XJ Cab Chop and 404s Build-Up [Archive]

xtremexj94

11-22-2005, 07:41 PM

For those that do not recognize them, they were a set of 411 series Unimog axles. They were about 56" wide which is 14" narrower than a 404. So I contacted Exaxt, had them supply two 404 housings narrowed 7" each and front and rear passenger side 404 shafts. I re-used the 411 drivers side shafts which saved me some $$$. These diffs already had a pinion conversion done on them about 10 yrs ago by the previous owner who was going to use them under and early Bronco in a local mud racing association until they banned portal axles. Thus, they sat unused in a shed until I scooped them up for an absurd deal just to get them out of his way. As you can see, the plan was to use the drums as they should have been OK for my little Jeep - more on that later.:shaking:

xtremexj94

11-22-2005, 07:42 PM

Exaxt supplied housings

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/narrowed404s.JPG

xtremexj94

11-22-2005, 07:46 PM

While doing the 4-link, I decided to stetch the wheelbase a bit - added 3" to the rear and 2" to the front. Also, about the same time, the 42" Iroks became available and I had to have those:D In order to keep the stock drums, I needed to custom build some 17" steel wheels.

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/42b.JPG

xtremexj94

11-22-2005, 07:54 PM

Next on the list was getting the front diff set in place

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/front.JPG

xtremexj94

11-22-2005, 07:55 PM

In place and assembled

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/together3.JPG

xtremexj94

11-22-2005, 07:58 PM

Getting steering figured out

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/steering1.JPG

RADDONKEY

11-22-2005, 08:00 PM

Man, that XJ is sweet. Keep up the good work. RD

xtremexj94

11-22-2005, 08:01 PM

Thanks to Weps for the inspiration on the hi-steer arms:D

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/steering3.JPG

xtremexj94

11-22-2005, 08:02 PM

One more of the steering

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/hi-steer!.JPG

xtremexj94

11-22-2005, 08:04 PM

Together and ready to roll outside for the first time

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/together2.JPG

xtremexj94

11-22-2005, 08:06 PM

Bedliner applied to box and cab and ready for a drive around the block

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/outside2.JPG

MassZJ

11-22-2005, 08:10 PM

That looks bad ass. What are you going to do about up travel, chop or limit it with some bump stops?

Fozzy_Bear

11-23-2005, 07:38 AM

Found a Comanche at the Pick-n-pull and cut the rear cab off

That is some nice fab work, but I was wondering:

With all of the custom work (new bed, roof ext. etc) you did, why did you bother getting a comanche rear section? Why not just add a pannel and rear glass to the original body?

I have never done fab work of that magnitude, but is seems that you didn't get much advantage from that.

Not that I am looking to critisize.. I am genuinely curious since I have an XJ and am considering that conversion as next year's project. Would you do it the same way if you had it to do over?

xtremexj94

11-23-2005, 07:56 AM

MassZJ - up travel is set at 4" with bumpstops - there are no issues.

Fozzy Bear - it was much quicker (and less stressful) to use an existing section that you only need to trim and graft in.

Fozzy_Bear

11-23-2005, 08:58 AM

...
Fozzy Bear - it was much quicker (and less stressful) to use an existing section that you only need to trim and graft in.

OK, cool. - Thanks for the info.

trailxj

11-23-2005, 09:47 AM

damn, thats pretty slick. now we need some action shots....

xtremexj94

11-23-2005, 10:21 AM

Short video clip:

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/skegvid.MPG

I will try and put up what few action shots I have tonight.

ashmanjeepXJ

11-23-2005, 12:38 PM

Short video clip:

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/skegvid.MPG

I will try and put up what few action shots I have tonight.

I dont know how to rate "cool" mud videos.. it looks muddy? :flipoff2:

The 404s are sweet. I didnt see th pics of back before, looks cool.

XJ618

11-23-2005, 01:19 PM

Looks sick, nice work man.

texasxj

11-23-2005, 01:30 PM

one of my buddies just shot me this link!! Your xj looks badass!!! good clean work! on your previous 44, did you use the radius arms? if so if you have any pics or tips on how you rigged them up would you mind posting them. I was thinking about just tapping in heims and mounting it up the unibody tied in with a crossmember. thanks for any help

xtremexj94

11-23-2005, 01:38 PM

Thanks for the compliments guys - it means an awful lot to get respect on such a hardcore board. :D

ashmanjeepxj - I was waiting for you to chime in - I've been following your build-up for quite a while - it's definitely sick :smokin:

texasxj - the HP44 came out of a 77 1/2 F250 so it was leaf sprung - not much help for you.

tntcherokee

11-23-2005, 04:52 PM

Can you show us some pics of how you braced the unibody and set up your four-link mounts to the unibody? I just started chopping a 2 door cherokee but havent decided if Im gonna do the mj back or leave it open and keep the back seat???? Your swaying me to closing it, that looks fawkin sweet.

weps

11-23-2005, 05:24 PM

[QUOTE=xtremexj94]Thanks to Weps for the inspiration on the hi-steer arms:D
You're welcome!:grinpimp:
looks GREAT!

