Hey guys I've built a Spidertrax 9" for the rear of my TJ and I snaped some pic's along the way. I'm still uploading all the pic's but I will post them up in series so that you can see the progression. The build took me 4 very long weekends and countless time of taking one step foward and two steps back.

Here is a couple photo's of some of the parts mocked up

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/320024515_NNFHy-L.jpg

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/320024691_cr6XA-L.jpg

Here is the list of parts in my build

Spidertrax 9" Housing 3" tube 3/8" wall
Unit bearing end cups
F-450 unit bearing machined to 5X5.5
True Hi9 ARB 35 spline, forged 1350 Yoke, second thrust bolt, solid crush sleeve.
300M Spidertrax Axle Shafts
Dual inner axle seals
4340 drive slugs
Willwood caliper
Spidertrax rotor Hat
Custom machined Rotor
Cool but expensive blue break lines
Ballistics Fab Brackets

Here is another pic after I cut the axle tubes down. I decided to go back to a stock width of 60.5" WMS. I was originally at 63" WMS with spacers because of the bolt pattern conversion off the original stock Dana 44(5x4.5 to 5X5.5). I knew doing this was going to give me hell later on in the build trying to modify my shocks.

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/320024807_f9bho-L.jpg

keep the pix comming... what the final cost was to built this Axles from the ground up??

keep the pix comming... what the final cost was to built this Axles from the ground up??

x2

Here is some more pictures of the parts!

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323697251_coh97-L.jpg

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323699932_cAhgU-L.jpg

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323697403_tiZAP-L.jpg

Here are a couple of pictures after barrowing 4west's welder since mine was not rated for 3/8". Also here you can see me test fitting the rotors on Spridertrax's rotor hat. Spridertrax has provisions for 16" and 17" brake setups only. I'm already on my second set of Beadlocks switching from stock to 5x5.5 bolt pattern. I asked them about a brake setup for a 15" rim, they told me that some have done it in the past. So I did some calculations off the Spidertrax's rotor hat dimensions and wilwood Billet Dynalite calipers spec's. I came up with rotor dimensions that should be able to fit and have clearance inside the rim. This ended up being a $330 dollar gamble but after poring over my sketches and everything looked well, I faxed it off. I made several educated guesses as I did not have all the exact dimensions for the parts so the clearance was going to be very tight and I had my fingers crossed.

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323708639_RxakP-L.jpg

Here I'm test fitting the brake setup on a broken rim I had laying around. Note the broken rim is from a pre-run up SledgeHammer for the NTRA rock race. Actually it was after I ran it a few times, I was doing a 80% speed test run and a slammed into a boulder sheering my front tracbar bolt. Dam Currie and their 9/16 zerk bolt, I upgraded to F911 after that. Now my front was sloppy as a Tijuana working girl so I backed down the trail and proceeded to drive 30MPH in reverse back to camp. On the way you can imagine I was driving in a perfect strait line LOL, I had my spotter watching out for boulders to stray from. Then the jeep caught some air and I was like WFT that’s what I 'm trying to miss and my spotter said it didn't look that big!
http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323706607_b5tqg-L.jpg

It looked like I hit the nail of the first try with the rotor!

Nice setup, looks pimp.

Real nice build! Did you use an alignment bar before welding the ends on? BTW, nice work on the rotor and making it work for you.

I was doing a 80% speed test run and a slammed into a boulder sheering my front tracbar bolt. Dam Currie and their 9/16 zerk bolt, I upgraded to F911 after that.

How is it Currie fault that you hit a boulder????? :shaking:
Maybe you should have started with a "Jeepspeed" track bar that comes with a 5/8" bolt!!!! :D

It's not really Currie's fault! It does not help that a 9/16" bolt is weakened by a zerk grease valley. I did upgrade to the 5/8" size but swapped Curries bolt for a F911.

Real nice build! Did you use an alignment bar before welding the ends on? BTW, nice work on the rotor and making it work for you.

