OK I've got the Nomex on so flame away.I blew the front diff in the KJ so I'll be doing a SFA.On the advice of someone who knows alot more than I it'll be a D44 with coils,Dana 300 T-case and possibly a 44 in the back.Whatever goes in the back it'll be a long arm set up front and rear.
Basically I'd like to get some feedback on what to source parts from and what to do with it after I get it.I'm going junkyarding this afternoon and will check back alot.So let the :nuke: begin.

trail ready did this swap, you might want to call them and ask them about their kj.

another thing, go to the toy truck forum and research sfa or sas their. they will have more useful info over there. all our rigs came with solid axles.

The rear's already solid,that's the easy part.Trail Ready used a D30 and the stock rear.I've decide I only want to do this once so I'll be doing a 44 front and rear with a custom long arm set up.I've used the search and looked at the newbie post and checked the articles there.
What I'd like to know is what to source the front axle from.I'm 60" wide now and with the lift I'll be using (4+")a wider axle(62-64") would be nice.I'm just not that familiar with what came with good axles and what came with junk.
I came here 'cause the other forums just don't have the experience with mods that I've found here.I can put up with the crap and shots.I know there's alot of knowledge here.Just gotta find it.

well hell, just search like you are putting 1 ton axles under an xj or yj. since you are putting a dana 300 under there go with a passenger side front dif, like a full size chevy and a 60 rear. that would be wide. if you want to go scout 44s front and rear, or wagoneer 44s front and rear you would be closer to 60 inches wms. you would actually be slightly narrower with those axles. if your going for 44s and all that jazz, just go straight to a 44/60 or 60/60 combo. chevy if it is the dana 300, ford if it is the 231. i would probably just do leaf springs all the way around for simplicity and cost, but if you think you can put together an effective link suspension with coils, have at it. you might even want to put something together stealing from the front of a cherokee or tj. i would personally do the leafs though. you would need to outboard the spring perches in front for a full size swap, new brake lines that are longer, drive shafts, tons of stuff. i'm not sure of the shape of the frame up front either, that might be a pain. ( do those things even have a frame? or are the unibody. if unibody, i would simply go find something else to build )

anyway you look at it, doing all that to a kj will be expensive, void the warranty, and still leave you with a kj in the end.

i would think an easier base rig could be used.

Originally posted by aaronlosey


and still leave you with a kj in the end.

i would think an easier base rig could be used.

or you could look at it like a very expensive Samurai.

I would say Waggy axles are what you're looking for. You will need a front from the '70's for passenger side dop to go w/ the D300 t/c. A front from the '80's will have a driver side drop if you want to keep your t/c. A lot of the rears were offset for the Quadratrack t/c in the '70's. From about '80 to '86 the rear will be an AMC20, But the Waggy version is about as good as a 44.
Most Waggy fronts are about 60.5". The difference in wheel backspacing & width will make it a few inches wider, compared to what you have now. Just guessing your stock wheels are only about 6" wide & have about 5" backspace. Going to a 7" wheel w/ 3.5" backspace would add 5" to your overall width.

The wheels are 16" x 7" and backspaced at 5 1/4".I'm looking at modifying an XJ long arm set up and having to make my own rear long arm set up. I'll probably go with 15" when this is done.
As far as the warranty goes,what warranty?DCX wouldn't pay for the front diff when it exploded.I'm outta pocket $1200 already so another few thousand isn't gonna change anything.Anyway thanks for the info.

ummm.... who cares about the wheels, they are gonna be the wrong bolt pattern by the time your done anyways. 1200 to fix the ifs? :eek: :barf:

that could have been most of your sfa right there. well, i say just drive it to a shop at this point and let them do it for you.

Count with me....


5





4




3




2




.... let's see some tech or this gets the axe.

I give you props for having a rig that costs that much and you are willing to cut into it. Search for your axles and transfer case and get to it.

All depends on how high you want to lift it. If you are going 5" or more I would look into a reverse cut Ford front 44 for a better pinion angle. But that also means driver side drop T-case and a front housing that is wider than you want. You could have it narrowed though.

Can you even fit a D44. I heard the reason TR went with the D30 is cause that's all that would fit. And I'm thinking your gonna but putting down more then just a few more thousand for this conversion. Most shops charge what $6,000 - 8,000 to do it?

Oh and see my sig for what I think of this of deal.

TR used a D30 'cause they wanted to do what Jeep shoulda done in the first place.So they say.Well I found a donor Chebby to get the knuckles from to do a high steer.Will these work with a Waggy axle?
SHOP!!!!!!!No shop is touching my Jeep!I didn't want to take it to a dealer for the warranty repair.Turned out to be a waste of time anyway.The guy from Chrysler had the nerve to tell me "make sure the repair is done at a Chrysler dealer so your warranty will be intact".What warranty?It's lifted,it had mud on it so they called it abuse.Oh yeah,it had skidplates that were scratched up.F%$k DCX and what they're doing to Jeep.I've done all the work so far and am not stopping now.

http://www.printroom.com/_vti_bin/ViewImage.dll?userid=JeepKJ&album_id=61313&image_id=3&courtesy=1

OMG. I totally did not realize that DC put an Aluminum diff in the KJ. What a joke. Farckin Jürgen Schrempf and his Boys from the Benz.