ANLPROB

11-23-2005, 06:53 PM

Hey XtremeXJ94... where's the current pics cause I know what you've gots around it .... hmm, you really need those pics up dude cause it completely is freakin sweeeeeet!
Gotta love your friends.

xtremexj94

11-23-2005, 08:12 PM

I don't have many action pics at this point but here's a few

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/IM000224.JPG

xtremexj94

11-23-2005, 08:13 PM

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/IM000225.JPG

xtremexj94

11-23-2005, 08:14 PM

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/IM000226.JPG

Yeah, no shortage of mud - what I wouldn't give for some rocks!

xtremexj94

11-23-2005, 08:16 PM

As ANLPROB hinted at, we've been working on the exo cage. I don't have any finished pics yet - maybe this weekend. Here's one of the half-way point

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/exo2.JPG

KKno

11-24-2005, 12:02 AM

Awesome truck. It looks like the rear wheel should still sit back a bit more to be centered in the wheel well a bit better. Maybe it fits properly at full compression, but you said that there was only 4 inches of up travel and that doesnt seem to be enough for it to sit centered?

-Kevin

Ken Carter / BRUISER

11-24-2005, 04:15 AM

xtremexj94

11-24-2005, 09:04 AM

...for my USer name and you will find exactly what you want to see..

Ken, that wouldn't have been a shot at us Canadians, eh?:flipoff2:

mark.bales

11-24-2005, 09:52 AM

good work I like it!:smokin:

now post some pics of your crossmembers for the 4 link:)

crossmember pic's?????

xtremexj94

11-24-2005, 10:27 AM

Sorry Mark, wasn't forgetting about you. I don't have any pics because there are no crossmembers for the 4-link bars. Both front and rear links are attached directly to the uniframe. Lower bars are directly below rails and parallel to each other. All mounts are 1/4" plate braced to the underside and inside of the uniframe.

rckjeep

11-24-2005, 10:57 AM

it's too small. Nice work man. I'd like to see it in person but I doubt it'll happen.

ANLPROB

11-26-2005, 07:00 PM

Hey buddy.... dammit, more pixies for the crew!! Or I'll come over and have to mallest your a$$!

davidt

11-26-2005, 10:00 PM

Nice build up, looks :smokin: More pics of the back, top and how you tied it in would be much appreciated. Oh yeah, needs more triangulation :flipoff2:

master94546

11-27-2005, 12:46 AM

my question is where did u get the rims ive been having a hard time finding any that will fit the mog axles what brand are they

davidt

11-27-2005, 01:29 AM

info on rims is here on post # 83
http://www.reno4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1102&page=9

xtremexj94

11-27-2005, 07:29 PM

Finally got it out of the garage today so I could take some pics of the finished exo. Well, nearly finished. I still need to get a little more tubing so I can put 2 roof bars on yet.

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/exo3.JPG

xtremexj94

11-27-2005, 07:30 PM

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/exo4.JPG

xtremexj94

11-27-2005, 07:30 PM

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/exo5.JPG

xtremexj94

11-27-2005, 07:31 PM

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/shaneexo3.jpg

xtremexj94

11-27-2005, 07:32 PM

Last one

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/shaneexo6.jpg

XJ618

11-27-2005, 07:59 PM

Damn, that looks sick, awesome work man.

ZJARCHER

11-27-2005, 09:04 PM

:smokin: Looks awesome! great chop job... 'specially liking the bed fab

Ken Carter / BRUISER

11-28-2005, 09:25 AM

NIce Job .. it does look kinda like Ashman's was :)

xtremexj94

11-28-2005, 10:11 AM

NIce Job .. it does look kinda like Ashman's was :)

Yeah, you guys have provided a lot of inspiration on this project over the last few years :D

herzog

11-28-2005, 01:14 PM

That is one slick xj. Nice job.

camoxj

11-28-2005, 05:29 PM

What size coils did you use, cuz my buddy has some 404's sittin in his backyard and im thinkin about doin this to my xj.

xtremexj94

11-28-2005, 07:32 PM

4" coils and a couple more from the coil mounts in front and stock TJ rear coils in the rear, again with a little more from the mounts.

4Mogger

11-28-2005, 09:18 PM

Very nice work! Looks great and appears to work even better. Congrats on a very cool project. :cool:

dukguy

11-29-2005, 12:08 AM

Do you mind telling how much you spent on the narrowed housings and 404 shafts? I have a set of 411's in my garage.

Sharp

11-29-2005, 01:53 AM

hey man im also in edmonton, pm me your details, id love to come by and take a look at your rig, sure looks slick, not too many portaled rigs in these parts.... some in cowtown....
ill be back in edmonton on the 27dec
i have the desert sand tj on 37s, maybe youve seen it around....?
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d19/Sharptarga/IMG_0776.jpg
really sweet rig man! :beer:

xtremexj94

11-29-2005, 08:01 AM

4Mogger - thanks for the compliments. I'm waiting to see how yours works:smokin:

dukguy - I got my stuff from Exaxt. I forget off the top of my head what the costs were but they are all listed at http://www.exaxt.ca

Sharp - I haven't actually seen you around. What part of the city are you in? I'm mostly in the West end and North side.

