Im looking to upgrade my front axle and have a question about the pumpkin. on my 5 its on the passanger side but some of the axles i am looking at are driver side pumpkin. will these work or should i not even bother looking into them because there would be more modification than it may be worth. is there going to be any modifitcation when switching the pumpkin sides? Thanks, and sorry if im misuing terms.

Somebody may as well answer this.

Basically it needs to line up straight with the front output on your transfer case. You don't want the front driveshaft to be out of line in 2 planes (horiz/vertical). Major PIA if you wanted to swap to another transfer case that is driver side drop. Clearance issues with steering components, clutch linkage/arm, exhaust, etc, etc, etc.

At least you posted in the right place.You will need to cut the long tube and retube or “splice” the short tube and reweld the inner Cs to change a driver drop to a pass drop. The mounts will also have to be changed. So yes, there is a lot of modifications needed to switch the pumpkin sides. You really need to do some searching. The internet and this forum are full of info on jeep axle swaps. It all depends what you plan to use the jeep for and how much time and money ya got. Jeeps ain’t cheap or easy. :smokin:

Im looking to upgrade my front axle...

Why? Increased tire size? Or because 'it's the 'cool thing' to do?

Did you want to retain the stock 'narrow trac'? Or go 'wide trac' or 'full width'? Are you contemplating a lift? SOA? Or 4-Link? All things that will need to be considered and that will raise the overall cost of the modification.

Chevy, Jeep Wagoneer, or IHC Scout axles would be your 'best' choice followed by certain years of Dodge for the passenger side drop. Modifying a used driver's side (typically Fords), will be somewhat pricey if you have to 'send it out' to get it done correctly. But it can be done...It's all about the $$$.

Also, depending on the anticipated use of the CJ5, you might be able to build an 'adequate' Dana30. As long as you keep the tire size to under 35", aren't running big horsepower/torque, don't wanna 'jump dunes' (In a short WB CJ5, that'd be interesting), and take it easy on the skinny pedal...The stock axle with some 'mods' should hold up fine.

However...There is a 'point' that you will spend 'almost' the same amount on Mods as it would've cost you to move up to a Dana44.

Ditto to everything Hackfabricaton is telling you.

Might have helped to know what you now have for axles?
If your going to swap in an front axle into a older CJ with drums, diffinately find something with disc brakes!!!!!!

Good luck

thanks for the replys, im just tryin to go bigger than my stock narow track think 35? and amc 20. I am going for a spring over with some bigger tires more than likely 37 or something along that. I know its going to create the steep angle of the drive shaft so i was planning to use some XJ or Waggy Springs in the front and rear. I have been doing some research on how to do axle swaps but i guess i did not do enough towards which side the pumpkin was on and how to fix it.
Also one more thing, i saw a dana 60 semi float from a jeep gladiator and it was a rear. the odd thing was when i checked it out that the differental was not center, how big of an issue is this on the rear? and why would jeep make it uncenter? thanks. and sorry for these stupid questions im still figuring out,eventhought i have a pretty good idea, what i am doing.

Same applies to the rear as the front. You want the driveshaft to go as straight as possible to the differential. Not 6" to the left or right, that'd be hellacious

Also one more thing, i saw a dana 60 semi float from a jeep gladiator and it was a rear. the odd thing was when i checked it out that the differental was not center, how big of an issue is this on the rear? and why would jeep make it uncenter?
The reason for the offset diff is to accomidate the Quadratrac transfercase. It has an offset output, and to keep things relatively straight, the axle was built offset.

on my 5 its on the passanger side but some of the axles i am looking at are driver side pumpkin. will these work or should i not even bother looking into them because there would be more modification than it may be worth. is there going to be any modifitcation when switching the pumpkin sides? .


Dude, just for asking that question you need to put the tools down and back away slowly before anyone gets hurt. :)

My advise is to spend at least a couple of months in front of your PC on Pirate, JU, Floridajeepers.net, etc. Go buy a jeep book or two. You need to learn a poop pile of stuff about jeeps before you can start making any sort of informed decisions.

You say you want a bigger front axle. Do you even know what you have right now? What size tires do you want to go to. And why? What kind of off roading will you do? Mud? Sand? Rocks? Do you need a front locker? Do you know the difference between an Ox locker and a Detroit? 4.88 or 3.73?

I have a 76 cj5. I've been down the road. If you have deep (damn deep) pockets, you can call up someone like Curry and they can ship an axle to your door ready to go. If you're like the 95% of us here on Pirate (and everywhere else), you want to build your own axle. To do that, you need a plan with a difinitive end result in mind. If not you build, then rebuild, then rebuild and toss lots of money into your jeep.

So slow down, search the forum and learn. :grinpimp:

Im not building for a couple months atleast just looking into some parts and what im doing with my jeep. I know i'll end up rebuilding it over time and im fine with that. Ive looked at most of the projects on this site and im slowly thinking that somehow im gonna end building some crawler with some xj springs front and rear with some 37s or something around that. On my jeep right now ive got arb locker front and rear and running 33s i just want to go bigger.

I figured my questions are stupid but im just trying to get things straight before i come to final conclusions that are wrong. Sorry for giving these ridiculous questions im not trying to hurt anyone and dont plan on hacking up any axles quite yet. I comepletly agree I DEFINATLY DO need to search more.

Im not building for a couple months atleast just looking into some parts and what im doing with my jeep. I know i'll end up rebuilding it over time and im fine with that. Ive looked at most of the projects on this site and im slowly thinking that somehow im gonna end building some crawler with some xj springs front and rear with some 37s or something around that. On my jeep right now ive got arb locker front and rear and running 33s i just want to go bigger.

I figured my questions are stupid but im just trying to get things straight before i come to final conclusions that are wrong. Sorry for giving these ridiculous questions im not trying to hurt anyone and dont plan on hacking up any axles quite yet. I comepletly agree I DEFINATLY DO need to search more.

CJ-5 + 37's = wheelbase stretch and a built 44 front at least
Best advice I ever got on this board is to figure out how big you want to build and then add two inches of tire size and build to that level (you'll always want to go bigger).

Best advice I ever got on this board is to figure out how big you want to build and then add two inches of tire size and build to that level (you'll always want to go bigger).

Best advice I've heard today.

And why floridajeepers.net and JU? It's all here. Why look anywhere else?

And why floridajeepers.net and JU? It's all here. Why look anywhere else?

Because I've found other sites to have a little different point of view, not more correct, just different and a little more basic. I've also found the search functions on other sites to work better.

But I have to give props to Pirate. The search function has been working flawless for me lately...........

But no disrespect to pirate at all. By far, the best jeep website I've found.

Best advice I ever got on this board is to figure out how big you want to build and then add two inches of tire size and build to that level (you'll always want to go bigger).

That's is, for sure, the best advice!!:flipoff2:

Your CJ5 has a front Dana30 and rear AMC20. The transfer is a Dana20 and should have a 3speed T150.

I'll suggest to move on to D44's out of +'74 Waggy, they will add 4" to the wide track axles, don't know how much to the narrow tracks. The SOA will make plenty of room for 35"s, a couple of blocks will make you ready for 37"s.