Cracks, cracks, cracks....

[Goatman]

I respect your advice very much Richard. I was hoping to hear from you. You're my hero. Really, if I do 1/4 of the trails you have done, I'll be happy.

The rig I'm looking at is a 87' 4.0L/aw4/231/waggy dana 44 with 8 lugs conv. arb 5.13 gears/14 bolt rear welded with 5.13 gears/12" lift with chevy leaf packs front and rear. I bought a 89' white laredo for cheap with 3" lift and brand new 31" bfg mt's with 231K miles, it still runs pretty good. I just replaced the bad coolant bottle but it took me 6 hrs to get it home from SF with the bad bottle. The guy wants to trade straight up for mine minus his radiator, arb comp, and steering pump. This jeep also have hydro steering setup and a very beefy crossover steering on the dana 44 with new shafts and u-joints, he blew both u-joints and is replacing them for me. I think it is a fair trade, if I do get it, I'll get the steering pump plumbed to run the hydro steer and get some 38" tsl sx tires I think or put the 37" mtrs from my CJ on it. He cleared 39.5" tsls on it, but is selling it with stock tires and rims from a f-250. What do you think? I know the axles alone with the crossover steering, and hydro etc are worth more than my 89'. He wants a commuter xj for the snow, he says. I'm taking a look at it this saturday. I was planning on getting the C-Rok inner and outer plates and putting my MORE steering brace from my 91' on it. What do you think? He says it maxes out his 5-1/2' ramp at work.
Troy

Sorry, Troy, I just don't agree. A welded 14 bolt full width is worth about $100. A low pinion waggy D44 with 8 lug isn't worth much more, so all you're getting out of the deal is an ARB, and the guy isn't even going to give you the pump. The rig needs a lot of parts and work.....no steering pump, no tires, etc. Run away from this deal as fast as you can.

You would be much better off selling the '89 and using the money to buy a front HP D44 for your current XJ. Besides, unless that waggy D44 has alloy shafts and CTM, Ox, or Longfield axle joints, we wouldn't even let you run with us with that size tire.

Step back and think about........you're not really getting anything. Plus, do you really want to show up with a 12" lift, full width axle leaf sprung rig.........and suffer the certain ridicule. :gag:

 

[XJ_ranger]

ttt

bad plan there...

 

[Big Red]

Sorry, Troy, I just don't agree. A welded 14 bolt full width is worth about $100. A low pinion waggy D44 with 8 lug isn't worth much more, so all you're getting out of the deal is an ARB, and the guy isn't even going to give you the pump. The rig needs a lot of parts and work.....no steering pump, no tires, etc. Run away from this deal as fast as you can.

You would be much better off selling the '89 and using the money to buy a front HP D44 for your current XJ. Besides, unless that waggy D44 has alloy shafts and CTM, Ox, or Longfield axle joints, we wouldn't even let you run with us with that size tire.

Step back and think about........you're not really getting anything. Plus, do you really want to show up with a 12" lift, full width axle leaf sprung rig.........and suffer the certain ridicule. :gag:

Thanks for all the advice Richard. I know it seems fishy. I just see it as the big name axles I would be getting, but I know it needs work and the 14 bolt is really heavy and with a unibody like the xj. I don't know if it's that good to have. I'm very happy with my 91', I just want to get a stronger front axle, it hasn't broken on me at all yet with the arb. I see guys running big tires on a low pin dana 44 all the time, is it just a time bomb, I know it has the same size u-joint as the later dana 30's 297's or 760's. I'm sure it has lots of cracks too with those big tires and axles.
Troy