Sharp

12-03-2005, 10:46 AM

i'm on the west side too, but my heep is sleeping at the mo, i'm out in Hungary studding so thats why i said ill only be back around xmas time, ill shoot you a pm when i get back, we'll have to grab a beer or two, and youll have to let me drool all over your rig. :beer:

Tydes

12-03-2005, 12:28 PM

what wheels are those?

xtremexj94

12-05-2005, 10:07 AM

Tydes - they were cutom built. Are you in the market for some? These are for sale - PM me if you are interested.

master94546

12-06-2005, 01:30 AM

i love the way ur rig turned out im working on mine now. im going with 2 steeing axles and leaving them the full width of the mog since i already got 13" of lift. my question is have u ran it on the freeway and what rpm did u spin at if you did

4Mogger

12-06-2005, 04:03 AM

xtremexj94

12-06-2005, 08:25 AM

At 50 MPH it runs around 2900 on the factory tach. It only sees that when I have to run between stretches of trail down the highway.

camoxj

12-06-2005, 05:37 PM

when are we going to see some flex pics of the jeep?

xtremexj94

12-07-2005, 08:02 AM

when are we going to see some flex pics of the jeep?

Maybe this weekend if I can find the time and somewhere to flex it up close to home.

s1037s

12-07-2005, 09:19 AM

this has inspired me to go buy the xj down the road that has been sitting for about 2 years.I dopn't have the budget you have, but I sure like your ideas! I have a pair of d70s in my garage now. nice work.

xtremexj94

12-07-2005, 11:41 AM

Budget - what budget!:laughing: I went WELL over my budget about 6 months ago - so far the wife hasn't asked for a divorce but I'm sure she's not far away some days.:eek:

4Mogger

12-07-2005, 12:06 PM

Budget - what budget!:laughing: I went WELL over my budget about 6 months ago - so far the wife hasn't asked for a divorce but I'm she's not far away some days.:eek:
Me too-- started over the budget almost exactly 6 months ago. And now Christmas! All I asked for is a infrared thermometer to keep tabs on the running gear on the highway. If I buy anything else I will be living in the garage with my toys!

xtremexj94

12-07-2005, 12:21 PM

If I buy anything else I will be living in the garage with my toys!
I know how you feel! I was trying to talk my way into just a low end camcorder for Christmas and I got "the look". Oh well, there's always next year! :D

xjtony

12-07-2005, 02:53 PM

xtremexj94 :
What leaf springs did you have on the rear with the 42's on in the first few pics? How much lift with the 42's with the leaves in the rear? im asking because i am putting 42's on mine in a few weeks.

xtremexj94

12-07-2005, 02:56 PM

Never had leaves on it since the 42s were on. Are you talking about the very first 2 pics on page 1? That was with 37s and the springs were just a compilation of leaves.

gutt_72

12-07-2005, 05:09 PM

Hey man, sweet build! Are you still working at 4wheel? If you ever have it down at the shop I wouldn't mind droppin' in to take a look. Regardless, it looks like it turned out great.

xtremexj94

12-07-2005, 07:47 PM

gutt 72 - No, not at 4 Wheel anymore. The XJ stays at home in the garage these days - I can drive around town but it won't be seeing any highway trips (except on the trailer):grinpimp:

ANLPROB

12-11-2005, 11:50 PM

:) Hey, you still gonna give me a hand in January when I am pulling my deal apart? You still havn't brought the rig back over to my place since you finished it off!! Did you pick up the hubs from the machine shop last Friday? Lets go get some more pics of the rig soon!:)

xtremexj94

12-12-2005, 08:16 AM

:) You still havn't brought the rig back over to my place since you finished it off!! Did you pick up the hubs from the machine shop last Friday? Lets go get some more pics of the rig soon!:)

You're welcome to roll by any time dude (it's only 10 blocks away).:flipoff2: Yes, I did pick up the hubs - now I just need to find the time to install them.:)

WA-HCRC

12-14-2005, 08:13 PM

your truck gives me wood like mtv video sluts. i wanna do a cab chop on my 2dr rokee now.

WA-HCRC

12-24-2005, 06:20 PM

any updates?

xtremexj94

12-28-2005, 12:10 PM

Not much for updates at the moment - starting the work on the disc brake swap. Just waiting for a few more parts and I'll get some pictures up of that.

jn_bar

12-28-2005, 12:53 PM

keep the pictures coming! that is a sweet xj:smokin:

1981k20

12-28-2005, 04:53 PM

Nice ride Shane, it's been a while since I've seen it, looks AWSOME!!!

Sharp

12-29-2005, 08:40 AM

well i'm back in edmonton, you guys want to set up a place and time to meet, have a few beers i'd love to see that rig. Shaun is that you, we are yet to meet too! :beer:

xtremexj94

12-29-2005, 10:49 AM

well i'm back in edmonton, you guys want to set up a place and time to meet, have a few beers i'd love to see that rig. Shaun is that you, we are yet to meet too! :beer:

Yeah, we'll have to do that sometime after New Years. And yes, that is Shaun.

beartercj

12-29-2005, 11:21 AM

Dude that thing is sweet i havent seen it since you had just cut the top off it.

