before, I am putting some bigger tires on to clear areas of the trail the others I'm following can, but I'm staying out of the rocks and mud. I don't plan to bounce much either, if it's getting tricky, I'll air down.

Iant333

Rocks. You can go right ahead and try it but im just saying it seems like a really weak setup to me.

truckntractorhick

i was thinkin about this the other day! but if you wanted it on the road at all u'd need to lock the back straight! maybe see how the GMC sierra did it? i think it was like 04 or 05 sierras?