Na I just did check it with an angle finder and level several times before tacking it in place. Sine my Jeep is 99% dirt I really didn't see a need to get crazy if I was off a bit. I did come within 1 maybe 2 degrees off of center on one side after welding.

Here is some pictures before I mocked up the axle in place, also notice my twin forklift lift!

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323709295_acwE2-L.jpg

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323709414_J7FHH-L.jpg

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323757897_FeLs2-L.jpg

Here is the axle hanging from ratchet straps mocking it up in place.

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323719656_RCD6z-L.jpg

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323721475_RwnzW-L.jpg

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323721763_Crhy3-L.jpg

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323723738_KjjnF-L.jpg

This is when I set the True Hi9 in the housing and realized that that pinion angle wasn’t going to work even with my 60 degree Bad Boy Jr.

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323723564_SC7n8-L.jpg

Build looks good, although I'm wonder why you did high clearance your LCA brackets on the axle?

It was do to interference with the frame; the lowers are the old school Teraflex arms that are bent half way down to stuff inside the frame at full stuff. I have a picture I'll post later on that you'll see why of cycling the suspension.

Also by the time I finalized the bracket locations I tacked and cut and re-tacked 4 times until I found the sweet spot.

build cost?:smokin:

FORKLIFTS???????

Do you have a death wish?

and looks like there is no hard lock out on them either....priceless.

FORKLIFTS???????

Do you have a death wish?

You really need to wheel with me out at the Hammers! Then you'll understand!

Here is the final positioning of the truss, it's actually Teraflex's Dana 44 LCG truss just cut to hell and modified to suite my needs. This allowed me the room to adjust the housing to obtain the correct pinion angle.

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323757148_GGZRg-L.jpg

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323756785_Q3VkX-L.jpg

Here I'm testing the travel of the suspension for clearance.

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323755728_WKfEn-L.jpg

FORKLIFTS???????

Do you have a death wish?

wait until you see my axle swap. My jeep is up on 4 hi-lifts that are sitting on milk crates.

































just kidding.







:eek::eek:

You really need to wheel with me out at the Hammers! Then you'll understand!


No, YOU need to understand:

I WANT you to live through this build so I CAN wheel with you at the hammers!

Buy some jack stands fer chrissake!

-Chris

Here is the final version of the brackets before welding!

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323756703_z7azp-L.jpg

Here I'm tacking the final pieces in place!

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323757876_nmmcd-L.jpg

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323759901_CptbM-L.jpg

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323765592_SeECE-L.jpg

build cost?:mr-t:

build cost?:mr-t:

Man this caused me pain because I thought I really didn't think I spent this much but shit!

Here it is

Spidertrax Build Cost

Spidertrax Spider 9 Axle Housing 3" x 3/8" wall 459.95
Spidertrax 1 Ton Full Floater End Cup Kit 249.95
Spidertrax 1 Ton Unit Bearing Kit 5 x 5.5" Bolt Pattern 650.00
Spidertrax High Performance Oil Seal Kit 59.90
Seals-It Axle Seal Insert 21.90
Spidertrax 4340 35 Spline Drive Flange Kit 199.99
Spidertrax Ultimate 300M Full Float Axle Shafts (pair) 899.95
Spidertrax Aluminum Hat • 5 x 5.5" & 6 x 5.5" 179.90
Wilwood Billet Dynalite - 1.75" Bore 305.68
Wilwood Type E Polymatrix Pad Set (pair) 69.95
True Hi-9 1350 Forged Yoke 2494.00
Custom Rotors 335.00
Custom Break lines 167.89
Custom Caliper Brackets Free
Ballistic Fab brackets 215.00
Misc. (Paint, Gear oil, Bolts, ect.) 200.00
Shipping 188.20

Total 7,186.20

7k.........holy crap!

That is about what I figured... hey you wanna play you gotta pay right.:smokin:

I am WAY to cheap to spend $7k on a rear axle. Hell, I won't spend that on a front!

looking good. have been waiting for someone to post this axle up.

That is about what I figured... hey you wanna play you gotta pay right.:smokin:

No kidding!