ANLPROB

01-05-2006, 08:21 PM

Hey Shane,
Let me borrow your diffs n tires... please please please.... ahhh common... I just need them .... forever.:) I know I know...... but my Heep is now parked for the revamp thingys. Gonna go with Prostars and Goodyear Front runners all around.:shaking: :shaking: Talk to you this weekend buddy.

Sharp

01-06-2006, 12:41 AM

When are you guys up for a edmonton meet? :beer:

xtremexj94

01-06-2006, 08:27 AM

Maybe in the next couple of weeks - I'm trying to get my disc brake swap done so I can just drive it to meet you guys. We'll see what I get done this weekend and I'll have a better idea.

Sharp

01-06-2006, 09:59 AM

Shane i'm BORED STIFF, please give me a call if you need a hand!!! sold my bender and welder before i went to Europe so i have nothing that i can do on my own rig...
thanks Shalil
484-7860:smokin:

xtremexj94

01-06-2006, 11:13 AM

Shane i'm BORED STIFF, please give me a call if you need a hand!!! sold my bender and welder before i went to Europe so i have nothing that i can do on my own rig...
thanks Shalil
484-7860:smokin:

Thanks for the offer, but it's more of a parts waiting game than anything else. That and some custom brackets for the calipers.

bigtoyfreak

02-04-2006, 06:24 PM

Looks awesome Shane! You'll have to come down and wheel with Tim and I sometime!

xtremexj94

02-06-2006, 08:07 AM

Looks awesome Shane! You'll have to come down and wheel with Tim and I sometime!

Hey Corey - how's the rear steer coming? I'm just finishing up the disc swap as we speak so I should be in shape to come and wheel with you guys - thanks for the props. Give me a heads up if you're going out some time and I'll make arrangements to come down. For everyone else, I will try and get some pictures up of the disc swap in the next couple of days.

xtremexj94

02-09-2006, 07:55 AM

OK - as promised, some pics of the custom disc brakes.:grinpimp:
These are the stock hubs that I had turned down and drilled for 6 on 5.5
Thanks to Wolf359 for supplying me with the extra set of factory hubs.

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/6bolthubs.JPG

xtremexj94

02-09-2006, 07:58 AM

The brackets aren't all that fancy, but it was the best I could do with an angle grinder and drill press. The spacers were made on a buddy's small hobby lathe.

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/discs1.JPG

xtremexj94

02-09-2006, 07:59 AM

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/discs2.JPG

xtremexj94

02-09-2006, 08:00 AM

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/discs3.JPG

The vented rotors are from an early 80s Landcruiser and the calipers are Forged Billet Dynalites with 1.75" pistons. I will be using a single 1/4" spacer for a little extra caliper to wheel clearance.

xtremexj94

02-09-2006, 08:04 AM

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/discs4.JPG

Special thanks to Geargoyle for sharing his information on how he did this swap and providing me with part numbers for the calipers and the pads.

xtremexj94

02-09-2006, 08:43 AM

I drove it this past Sunday with the factory master cylinder just for a baseline and basically had the pedal an inch from the floor. I have an E350 master that I am going to try this weekend and see how that works. If the E350 doesn't give me the results I'm looking for I will try a master from a mid-70s Marquis with 4-wheel discs.

Yota Tony

02-09-2006, 10:44 AM

Damn that thing looks awesome.
Good to see some nice rigs in and around Canada!

xtremexj94

02-14-2006, 08:35 AM

Well, I got the E350 master installed on the weekend. It made a definite difference, but not what I was looking for. I removed the o-ring from the proportioning valve and that made a huge difference. I can't lock up the 42s but it definitely stops now. I'm still thinking that I may swap in the 4-wheel disc Marquis master because I still feel that the rear calipers are not getting the proper fluid level from the E350 master. If I was using smaller rear calipers the E350 would probably be perfect.

ashmanjeepXJ

02-14-2006, 12:09 PM

Kraqa

02-14-2006, 12:29 PM

i'm running the e350 MC and booster. very easy to install it. its got the 1-1/8" bore so it should be planty for my 1 ton calipers.

xtremexj94

02-14-2006, 01:12 PM

Im running larger calipers (Ford 1tons front and rear) and my E350 MC feals as you describe. I havent even pulled out the proportioning valve O-ring, You just pull out the piston and remove the Oring?

Yeah, you just remove the 13/16" nut from the end of the valve and pull the spring & piston out - it's kind of a square shaped o-ring. Then, just put the piston and spring back in and tighten up the nut.

xtremexj94

02-14-2006, 01:20 PM

i'm running the e350 MC and booster. very easy to install it. its got the 1-1/8" bore so it should be planty for my 1 ton calipers.