Bob

OK,Ive located a Waggy front axle from an '83 Wagoneer,got the knuckles from a Chebby to do the high steer.Can I get axle shafts made with a 5 on 5.5 for the 8.25" rear so I don't have to run adaptors or carry two different spares ?I've looked at what it would cost to do up a 300 and it's almost as much as an Atlas,so an Atlas it is.
Anyone running Claytons long arm on their XJ?Looks like an easy mod to fit the KJ.The only problem is the 6" lift he reccomends to run with it.Looks like it'll make the Jeep kinda high for a daily driver.Any suggestions for getting this part done?:question:

Originally posted by XR
Looks like it'll make the Jeep kinda high for a daily driver.Any suggestions for getting this part done?:question:

I'd go with a little less lift and hack up those pretty fenders a little. If you did it right, and added flares when you were done, it wouldn't look bad at all.

Just glad to see someones taking on the challenge of turning a KJ into a real Jeep. You have my support.

:beer:
Jake

Don't forget about steering, I doubt rack and pinion steering will work well with a traditional solid axle. Also, since the KJ was designed around IFS, there maybe some serious clearance problems for the live axle, your going to have to measure very carefully to ensure that the diff isn't hitting something during articulation, going with the smaller D30 may give you more room, but also give you a weaker axle.

All that said, I think this is a pretty cool idea, I got a KJ as a daily driver, and would like to do this to it someday. I'd really like to see how yours comes together, drop me a PM if you got any specific questions, or if I can help.

Chad

There's alot of room under there when the entire IFS crap is out.I know because I had it all out when replacing the "amazing exploding diff".Saginaw steering box from a full size Chebby.All the steering arms and such will be custom by me.
The "frame rails" are sustantial and will support everything needed.I was surprised how easy it's actually going to be.I think there was a solid front axle under there at some point in the development.Just a guess on my part.
I guess I oughta say I'm a journeyman machinist and build $40,000 Harleys for a paycheck.I know a little about fabrication and have got some world class help on the suspension.This is going to get way outta hand,I see it coming.:eek: :eek: :eek:

This exploding/cracking diff is getting to be more of a common occurrence, the 3rd or 4th one that I know of. If you want a little wider axle you can get one from a Cherokee Chief 64" wms to wms, your getting an atlas so you could go either way. Be kind of a waste to throw leaf springs under the front after doing all that work, coil setup from an XJ would be better sounds like that is the way your heading.

alright man I have just read your entire post. this is really interesting. you have to post some more pics of this please. I haven't had a chance to really look at the KJ yet but I would love to see someone swap a SFA in it.

BTW: I just put a dana 44 front from a 74 cherokee in my YJ. it was 71.5" WMS to WMS. it also came with flat top knuckles. just in case you need another palce to get a front axle from.

BUT PLEASE POST SOME PICS and a write up when you get it all done.

A change of plans may be in order.After talking with the suspension guy he says a 44 would be total overkill(I like overkill).So I gotta do some thinking here.Don't worry,this is gonna happen just got to sort the details.I'm only going to run 33's at the most so he said a reverse cut D30 would work for a long time without any problems.I have been asked to keep quiet until the job's done about who's helping and I gotta respect that.Christ Jeeps are as bad as Harleys.
Don't worry there'll be pics and a write-up when it's done.Probably September.

i got a better idea, slap in some toyota axles.

Originally posted by XR
A change of plans may be in order.After talking with the suspension guy he says a 44 would be total overkill(I like overkill).So I gotta do some thinking here.Don't worry,this is gonna happen just got to sort the details.I'm only going to run 33's at the most so he said a reverse cut D30 would work for a long time without any problems.
Don't worry there'll be pics and a write-up when it's done.Probably September.

hey! anything worth doing is worth over-doing!

Do you really want to put a D30 in your KJ for 33s when they can handle 32s maximum stock?

The real question is what do you plan on doing with your KJ? Hardcore crawling? A good rig to get to a remote camp site? If it's just for running up to a moderate trail such as getting to Point Sublime on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon then it should be ok. If your plans incude running over every rock along the Rubicon Trail you'll need something stouter. D30s can be beefed up with stronger alloy axle shafts and braces but that cost money. By the time you did all that you're looking at having a custom axle built from the ground up as long as you don't need the ultra killer Ford 450 knuckles.

Another consideration is budget. If you're rubbing nickles together to get dimes then start haunting junkyards for a Ford reverse cut 44 and retube it- you have the fabrication skills.

If the budget isn't a problem and you don't need gearing lower than 4.88 talk to Currie about a high pinion 9 with a high clearance center section.

Better yet, get a Terra 50 center section and build your front axle around that.

