FitchVA
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Roanoke, VA
OK. Hear me out on this one...
My current setup is 4.56 gears and ARB. Other than that, it's stock. I've also been hunting down a GC v8 tie rod, but that's beside the point.
I'm the type of person that would much rather prevent something from braking before it brakes. As of late, I've been thinking about my front axle.
So I've been wanting to make my front axle a little more robust. The big question would be do I polish the D30 or upgrade to a bigger / stronger axle.
Here are the main factors involved in my decision:
* don't plan on going over 35's for the foreseable future
* have a pretty light gas foot
* don't know how to weld
* don't know how to set up gears
* don't know how to cut / turn knuckles
* don't know anyone that I trust enough / well enough to ask to do above work
* live in an apartment so I have no place to leave a XJ up on jackstands for a few weeks while I fab/have someone fab a front axle
* already have alloy shafts in the rear d44 (5 x 4.5 bolt pattern) and would rather not have to replace them cause they're brand new
IMO, a D60 is way overkill for what I'm wanting to do (compounded by my lack of fab skills and the fact that I'd probably want to upgrade to a larger rear as well). So that leaves the D44 swap or polishing the D30. Again, my lack of skills / knowledge makes the D44 a little harder pill to swallow. Besides, the u-joints are the same (and i think the ball joints are). The only differences I can remember are manual hubs and stronger ring & pinion gears.
A Warn hub conversion kit (allong with the matching alloy inner shafts) would solve the hub problem (I really like the idea of slowing the wear of the front components when the hubs are unlocked). And I don't eat the money I already have tied up in my current axles.
Thoughts? Ideas? Rants? Insults? Other suggestions?
Steve
My current setup is 4.56 gears and ARB. Other than that, it's stock. I've also been hunting down a GC v8 tie rod, but that's beside the point.
I'm the type of person that would much rather prevent something from braking before it brakes. As of late, I've been thinking about my front axle.
So I've been wanting to make my front axle a little more robust. The big question would be do I polish the D30 or upgrade to a bigger / stronger axle.
Here are the main factors involved in my decision:
* don't plan on going over 35's for the foreseable future
* have a pretty light gas foot
* don't know how to weld
* don't know how to set up gears
* don't know how to cut / turn knuckles
* don't know anyone that I trust enough / well enough to ask to do above work
* live in an apartment so I have no place to leave a XJ up on jackstands for a few weeks while I fab/have someone fab a front axle
* already have alloy shafts in the rear d44 (5 x 4.5 bolt pattern) and would rather not have to replace them cause they're brand new
IMO, a D60 is way overkill for what I'm wanting to do (compounded by my lack of fab skills and the fact that I'd probably want to upgrade to a larger rear as well). So that leaves the D44 swap or polishing the D30. Again, my lack of skills / knowledge makes the D44 a little harder pill to swallow. Besides, the u-joints are the same (and i think the ball joints are). The only differences I can remember are manual hubs and stronger ring & pinion gears.
A Warn hub conversion kit (allong with the matching alloy inner shafts) would solve the hub problem (I really like the idea of slowing the wear of the front components when the hubs are unlocked). And I don't eat the money I already have tied up in my current axles.
Thoughts? Ideas? Rants? Insults? Other suggestions?
Steve