If I was running a regular 1-ton calipers up front and something like a 1/2-ton caliper in the rear, then the E350 would probably work wonders like it has for many others before me. However, I'm running Wilwood 1.75" 4-piston calipers front and rear, so I need a little more fluid volume and the Marquis master has basically the same size chambers front to back. I'll try and get this changed over tomorrow night or this weekend and it should do the trick.

longjeeper

02-28-2006, 04:36 PM

thats freakin awesome just what i was planing to do with my comanche one question how much clearance from the ground to the bottom of the mog diff just wanted to know

xtremexj94

03-01-2006, 08:11 AM

thats freakin awesome just what i was planing to do with my comanche one question how much clearance from the ground to the bottom of the mog diff just wanted to know

It's about 18" with 11 PSI in the tires.

longjeeper

03-02-2006, 02:11 PM

also i was wondering how much lift you gained with just installing the portal axles? thanks

xtremexj94

03-03-2006, 07:52 AM

There's lots of info to search on PBB regarding most of your questions - but I'll give you a helping hand.:flipoff2: Just installing portals with a stock suspension will net you about 5" of lift.

xtremexj94

03-05-2006, 03:46 PM

Did a little urban wheeling today so I could get some flex shots for those that asked.:D Not exactly a day on the trail but enough to feed the need and take the edge off.

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/flex1.JPG

xtremexj94

03-05-2006, 03:48 PM

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/flex2.JPG

Someone commented on the placement of the rear wheels in the well not being right - I think the pic shows that the placement is perfect.:flipoff2:

xtremexj94

03-05-2006, 03:48 PM

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/flex4.JPG

xtremexj94

03-05-2006, 03:50 PM

http://www3.telus.net/public/xtremexj/flex5.JPG

The front will flex more than the pics show - the rear does most of the work as far as 'ramping' goes. I'm very happy with how the rear suspension works - there is next to no rear steer. This is a minor miracle because the mounting points for the arms is less than ideal according to what the 'gurus' say. Oh well, guess I just got lucky.

MassZJ

03-05-2006, 04:03 PM

lovin it

camoxj

03-05-2006, 06:23 PM

its got some flex

WA-HCRC

07-08-2006, 03:01 AM

Xtreme, is this beast still running? updates mang. :D

gumbojeepyj

07-08-2006, 08:00 PM

sweet build! http://www.lockitupoffroad.net/phpBB2/images/smiles/wackit[1].gif

xtremexj94

07-14-2006, 04:45 PM

Xtreme, is this beast still running? updates mang. :D

Yeah, it's only been out twice this year and I have NO pics.:shaking: I haven't really been out much with the price of fuel up here (nearly $4.30/US gallon).:eek: Some of us are heading out 22/23 so hopefully I can get some pics then if I remember my camera.

WA-HCRC

07-14-2006, 04:53 PM

that'll be a sweet bday present for me from canada, mines the 23rd:D hope to see some more action pics man, any changes to the rig?

xtremexj94

07-18-2006, 12:47 PM

No changes currently. I'm trying not to spend any more on the XJ this year as I'm trying to find a Cummins tow rig to buy that I can actually afford.:rolleyes:

xtremexj94

10-12-2006, 09:41 AM

Just a few pics from this past weekend - nothing special.

xtremexj94

10-12-2006, 09:51 AM

Unfortunately, these are all of the pics I have from this trip at the moment. These were the only real rocks I've seen around our area. This is from central Alberta near Grande Prairie. As I get more time, I will try and get some more pics up just so people know that I actual do wheel this rig when I get the chance.:flipoff2:

haywire05

10-12-2006, 12:49 PM

yeah right i saw you take it off the trailer on the side of the road and park it in that creek . lol cheers Jason get your ass down here in the new year and we well have an annual mog days .

xtremexj94

10-12-2006, 01:23 PM

yeah right i saw you take it off the trailer on the side of the road and park it in that creek . lol cheers Jason get your ass down here in the new year and we well have an annual mog days .

I'm all over the Mog Days thing! Let me know when you finally get you junk together.:flipoff2:

yager

10-12-2006, 01:38 PM

How did the brake master cylinder swap(s) turn out ???

xtremexj94

10-12-2006, 02:21 PM

How did the brake master cylinder swap(s) turn out ???

I ended up using a MC from a 77 Grand Marquis with factory 4-wheel disc. Currently factory proportioning valve and seems to work OK. I could probably use a little less rear bias but it's good enough for me.

Ceg

12-26-2006, 04:16 PM

That rig is bad @ss!

smurison14

12-27-2006, 06:03 PM

Definitely my favorite build on pirate! I plan on doing something verrrry similar to yours on a MJ. Did you fab that front bumper, or buy it? thanks, Sweeet Build!!!

xtremexj94

12-28-2006, 08:08 AM

Everything on the Jeep was built at home. I just had a few ideas in my mind and tried to recreate them with the tools I had at my disposal. There would have been some trick stuff if I'd had a plasma cutter and my own tube bender.

