The 2drx4 build, a Cherokee.

[2drx4]

I understand the reasoning for shaving the bottom of the diff housing but why remove the webbing from the left and right side of the housing? I would think that would not add much, if any clearance but the loss of strength would outweigh doing it.

Average ground clearance is just as important as the minimum ground clearance, if not more so ( to a point). The picture doesn't do the webbing justice, it is huge. Judging by the scars on it from being hit on things before, it does get in the way...

Strength loss isn't a huge concern. A few people have done this (cut the webbing at least) and they had more power, heavier trucks, and bigger tires. It doesn't seem to be an issue. I'm only running 37s!

 

[2drx4]

Safety sandals ******! I've since upgraded to Hill Billy slippers for quickly slipping something on and going out to the workshop. Get your used up steel toe rubber boots and cut everything off from the ankle up with a carpet knife.

You lost your excuse to buy a bigger tool. Should have waited to buy new tools to knock the bottom off the housing off. Supposedly a steel blade in a circular saw works well too.

I don't know if Sterlings are configured differently than Danas but I've never had a problem with pulling the pinion on a Dana. As long as you have something to damp the blow of the mallet (wood) it should come out easily. Fill the housing with shop rags to catch the pinion when it finally falls out.

Good idea on the safety sandals. I'm not much of a sticker for safety, but crushed toes suck. I'm fairly careful to not know anything over when wearing the sandals...

The sterling pinion should pop out... I'm just reminiscing about a time that I did a gear setup for a friend with a toyota. The 1lb sledge didn't make the pinion budge. I moved to a 3lb... It took full overhead blows to make it move! And I mushroomed the threaded area despite having a piece of plate over it (it visibly swelled, no chance of ever getting a nut back on it). It was just as well that it wasn't a useful gear set.

 

[Root Moose]

Good idea on the safety sandals. I'm not much of a sticker for safety, but crushed toes suck. I'm fairly careful to not know anything over when wearing the sandals...

It's funny, I used to be fairly laissez-faire about shop safety but in the last 5 years or so I've turned anal regarding safety. I even put ear plugs in when just going into the shop when messing around and not planning on running power tools.

Btw, leave the nut on the end of the threaded portion of the pinion before you start beating on it. It'll protect the threads to a certain extent.

 

[2drx4]

So, I welded this thing on. I pre-heated to about 500*... Welded 1"~ segments, peined the weld, blah blah. Used the MIG, and did it seriously hot...

Ground around the edge to smooth it all out.

I shouldn't have made the plate as wide as I did, it was slightly counter-productive. Ohwell. Also, I welded the inside but neglected to take a picture.


And I hate wire wheels.

 

[XXXpedition]

this is truely THE xj build...
i wish i had those skills!!!

 

[Root Moose]

Must be Princess Auto wire wheels?

 

[2drx4]

Must be Princess Auto wire wheels?

Actually, no. It was just right near the end of its life, and all let go in fairly short order. I wanted to maximize its use, since I'm cheap, so I just put up with the tones of wire pieces getting stuck in me. I don't buy abrasives that are 'Powerfist' brand because they're scary. I tried once, they sell flap disks for about $2 as opposed to about $6-10 elsewhere. The glue bonding the flaps on was insufficient, and of course I tried it on something that was waist height first. I go hit square in the nether regions by about 4 or 5 of the flaps as they left the disk at somewhere over the speed of sound (I swear I heard a sonic boom, or maybe that was just my nuts telling me to smarten up). In under a second about half the disk had come apart, the rest might have gone had I continued to try using it.

End result, I won't buy their abrasives. Not worth it to me. If I wanted to be sterile, I'd get a vasectomy.

 

[Root Moose]

LOL

Yep... I hate buying PA anything but sometimes it's necessary.

 

[2drx4]

So, I stuck some frame rails on the front:

I wasn't smart enough to figure out how to make the piece between those frame rails and the ones in the mid area other than by sticking it all together and using the 'measure once, cut 40 times' method. Also, I put my hood on to give me that fuzzy feeling that I was making forward progress. I didn't use any bolts because that would be hard.


Then I figured I should test fit the 4.0L shaped peg into the roughly 4.0L peg shaped hole:

The axle is in the approximate full-bump location, and is offset to compensate for not yet being narrowed.


Bad-*** homemade EGR delete:

Just another mystery of this pile. Like the daytime running light installation...

