One of my buddies has broken 3 or 4 sets of 4.88 gears in different axles. The way that gear ratios work they have no option but to make it "weaker" I mean the materials are the same strength, but there's no way to get the same size and tooth engagement and get the math right.

Also, my friend's dad is going from 5.29s to 4.30 or 4.10 because he's broken a fee ring and pinions and doesn't need all the gear.

Jeep has been regeared and axles rebuilt. Just need to find time to go pick it up now.

Jeep drives amazing. It is smooth, consistent, and has power up hills and no sluggish feel past 70mph. One thing I've found odd is that the speedo is now almost dead accurate, still stock, compared to being off 8-10mph previously. Next thing I want to do is go over the cooling, it's riding just a little out of my comfort as the weather is getting hotter, looking to replace the rad, fan clutch, water pump, thermostat, hoses, and broken fan shroud. Yes staying with closed system because it works when maintained.

Not sure how many people still read this or the majority of build threads anymore.
Tore into the cooling system today and started to remove the AC parts. Keeping the AC condenser as pulley but removing the rest, don't worry it leaked itself empty years ago over time (never saw a leak) and had no pressure or freon in the system. I knew the coolant in the expansion bottle was clean but wasn't fully sure how the rest of the system was in the 10+ year old rad and the block, was very happy overall to see that most was green. Thermostat was 1/2 blocked at the outlet side, water pump can be turned with your pinky and has a nice gap between the blades and housing, rad is missing portions of the fins and there was a bunch of debris stuck between the rad and ac condenser. Looking forward to all the new parts and finishing it all off tomorrow. Going to bypass the new rad's tranny cooler and use the bigger one I picked up from a friend.
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Personally I kept the trans cooler in the radiator too. Helps warm the trans up in cold months and that's the way they do it from factory and how they told me to do it at the transmission shop I work at so I figure it must be a decent way to do it.

I still follwow you thread and All I can say about this is yuck,I bet she will be happy when ya get 'er done....

I am with SatiricalHen on this one. I am going to put a factory tranny cooler in soon. Don't tow or really need it but want it anyway. It is spliced in between the upper line in the radiator and the return line to the tranny. On colder days I can feel the Jeep shifting harder from first to second.

I still follow all the threads too. I need to so I can steal ideas from you guys. Not like I am going to come up with any on my own. LOL.

I don't drive it too much during the coldest months, I really like to drive it with the half doors during the warm months. I was originally going to run it through the rad and then the external cooler but the hard lines are so rotted that the top one was going to snap just trying to take it off so I said screw it, makes it easier for routing anyway.

That just makes you wonder how bad some jeeps are that have over heating issues.

I bypassed my rad trans cooler and did a B&M external cooler. Almost 9 years now and no issues.

It is not the tranny fluid is to hot on start up on a very cold day, when I say it will shift harder between first and second for a few minutes, but the fact that it is colder and needs to be a little hotter. At least that is what I think is going on.

I finished putting everything back together yesterday. Kicked myself in the head thinking I could put it all back together except the thermostat housing to make filling it back up easier, had to take the mechanical fan, shroud, and belt back off. Just need to fill it, burp, fill, burp, fill, and drive now.
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I didn't read your whole thread but I really love the look of your jeep back on page 2 in the old jeep ad. That was exacly how I want mine to be.

I am torn between getting a set of the 5 hole gamblers or the turbines. I can pick up a set of either ones but they need a good cleaning.

What happened to the tire carrier? It's so hard to find those.

I love my turbines, still have them all. I sold it to a local Jeeper and he ended up putting a rotopax on it, looks good. He recently told me he's taking it off his Jeep and putting it on his girlfriends so it shouldn't be going too far for a long time. I just couldn't run it with the plans of 35s and wanting to get more into rocks.

I still have a perfect set of turbines stored in my shed too waiting for a street build.:whistling2:

I'll never sell them.
Still have yet to refill with coolant. Been very busy between work, friends coming over and then having the whole family over for Mother's Day.