ProJunkRacing

12-28-2006, 08:53 AM

Another Qulity Pirate Build .

stjjames

12-05-2009, 01:00 AM

:smokin:

xjdoug

12-05-2009, 11:27 AM

holy dead thread batman! you dragged up a 3 year old thread to post a smoking smiley?

xtremexj94

02-28-2010, 07:47 PM

holy dead thread batman! you dragged up a 3 year old thread to post a smoking smiley?

Well, it has definitely been a dead thread for long enough, but now I have some updates to add.:D I had a rough wheeling year in 2009 as I had some major mechanical issues which allowed me only 1 wheeling day in all of 2009.:mad3:
It all started last January when my knock-off wastegate failed and allowed the turbo to hit around 16lbs of boost and destroy the head gasket. Luckily the only damage was a totally breached #1 and #6 metal ring on the gasket and some stretched head bolts. I pulled the engine anyways and replaced it with another one so I could get up and running again.
Then in May, something let go in my front 3rd member and locked up the carrier in the locked position. Upon getting it home and pulling it apart, I found that the inner most pinion bearing bore had a chunk missing which is obviously what locked the front solid.
After considering my options, I decided that it was time to build the Mog9s that I so desperately wanted to build when I first did the portals over 5yrs ago. I mentioned what I was about to undertake to my good friend Corey from Workhorse Automotive Inc. and he let me know that he was working on some prototype fabricated 9" housings destined for the Canadian market. They were so new that he didn't even have a finished version yet. He graciously offered me the components for my front and rear diffs so I could help get some exposure for them. I would love to show you the components as I received them, but Corey has asked for me to show only the assembled pieces.
All I can say is I have a new respect for Spidertrax and Diamond Axle after experiencing first hand how much labor goes into assembling a housing like this from scratch with all the welding and grinding.:eek:
The housings are all 1/4" with a 3/8" faceplate. I opted to used 3" x 0.375" for the tubing for some added beef with the portals. This is the front housing after about 4 hours of welding and set-up time.

xtremexj94

02-28-2010, 07:48 PM

..and after 1.5 hrs of grinding

xtremexj94

02-28-2010, 07:53 PM

Thanks to Don Henry from Taradon for supplying me with these super awesome housing ends.:smokin:

xtremexj94

02-28-2010, 08:01 PM

Unfortuneately, I was in such a hurry to get the front together last summer that I didn't take any other pics except the finished product. It's really ashame, but I did have a couple of pics of the front axle shafts that I had made but I accidentally erased them when I was cleaning up a couple of folders on the computer. Thanks to my buddy Don at Gen-X Machining in Red Deer for doing an awesome job of cutting and splining a long side 404 shaft to 31-spline Ford for me for the short side. Also, a big thanks to Stan at Branik Motorsports for putting up with my numerous calls checking to see if my 4340 long side shaft was done. It truly was a work of art. Here is the finished pic of the front from August.

XJLONGO

02-28-2010, 08:07 PM

This is a sick build great fab work

xtremexj94

02-28-2010, 08:14 PM

For the front I went with 3.50 gears and a 31-spline Detroit to avoid any potential issues associated with selectable lockers. I know some of you are going to ask why 31-spline, but with the portals the upper shaft only sees half the load so they will be more than adequate. I had originally tried to modify a stock pinion support for the flipped 3rd oiling issues similar to what JR did on his Bronco buggy. I must have done something wrong in my oil passages, because while getting ready to attend an event my club puts on every August, I had my front pinion bearings starve themselves of oil on a downhill section of highway and literally welded the outer pinion bearing race to the pinion. Talk about making an abrupt stop from 50mph.:eek:
So, I decided to bite the bullet and called up Scott at Portaltek for some of their trick aluminum pinion supports to help with my oiling issues. They sent me both supports, set-up kits, and 1330 yokes for both diffs. Unfortuneately, this wasn't the end to my problems.
After spending literally hours to unsuccessfully try and set up the pinion bearing preload, I made a desperate call to Scott to see if he had any suggestions. At the same time, I noticed that there was a slight problem with the holes in the supports that didn't line up with either of my 3rd on a couple of the holes. Scott told me to send him the whole works and they would set them up for me at no charge - talk about customer service! So after a couple of weeks worth of shipping and waiting on parts, Scott calls me to tell me that the reason I couldn't get things set up, was that their supplier sent them solid spacers for a standard pinion support and not the Daytona style that theirs are. At least I felt better knowing that it wasn't my fault for failing. So, another couple of weeks go by and I got everything back from Scott and the boys, including 2 brand new supports because the ones I had didn't meet with their approval because of the slightly offset holes. After that, the front diff set-up was a no brainer and it was together after only 3 set-up adjustments. Now on to the rear, which was an adventure in itself.:shaking:
When I was trying to set up the rear third, I had major issues getting a good pattern. I must have spent 6 hours trying different combos of shims and backlash with no change making a difference for the good. I called all of my contacts that are good with gears and sent them pics nobody could figure it out. I finally phoned Randy's and told them I was convinced that I had a mismatched ring and pinion. After consulting with their techs, they cam to the same conclusion and I was once again waiting a couple of weeks for replacement parts.:mad3: I have NEVER had such an issue with incorrect and mis-manufactured parts in my life, and I have been a parts guy for nearly 20 years. Anyways, the new gear set finally arrived and I was able to get it right on the second try.

