took the old pinion out today, made a flange tool that made everything a breeze (beats buyin one of those $150 tools!), had to whack the **** out of the pinion to get it out, broke a 2x8

still have to remove the outer bearing, seal and crush sleve

 

So I ended up twisting the driver side tre down, and the passenger tre up, drenched all the threads with locktite red (bout 1" into the rod thread), then put some titanium epoxy (similar to JB weld) on the inner jam nut and the tie rod (so i can still re adjust if needed....with a lot of elbow grease....)

Has held up pretty good on the road, but i still need to go on some trails to see if they the epoxy and locktite give and the tie rod starts rolling again

 

you know they make washers to stop it from doing that?

bottom of this page. I say buy a cutting board (plastic) from wallmart and make you own
http://www.jcroffroad.com/Merchant2/...tegory_Code=S6

 

Sure didn't, but now that i do, i'm thinkin you have the right idea with the cutting board , you sure know your stuff!

 

So I got in my new riddler diff cover for the 8.8, all i can say is wow this thing is massive! i also got in a simple swap bracket kit from ruff stuff specialties that also knocked my socks off, everything is much more HD than stock (as it should be). Painted up my diff cover up, and also the bracket kit (came as bare metal, but didn't paint the brackets that will be welded on). here's some pics

 

here's a pic comparison of old and new covers

 

that is sweet !!
that cover is the best i have seen! were did u get it and were there any others

 

Its looking good chex mex. And I think I am liken the washer idea too. I'am going to check that out.

 

na i just read to much when i cant sleep. I like the 8.8. i plan on doing the swap as soon as funds allow. I think i will being building my perches thoguh

 

yeah, i believe they make a d30, d44 and some others. i purchased mine through mesa4x4.com

dunno but their site has been suspended? look up Riddler differential cover

 

thanks the black, i'm thinkin it will definitely be a big improvement, i'll let you know how well it works

as of now, the cherokee is steering great (but i'm still gonna try it out any way). took off my front drive shaft and adjusted the caster, drivin straight as an arrow now, with little to no play

also just replaced the calipers (had a pull to the driver side while drivin, and to the passenger side while braking, found out one of my calipers had seized)

 

nice, good luck with the 8.8! post pics whenyou make the perches, i definitely like seeing your fab skills

hey, since you read alot, do you know what would be a cheap upgrade to the steering box to handle bigger tires? (any that fit in with little modification to the mouting point? or moderate mod.?

 

so i went out today to flex some (in the great flats of houston) to see what i'm workin with, i need to find a better spot because hadn't spun a tire yet. sway bar disc'd, front drive shaft off (need to lengthen it), and an open rear, was able to crawl out of this ditch afterwards (and it had rained the two days before)

 

I'm loving this build!!

 

its looking really good keep it up