Str8sixfan's painfully slow 2wd to 4wd SAS project

[Str8sixfan]

After I tacked the original one in place, I looked at it and said "I can do better", so a few weeks ago I got it off. I cut out another tube and am still massaging it to fit into place better/tighter. But I'm glad I decided to start over. It will be a better end product.

 

[Str8sixfan]

Dropped some cash on an order for the build yesterday, though I will keep quiet until the order comes in and I can show photo evidence before spilling the beans. Hope to work on the axle truss tomorrow, should I pre-heat my diff housing before I weld the tube into the top of it? Welding steel to cast steel...

 

[Str8sixfan]

Had an itch to do something on the project tonight, so I cut out some templates, to hopefully make my Sunday or Saturday more efficient.

 

[88_Eddie]

are you making your own arms or buying them?

 

[Str8sixfan]

was planning on making my own. If you go to about a year ago this time within this thread (dunno what page it's on off the top of my head), there's a picture where I got springs and axle shafts...I also got some arms that go with the 4.5" lift kit, but not long arms. I was planning on cutting one end, throwing some DOM tube in that end and a sleeve over the top of the connection.

 

[Str8sixfan]

Picked these bad boys up today!

 

[Str8sixfan]

Spot welded my filler plate in between my truss and my axle last night. Hope to finish that up with the long weekend along with reinforcing the Cs somewhat. After that I hope to clean up the pass side upper link tab and integrate it into the truss better than what it is now.

Then it's time to buy new link tabs, weld those on and I can sand and prime this bad-boy. Probably won't put a finish coat on everything, as I'll eventually want to make a trac bar mount on down the road.

After that plans are to start buying the brake components to start getting that figured out and then I can reassemble this dang thing!

 

[Str8sixfan]

boxed in my upper control arm link, and got the filler plate burned in. Spot welds I started with looked great...so I forced myself to not get ahead of myself in fear of screwing up what I accomplished. Got back at it the next day, and it didn't turn out near as good...probably shoulda kept at it the first night. Oh well.

 

[Str8sixfan]

Should have had these bought by now: http://www.genright.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=BKT3100#.UdtmGm1zYtc

And welded on, and the axle painted so I could be searching for WJ akebono calipers...

unfortunately my truck requires money in other spots right now, think the cat is clogged. Gotta get it running right, needs new tires after that, and it's probably time for a new windshield it's pitted pretty bad.

 

[Mudstomper99]

Where did you end up ordering your gears from. I think I want to go 4.56 or 4.88 in my dana 30 as well. Once you dig in it's not that bad how ever yours is more complicated than mine was. Looks great so far.

 

[Str8sixfan]

Got 'em off eBay. Should have some updates soon...well relative terms like a month

 

[Str8sixfan]

Ordered these bad boys yesterday.

 

[Str8sixfan]

Hope to have some updates soon. CFB season just ended for my K-state Wildcats, and that's my primary fall hobby. Also switched jobs and have some extra $$$ these days. Add in some xmas gift cards...I have a feeling January = progress.

 

[Str8sixfan]

New Unit Bearings/Hubs!

2001 XJ versions so the lower deck height to help line up the future disks with the WJ knuckles

 

[Str8sixfan]

Got my link tabs burned in today. Hope to be able to start putting this back together soon, just need to replace a ball joint I already replaced once before. My axle's just fallen off the jackstands way too many times that it's mess one up. But once I get the ball joint fixed, then I'll slap the knuckles on, and start putting this thing together. Likely next purchases:

• brake parts
• upper link bushings
• tie rod ends (drag link and such will late for later)

Side news my wife and I are thinking we'll be car shopping in March, which would mean I could start tearing into the truck after that when we have 3 cars in the household and I wouldn't need this to serve as my DD. However in the back of my head I keep debating that maybe I'll eventually sell this truck and just find another ranger/B3000/explorer/B2 or something that's already 4wd with the 5 on 4.5 bolt pattern. If I find the right ranger, then I can get to a doubler faster with the bw1350 I already have. Enough about me, on to the pictures!

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