xtremexj94

02-28-2010, 08:22 PM

I didn't take any pics of the rear housing during assembly because it was basically a repeat of the front, but it went twice as fast due to having some assembly order in place at that point.

xtremexj94

02-28-2010, 08:34 PM

Once again, my buddy Don from Gen-X Machining did a beautiful job cutting and splining the long side 404 rear shafts for the 35-spline 9" spool.

xtremexj94

02-28-2010, 08:39 PM

After getting the shafts back from Don, I got busy painting and assembling the rear diff. The last pic gives a good look at the Portaltek pinion support and the Yukon 3rd member housing the 3.50 gears and 35-spline spool. I would also like to give a big thanks to Mo at Ablerta Driveline for doing such a great job on my driveshafts in record time too!

xtremexj94

02-28-2010, 08:47 PM

Well, as of today, the old girl is about ready to leave the garage for the first time since August.:smokin: All that is left for me to do is mount the rear Anti-Rock and then I'm set for 2010.

YJ_and_Corey

02-28-2010, 09:43 PM

That XJ is so sweet, so sweet I need NO SUGAR in my evenin' tea...

pipehitter155

03-01-2010, 06:16 AM

very cool axle build up...but why did you go with coils???

xtremexj94

03-01-2010, 09:04 AM

very cool axle build up...but why did you go with coils???

That's what I could afford when I did the original portal swap. Also, I like the predictability of the coils in the rear especially when they are captured top and bottom - they don't unload like coilovers/air shocks tend to do. I wouldn't mind having some coilovers in the front for packaging purposes, but with the portals I would have to run something fairly short and take up extra real estate under the hood. These diffs will end up under a new rig later this year and I can address all of that at the time.

Greg72

03-02-2010, 07:54 AM

xtremexj94

03-02-2010, 08:32 AM

Glad I found this thread.... :smokin:

Looks like you've found good sources for a lot of the "specialty" parts (end plates, pinion support, axle shafts, etc) so I'll be sure to rely on those leads on my own build as well.

Quick (and dumb) question on the inner axle shafts.... How do you get an accurate measurement to know what the overall length of the shortened shaft will be? Is there a specific "index" that is used on the carrier and portal housing to establish the correct length? It seems that "a little short" would be a lot safer than "a little long" and I'm not sure how much endplay is desirable. At this point I'm still quite a way from needing to order shafts, but it's a question that's been rolling around in my brain for a while now.

The build looks great, and thanks for helping me along with a few hints on my own build thread. :grinpimp:

-G
:usa:

Thanks for the props. As far as measuring the shafts, in the front I used the bushing surface on the shaft as my reference. I took note of where the shaft rides and then measured in to the inside edge of the side gears and then subrtracted 1/4" for clearance. In the rear, I measured from the end of the cast adapter and measure to the side gears again less 1/4". I marked the shafts so there was no questions of where they need to be cut and splined. If you need any help let me know and I'll do my best to help you through.:smokin:

xtremexj94

03-14-2010, 04:17 PM

Got the Anti-Rock bar mounted last weekend. The mounting is similar to what vetteboy did with his so I'm confident it will hold up just fine.

xtremexj94

03-14-2010, 09:27 PM

I finally got to take it out for a shake down yesterday. Unfortunately, I didn't have my photographer (wife) with me, but I did get a couple of poser shots for now. The XJ is about 84.5" outside width, which is about 4" wider than it was with the Iroks when I first put the portals under it.

YJ_and_Corey

03-14-2010, 09:48 PM

Not ANOTHER 4-linked, turbo-charged, MJ cabbed XJ with hybrid 9/MOG diffs with an Exo on 42's....sheesh, can we see something original PLEASE :shaking::shaking:

*yes of course I am fucking joking, what a sweet XJ*

mog-10

05-22-2010, 06:06 PM

nice rig

xtremexj94

10-30-2010, 11:05 AM

Well, finally go some REALLY GOOD wheeling pics to post for a change.:smokin: Made my second trip to Moab the last 2 weeks of September and had an unbelievable time - made the 24hrs of driving one way worth it. We were there for 10 days and wheeled 7 of those. As far as trails go, we ran Fins & Things, Hells Revenge, Flat Iron Mesa, Poison Spider, Golden Spike, Behind the Rocks, Pritchett Canyon, Gold Bar Rim, Rusty Nail, and of course Area BFE.:D Here are a few pics to show that I actually do wheel sometimes.:flipoff2:

This is a nice series of shots courtesy of YJ_and_Corey's lovely wife as he stands on top of the ledges at the top of the "Chute" on Flat Iron Mesa. I was momentarily possessed by the spirits of Moab as I attempted the craziest climb of my XJs life.

xtremexj94

10-30-2010, 11:08 AM

And way up and over...

xtremexj94

10-30-2010, 11:19 AM

Took a poke at Britney but she wasn't into my mojo so I just ran the bottom half and came back down.