In the world of lifted XJs, the long control arm suspension has a smoother ride and handles bumps better. Also, as much as I hate to admit it, the KJ is an extremely rigid chassis- a good thing

Do you really want to put a D30 in your KJ for 33s when they can handle 32s maximum stock?

If they can only handle 32s, then how come mine is still not broken?

Originally posted by IndianaBlake


If they can only handle 32s, then how come mine is still not broken?

do you really want them to answer that?:D

man if you are gonna go through all that work of making a kj worthy i would most definately put a d-44 up front it only seems worth it even if you are only running 33's....do it right the first time so DC can take some lessons..go 44:smokin:

Originally posted by nmujeepin
man if you are gonna go through all that work of making a kj worthy i would most definately put a d-44 up front it only seems worth it even if you are only running 33's....do it right the first time so DC can take some lessons..go 44:smokin:

ok Im going to be a Devils advocate.

Use a RC Dana 30... that uses the 297? joint. 15-20% stronger than the standard D30 when moving forward. I ran 35's on mine since 2000 with a 4:1 and hand no problems... upgrading cause I figure im living on borrowed time thats all.



Im doing this in my TJ cause it saves the cost of cutting down a D44, making custom shafts, welding on spring plates.. and buying a new ARB. I have to pay to have all the mods done.. I dont have a shop nor the time. and it is my daily driver. In my case IT'S BOLT IN..

Some folks are easy on their axles & don't break them. I didn't break a 260 u joint on my XJ until I moved up to 35s. However, larger tires are very hard on D30s and their isn't much margin of strength left. I often explore very remote places and common sense and experience tells me that for good solid reliability, don't rely on a stock D30 for tires larger than 32 inches especially on rugged trails

Testimonial of a set up RRD30 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49905)

After reading this Im feeling good about my application.... and Im sure it will do u just fine too.

Now if u got to cut the axil down anyway and get custom lenght shafts... then yeah... go right to a D44.

If a RRD30 from a or WJ is perfect mate then go this route.

Thanks for the link.I'm going to run the RC D30,alloy shafts and CTM's if I can get 'em.Keeping the 8.25" corporate rear.Lunchbox locker in the rear,OX in the front.Woods SYE and driveshaft.4.56 gears.Some custom long arm front and rear.4-5" lift and 33's.If it breaks,it breaks.Won't be the first time.Waiting on Extreme's D30 high steer set up.Too lazy to do it the hard way.

How much are all those parts going to cost? They'll definitely make your D30 stronger but I'm wondering how that'll compare to the cost of a D44

yeah I was thinking the same...

for me.. it would be better to do the RRD30 but mostly cause I have an ARB allready and would have to buy another one, and I dont have to do any cutting.. mofifying... etc.. it will bolt right up (XJ RCD30 to TJ),

butttt for him... ..... I just dont know....

44 may be cheaper cause it wont need the CTM's and Chrome Molly Axils..

Stock shafts (cut down) and joints should do fine in that little thing

The main reason I'm going with the 30 is the guy that's helping with the long arm(Claytonsoffroad) has recommended it to make the set up work.If I start breaking things a 44 will be next.When I broke the IFS D30 the only thing that is usable is the carrier/spyders.It broke on a lame trail that I had just been up 45 minutes earlier.I don't do giant rocks yet and am sure this will be enough to make the KJ work for me.I'm looking for a base for a rock rig and need to do this as quick and easy as possible so we can move on to the next project.

Sounds good to me... I still say get a Reverse Cut D30, but iether way... haveeee funnnnnnn

My friends got a 98 tj with stock dana 30 4.10 with a 4 banger running 38.5 ground hawgs and it still aint broke but his dana 35 rear exploded the carrier, R&P and spiders back in january so he went to a 8.25 rear

Originally posted by subs1000w
My friends got a 98 tj with stock dana 30 4.10 with a 4 banger running 38.5 ground hawgs and it still aint broke but his dana 35 rear exploded the carrier, R&P and spiders back in january so he went to a 8.25 rear why the hell would he put an 8.25 in the rear of a tj ? that was about hte most wasteful axle swap i have ever heard of

its his daily driver so he had to fix it as soon as posible and we new a guy who had a 8.25 out of a cherokee with 4.10 ratio and a tracloc so we transferred the tj brackets and bolted it up my friend didnt have any money for a 44 or 9in so that was the only option besides fixing the 35 witch would of cost twice what the 8.25 cost but we new the 8.25 was a much stronger axel so it worked out good

If I've read correctly, the 8.25 is just about as weak as the 35c...

well my friend blew out his spider gears 3 times in one year with 32 inch mudterains and the 8.25 hasnt broke anything yet with 38.5 so i would say it is definitly stronger plus the 8.25 has a tracloc, shity but it does work sometimes

A 27 spline 8.25 is a POS.
A 29 spline 8.25 is slightly less a POS.


Jes

ill have to check the spline count i hope its a 29 spline do you guys know what years they used which one its out of a mid 90's XJ

Don't hold me to this but I think it's '96 and newer XJs come with the 29 spline units(although some come with the ultra crappy 35 as well).

:beer:

Jes