The one thing I like about building this axle is you can hold off on the really expensive parts and just build a rolling housing for less than 1200. I started off buying little bits here and there along the way over 6 months.

Here I pulled out the axle out for the final welds! They are not the prettiest and I'm not the best at welding but it's 100% all my effort!

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323758206_uqCAt-L.jpg

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323760131_Xpdf3-L.jpg

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323762270_A3TdR-L.jpg

http://Kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323764435_HCHec-L.jpg

Here is some more pic's of the brake setup

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323746219_Km5mH-L.jpg

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323746309_MhqNw-L.jpg

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323752123_T9wFA-L.jpg

Here is testing the shock placement and figuring out where to mount the air bumps at.

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323766991_6MECg-L.jpg

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323767279_WzmcX-L.jpg

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323766839_qa9Qy-L.jpg

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323772727_DBRPz-L.jpg

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323775068_JyTHA-L.jpg

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323776169_P2cUH-L.jpg

Here is where I decided to stick the bumps at!

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323726330_QezqJ-L.jpg

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323733230_UMcDQ-L.jpg

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323737640_cVuUF-L.jpg

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323743786_V2sCz-L.jpg

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323750886_ZsH5W-L.jpg

Here it is all painted up with BTF HI-9 skid and waiting for brake lines!

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323754662_fLV4L-L.jpg

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323754571_QVAUa-L.jpg

http://kevin2001.smugmug.com/photos/323754058_5NYbt-L.jpg

nice build....but for $7 you could put some tricked out tons under your shitbox...too each there own...also good job for doing it all yourself....if you didn't like the look of your welds take a flap wheel to them and smooth it all out...

Looks very bling. Is that some moderate rear steer when the axle is flexed out, or just the way it looks in the pics?

Yeah the axle shifts forward a few inches due to the 14" shocks, doesn’t have an effect off road.

Looks very bling. Is that some moderate rear steer when the axle is flexed out, or just the way it looks in the pics?

Now that you have all the room you'd ever want to triangulate the lowers as well to minimize the rear steer.

nice build....but for $7 you could put some tricked out tons under your shitbox.....

Not with 300m shafts, ARB's and wilwood brakes he couldnt. You could put locked 1tons in for that. Tricked out, not so much in this day and age.

This axle he built is the top of the top. Even the 3rd member can be cut down by almost 1000$ just in options.

His 300m shafts add another 400$.

I can build a semi float like this for 3k, but you arent getting as much axle as this guys is.

You axle turned out pretty nice. Good work.

damn, capt. overkill, nice axle. My 9" cost 1700 with junkyard shaved housing, Moser 3rd, spool, semifloat 35spline and wilwood brakes. I still don't understand full float rearends in Jeeps. Do you think you can break 35 spline semi-floats? Maybe you plan to carry 2000lbs of spares and tools? Or someday run 44s?

damn, capt. overkill, nice axle. My 9" cost 1700 with junkyard shaved housing, Moser 3rd, spool, semifloat 35spline and wilwood brakes. I still don't understand full float rearends in Jeeps. Do you think you can break 35 spline semi-floats? Maybe you plan to carry 2000lbs of spares and tools? Or someday run 44s?


Potential air time and ease of maintenance are the big ones.

Doesnt hurt that with a truhi you end up running 1 3rd the fluid you would if you went semi float. For tru hi's that see street and trail time that is.

Properly filled to tru hi's spec, you be close to 8 litres in a semi float truhi 9 !!

Overkill I think not, you have to look at where you wheel! In this case Hammers is my playground and you better over build or be towed back to camp every trip! I broke my 44 about 3 times in every way possible shape or form and even my buddy in his LJ with Dynatrac Prorocks 60's keeps breaking ring gears. I wanted to build it once and never look back!

damn, capt. overkill, nice axle. My 9" cost 1700 with junkyard shaved housing, Moser 3rd, spool, semifloat 35spline and wilwood brakes. I still don't understand full float rearends in Jeeps. Do you think you can break 35 spline semi-floats? Maybe you plan to carry 2000lbs of spares and tools? Or someday run 44s?