xtremexj94

10-30-2010, 11:24 AM

Took a few pics of Green Day, Lock Jaw and Minor threat but the highlight of my trip was Helldorado.:smokin:

Gatekeeper:

xtremexj94

10-30-2010, 11:25 AM

...more Gatekeeper

xtremexj94

10-30-2010, 11:27 AM

The Squeeze definitely doesn't like wide vehicles - did a little tube bending here but made it through.

xtremexj94

10-30-2010, 11:29 AM

Had some more fun at the Boulders which are WAY larger in person than the videos and pics give them credit for.

xtremexj94

10-30-2010, 11:31 AM

And finally the Waterfall. Now that I've been home for a while and watching some videos of this obstacle, I'm pissed at myself for not giving it a try without the winch.:shaking: But, seeing as I was the only one in our group to go into Helldorado, I didn't want to end up in a bad spot with no other recovery vehicles so I played it safe. Nontheless, I was sure stoked by the time I was at the top for even being there. What a great feeling!!!

xtremexj94

10-30-2010, 11:38 AM

All in all, it was a great time spent with friends from our club, as well as meeting some of the locals from the Moab Friends for Wheeling who took us under their wings and showed us a great time on Behind the Rocks and Pritchett.

One thing is for sure, Pitbull Rockers are AMAZING in the Moab rocks!! Nobody in our group could believe how they hung onto anything that they touched. They even got me into trouble on Rocker Knocker because they wanted to climb the ledge instead of slide along it so I damn near ended up on my drivers door a couple of times. Anyhoe, hope you enjoy the pics as much as I enjoyed being there.:D

jeffhaut

10-30-2010, 12:17 PM

looks awesome man, glad you posted this in your build, i was drooling on your rig from corey's pictures on Crawlin

Greg72

10-31-2010, 05:06 AM

xtremexj94

10-31-2010, 10:28 AM

Great pics! Seeing Moab photos always gives me the jones to get back out there!!

When you say that you drove 24 hours, did you mean towing or driving the rig? I have a plan to someday drive to Moab on my own portal'ed rig and was curious how hour after hour after hour of highway driving would actually be.

Looks like you spanked some pretty serious obstacles too! What was it like wheeling in Moab with all the extra clearance under the diffs? It's got to make a huge difference in the lines you can choose over things.

-G
:usa:

We trailered down - the drive is 12hrs x 2 days. This is the 2nd trip to Moab with the portals but we only got 3 days of wheeling last trip. You definitely can take some different lines and not have to worry about getting hung up where others would. I would say the biggest advantage was the Pitbulls - they just plain hook up!

sniperreaper666

11-02-2010, 05:17 PM

nice build i hope my 87 cherokee ends up that badass :flipoff2:

funk_1964

03-27-2011, 08:06 PM

updates? i'd like to see some video of this beast:smokin:

aircruiserxj

03-28-2011, 12:05 AM

more please :D jeep is looking sweet man now im debating on leaving the back seats in mine or making a bed haha

Timo_90xj

03-28-2011, 04:05 AM

This thing does look good :smokin:

I've been wondering if I should also swap the center sections on my 404s to something different and just use the portal boxes.. the pinion is so damn long on the mog axles and slightly too much towards center of the axle, so there isn't much clearance between pinion and oil pan at full bump.

How big of a difference there was in ground clearance under the pumpkin compared to stock 404 center section and the 9" housings you're using?

xtremexj94

03-28-2011, 10:10 AM

Nothing really new to report - just trying to keep wheeling and not have the down time that I seem to have been experiencing over the last few years. As far as ground clearance goes, I probably gained about 1/2" with the 9s vs the 404s. Mercedes did a fantastic job of making the factory housings tuck up out of the way.:smokin: Some day I'll load some videos onto Youtube and post some links but I never seem to have the time.

Timo_90xj

03-28-2011, 11:19 AM

Out of curiosity, what's the ground clearance under uniframe rails? Couldn't see that info anywhere. Right now my XJ is at slightly under 19" at full bump, so should be around 25" at ride height.

The primary reason I'm thinking about swapping in aftermarket center sections to replace the mogs is I'd like to move the pumpkin a bit to the left, so I could drop the body a little lower. It looks like your XJ is pretty close to the same height mine will be once it's finished, have you had any issues keeping the rubberside down?

xtremexj94

03-28-2011, 02:56 PM

Not sure what the frame rail height is. I can tell you that overall height is under 7' - about 82" if I remember. Never flipped it - too much weight down low holding it down.:D

Gravy

03-29-2011, 11:41 AM

All in all, it was a great time spent with friends from our club, as well as meeting some of the locals from the Moab Friends for Wheeling who took us under their wings and showed us a great time

Glad you had fun with the Moab Friends for Wheeling!
Great folks. I have the pleasure of knowing most of them quite well and I have to say they have the more fun on the trail than most anyone else :D

Here's a link to their blog

http://webejeepinmoab.com/?p=2142
(this is their October Pritchett trip)

I'm fairly sure they got some good pics of you on Pritchett too!