In place, I think:

The wood is just to wedge it nice and tight because I'm going to leave it there for a while, and the engine isn't totally level for that reason... I put the engine in basically the same place as stock, but my frame rails are narrower so the alternator didn't clear (I expected), and the mechanical fan is only a C-hair away from self clearancing on the frame. So, probably going to have to run dual Taurus e-fans. Clearance around the axle is good, and there will be room for the downpipe near the driveshaft. Also, the engine clears the stock brake booster, not that I really care since I was looking for an excuse to bolt on some hydro-boost.


I think I will remount the alternator something like this:

But maybe not.


Shot from behind:

That's an AX-15 in there. I'm actually contemplating the unthinkable, keeping it and using a box4rocks or similar NP231 doubler with my NP241. Probably not. But it isn't like me to make a plan and stick with it.

Also, I got the few pieces I was missing from the rear suspension and cycled it. I wasn't happy. So, I'll be going dual triangulated 4-link. I can shave the TOP of the axle to get enough clearance for the uppers to meet there. I've ordered some brackets and stuff for the front suspension, so I should be able to change it around next time I get time off. Then maybe I can at least get the rear burned in for good an start finishing more stuff back there.


And in closing, I'm full on wallowing in wheel/tire dilemma land. Ugh.

 

[brennanriddle1]

holy crap batman!

that's an insane amount of work.






sweet.. :drool:

 

[Root Moose]

Do you have plans to run V8 in the future? You know, a pie in the sky scenario for the next engine?

I ask because if you do you may want to rethink having the rails closer together than stock. XJ V8 swaps cause all kinds of exhaust manifold questions.

Just throwing that out there.

 

[2drx4]

Do you have plans to run V8 in the future? You know, a pie in the sky scenario for the next engine?

I ask because if you do you may want to rethink having the rails closer together than stock. XJ V8 swaps cause all kinds of exhaust manifold questions.

Just throwing that out there.

The problem is that a D60 front will turn 40*. I LOVE being able to turn sharp. And I'm trying to keep my track width down, because I hate a wide rig for most uses. So, 40* steering, 37s, a narrowed front 60, and rims with close to stock backspacing... End result is the frame has to be narrow. Or a funny shape. It actually isn't much narrower towards the rear of the engine bay, once you consider where the old UCA mounts were, etc.

Luckily, a V8 swap is highly unlikely. Ever. It just won't fit for what I want... The only swaps that were considered for this (and could possibly still happen if the stars align right) are diesel. Cummins 4BT was fleeting, I concluded it won't fit regardless. It is too tall, and I won't lift it to make up for the difference. The Nissan SD33T was considered, but I have had no luck sourcing one. It is also an inline engine and should fit acceptably. A few others got tossed around (mercedes, detroit) but I ruled them out... The only one left that I'd go for is a Cummins B3.3. They aren't to be had as a used engine, near as I can tell. Most would have the wrong governor anyways, if I ever did find one. So, at some point I might go talk to a cummins dealer and inquire to what a crate engine would cost. I'm assuming about $5-6K with a turbo and IP. Add about $1K in adapters/etc to put an AX-15 behind it. And about $1K minimum for misc doodads (intercooler, charge piping, hydraulic pump for P/S, hydro-boost brakes, crazy exhaust, etc) and it's going to be an expensive swap.

Anyways, I'm fairly certain the 4.0L is going to stay.

 

[Root Moose]

You think the AX-15 is up to handling a "baby" Cummins? I wouldn't have thought so...

 

[2drx4]

You think the AX-15 is up to handling a "baby" Cummins? I wouldn't have thought so...

My alter ego inquired with those who should 'know'. The stroker guys have had decent success with AX-15s. And the little C won't break 300ft-lbs at the crank. If I got about 270 out of it that would be fine. Some of the stroker guys are pushing much more than that into AX-15s. Hell, novak even 'recommends' an AX-15 be retained for mild SBC swaps, but that might be because they want to sell you an adapter. The alternative option is a NV3500 out of a chevy, as they're rated at 300 on the dot and I could get away with one less BS adapter. A NV4500 is overkill and expensive, but does have some redemption in a lower first gear. There is nothing between the NV3500 and NV4500 as far as strength goes, AFAIK. SM420/465 and NP435 have too large of a split between gears for something that has destructive crank harmonics at 3200rpm. Most of the other options are either lacking in availability or adaptability.

If I am to do it, I'd probably go get a junkyard NV3500. My AX-15 needs a rebuild soon anyways, I think. But, plans, no, I don't stick with them.

 

[wikun]

I now this thread is long dead.....

Can anyone point me in the direction this guy went. I would love to know the out come.