215 to 235 is roughly 1"
And I have a Ford axle in my Jeep lol

 

Heater core flushed heat is better but not great.

Probably do it again tomorrow.

OH! And discovered that I have no ac condensor... I found two crimped lines on the passenger side and found out what they are for.

 

Well... since I just bought this ZJ and half the paint was missing (yes, MISSING, LOL), I gave it a quick layer of primer just so it would be one color. Didn't have time to do it right, just sprayed it. The overspray comes right off with brake clean and a rag. I will sand it and do it right at a later date. Then I took it down to get emissions tested, it passed, then got it titled in my name. So all in all a pretty good day. Took this pic a couple miles from my place. Sure looks small with those tiny tires and no lift. Gotta get that fixed soon. For those curious, that is the Superstition Mountains in the background.

 

nice start..
And I used to drive passed those all the time... I spent several years as a desert rat outside of Phoenix.

 

Oh god no! Ford makes excellent axles. The 8.8 and the 9" are both terrific axles. The other thing to consider is the weight of the 9" axle. 194 lbs for the 9" - I've read mixed information about the weight of the D35 and the 8.25, but I know first hand (from deadlifting the stupid thing) that's it's nowhere near 200 lbs.

Not bad! Just be sure to research the weight difference. You may end up going from "floating" overtop of the sand you normally wheel in to digging in... especially with your cage plans.

Nice pic, man!

 

Put a clutch in the Comanche, but haven't finished the install yet. Gotta bolt the crossmember back up. Put 5.5" coils and a new front wheel stud in the cherokee, and put extended brake lines and bled the brakes on a friend's tj. Planned on just throwing the coils in and hitting the junkyard, but then had to do a wheel stud too because it messed up and then my friend showed up needing help and it was an extra set of hands to help pull the trans and put it back in the Comanche. I always hand tighten my lug nuts then torque them with a torque wrench, and this one went on fine but for some reason it just self destructed when I tried taking it off.

 

 

I thought about that post facto on my way over to measure the ford axle and knew someone sharp was going to catch that. You are right and I stand corrected. About 2 " side by side off the vehicle but actually that should be split 50/50 when centered on the axle, so about 1" would be the correct measurement in this case.

 

I was teasing about the ford thing I understand the point you make about the weight. But I figure it wouldn't be much heavier than if I was to truss an 8.25. With the added strength of the ford housing because of it's stock design I would never need to truss it. But there is something I need to share about weight and "floating on top" of the sand out here. I know it doesn't make sense, and it might mentally defy assumed physics, but the heavier you are the better it compacts sand and the easier it floats on top. I have been all over this desert and sand washes in two wheel drive pickups loaded up with a quarter to half ton of rocks or sand in the back just as well as a 4X4. That's what we do when pickups start to spin, Get out and load it up heavy and then we can go just about anywhere we want to. it's an old desert ranching trick.

As for the cage? I worked on a graphic to kind of explain my concept idea and will go post that in the welding thread where we were already discussing it.

 

See now I would leave the primer paint so I could just spray another coat every time I earn more desert pinstriping. lol Man... I just went and looked at where you were sitting and you have a lot of Jeep trails around there. Are most of those still open for travel?

 

Yeah, AZ pinstriping is a badge of honor. LOL. Yes, we have tons of open trails in every direction. I consider a good weekend at least 200 miles of dirt.

 

200? Sheesh, a good weekend for me is about 50 haha....damn rocks, roots, and ruts haha

 

I'm in Northern Az and we have quite a few also, but most of them end up running into a mountain and dead ending. One thing about Az... They haven't shut down almost every dirt road like they did in Ca. I just can't figure out why the feds are adhering to the "Existing roads and trails" rule in Az. but totally violating this concept in Ca? They are both the feds so there has to be some kind of state influence in Ca. that affects their enforcement different there. Anyways it looks like you have a lot of accessible fun around there! I found where you were sitting on Google Earth and checked around the area.

 

I take it you are often reminded that Northern New Mexico is the Southern tip of the Continental Divide? lol

 

I put the white one up for sale with a ridiculous price tag on it. If it sells, which I dont think it will, the search for a super clean 97-99 2 door 5-speed will be on! I dont need to sell it but if I get the price I am asking, I will gladly sell it. Why not try?