what about useing a jeep yj axle and leafs?

[184baller]

I was talking to a buddy and he said i should use a jeep yj axle and leafs for the front. keep my rear and do a spring over axle. it should be hella cheep if i go to wrecker. I know jeeps are frowned apon . and hes a jeep guy but he is gonna use an explorer rear for his jeep cherokee. and he does know his stiff. what do you think? what should I be doing?:exporange

 

[IZwack]

YJ leaves are too "soft" for the Explorer's weight. Heck, we're using them on a Samurai which weighs almost nothing:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=186159

With the leaf springs hung on the chassis, I can compress the leaf spring maybe 2 inches by hand -- thats how "soft" they are.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

That HEEP axle is not very strong. A Dana44 is much better.

 

[ExplorerJimbo]

you can deffinetly do it with that axle. but i'd look at what kind of wheeling your going to do. If your going to be on alot of rocks youll want something stronger.

and alot of j**p guys get our 8.8...

 

[sn0border88]

find a wagoneer instead, use that axle and leafs. Spas did that.

 

[ExplorerJimbo]

and thats what im doin too...

 

[mynameisaric]

034x4 did it too.

 

[ProjectAviator]

If you install a super 30 kit into a Dana 30 it will be just as strong as a D44. plus you don't have to worry about the width of a full size axle. That is what I am going to use.

Tim

 

[IZwack]

If you install a super 30 kit into a Dana 30 it will be just as strong as a D44. plus you don't have to worry about the width of a full size axle. That is what I am going to use.

Tim

How much is the Super 30? Cauz it might end up running more $ in the long run.

 

[sn0border88]

If you install a super 30 kit into a Dana 30 it will be just as strong as a D44. plus you don't have to worry about the width of a full size axle. That is what I am going to use.

Tim

Oh god, not the cromo 30 = stock 44 and cromo 44 = stock 60 argument again.



Forget it, waste of time and money. For the cost of that kit you could have an all around stronger d44 with change to spare. Plus, What happens when you build the d30 to handle pwoer its not meant to? You move the weak point to the R&P, which will really screw your day up if it breaks on the trails. Joints and shafts are easy fixes and cheap to replace, a ring or pinion isnt. I just broke mine last trip out, its not fun. Get a waggy 44 or a eb 44 if your worried about the width and beat the crap out of it,

 

[184baller]

some good info here

Ok now , im only running a 4L so i dont think id be over powering the 30s.
As well i would like to keep to stock width. so im still thinging yj front diff and wagoneer leafs. But what about brackets for the leafs? should I go to a fabrication place to get them made? can i do that? I dont have the tools to do it myself. Or is there anything I can salvage from something else, maybe use ones like on the back of the X that i could just bolt on? remember im just learning here.

 

[184baller]

Or yeah i'll just mak the wagoneer front work. how much lift do you think i will get by just doing the solid axle swap?

 

[section525]

It would be tough to get less than 5-6".

 

[sn0border88]

over stock with waggy leafs, look for 6-8 depending on shackle length.

No, you cant salvage the hanger parts,

these places sell premade parts

http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/index.html

http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/index.php

From the sounds of it, you need to do alot more reasearch. Just start reading the SAS threads, see how people made the hangers, ect. You also need to be able to weld, or know someone who can and do the work in a garage/driveway with access to a welder. This is not bolt on.

Forget the d30, its just a waste of time. You can get an EB d44 and stay the same width, or use a waggy 44 as well.

 

[184baller]

thanks for all the help

 

[Mud Bug 94]

Ok now , im only running a 4L so i dont think id be over powering the 30s.

ive seen yj axles gernade under the power of a four banger on 33s.....

 

[184baller]

I need a list of parts to make this build

I think i found most of what i need theres a few things I need to learn more about , mainly the steering linkage. I wanna just do a cheep starter build and then improve later , im sure it will cost more in the long run but I hope that doing one step at a time will hepl me learn and find what i really want in the end.

so what i need
- front axle dana 44 from a waggy
- leafs from a waggy
- spring and shackel hangers ,foung some starter part to fab what i want .

but the stuff i need to know is how to make the steering likage work and where to get parts from
as well how do you know what kind of shocks to buy , im gonna use stock in the rear for now.
as well stabilizer for the front is that all gonna be fab work?
if i dont do it how much of a death woble am i gonna be looking at?

 

[IZwack]

You need to be familar with fabrication before starting a solid-axle-swap.

You should be able to fabricate the leaf spring hangers, shackles and so on without a problem. Most of the time, people buy such parts only to save on time (time is one of the biggest enemies when it comes to a project of this scale).

Dont worry too much about shocks and steering stabalizers, those are things you focus on after the vehicle is sitting under its own weight on the new axle.

As sn0border88 has stated, read over the other solid-axle-swap projects first because those go over most of the questions you have (such as steering). Oh and dont forget, you also should know how to rebuild the Dana 44 axle you're using. And one more thing, find a good local source for steel.

 

[184baller]

I can fab a bit i got a buddy who is alot better .
Im just in a rush to learn .

 

[IZwack]

Im just in a rush to learn .

Try not to rush it

My research took about a year. I bought the axle the fall before I started my SAS (in the spring) and left it in the shed to soak in penetrating oil while I did more research, ordered parts, and saved as much $ as I could. Jefe's SAS thread was my foundation since he was running a linked suspension using coil-overs. In you're situatoin, you're probably going to be reading over sn0border88's, section525's and a few others' SAS threads because they're running about the same configuration as you're looking into. The good thing is that such SAS threads exist and so 95% of the info is already out there for you.