• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Found some money need help on next step of buildup!

C

coldoath

NAXJA Forum User
Location
West Texas
So I have another vehicle that I had been holding on to and was wanting to swap a chevy 5.3 into but I decided I would rather sell it and use the money on the jeep. So I have $1,800.00 to spend I've done a some looking and have an idea what I would think would be good but thought I would see what some of you more experienced guys have to say.

What I have:
'98 XJ
stock D30 & stock 8.25 with 3.55 gears
33x12.50 KM2 on cragar soft 8s
Rubicon Express superflex 3.5" lift
IRO double sheer adjustable track bar
Stock steering

Jeep was bought Nov. 2010 and was completely stock, so everything is new.

Clean :(
WP_000077.jpg

WP_000075.jpg


Dirty and no doors :)
176023_10150151364141419_589501418_8056980_5470241_o.jpg

193222_10150151364081419_589501418_8056978_465377_o.jpg

176143_10150151364301419_589501418_8056985_1746580_o.jpg


Hadn't intended on getting it that dirty, but %!% happens lol. I normally get 15mpg out of this set up btw. Thanks guys in advance for your input.
 
Upgraded steering and re-gear to 4.56's with a selectable rear locker. Money all gone. See how easy? Lol.

Or, upgrade steering and put the rest into a high interest rate savings account.
 
Haha yea money can go fast with upgrades. I was thinking an aussie in the back and save up for a selectable in the front and re-gear to 4.56s or 4.83s.
 
PHP: 
[PHP][QUOTE]
[/PHP]
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
[/QUOTE]
coldoath said:
So I have another vehicle that I had been holding on to and was wanting to swap a chevy 5.3 into but I decided I would rather sell it and use the money on the jeep. So I have $1,800.00 to spend I've done a some looking and have an idea what I would think would be good but thought I would see what some of you more experienced guys have to say.

What I have:
'98 XJ
stock D30 & stock 8.25 with 3.55 gears
33x12.50 KM2 on cragar soft 8s
Rubicon Express superflex 3.5" lift
IRO double sheer adjustable track bar
Stock steering

Jeep was bought Nov. 2010 and was completely stock, so everything is new.

Clean :(
WP_000077.jpg

WP_000075.jpg


Dirty and no doors :)
176023_10150151364141419_589501418_8056980_5470241_o.jpg

193222_10150151364081419_589501418_8056978_465377_o.jpg

176143_10150151364301419_589501418_8056985_1746580_o.jpg


Hadn't intended on getting it that dirty, but %!% happens lol. I normally get 15mpg out of this set up btw. Thanks guys in advance for your input.
Click to expand...
just shop around a little and you might be able to pick up a set of used axles for that price ? they are out there.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'd highly recommend 4.56 gears and a lunchbox locker in the rear. I did this as one of my first mods and it drastically improved driving on the street and trails. Open/Open is boring. Get some HD diff covers as well (ruff stuff for me). I didn't even go on a real wheeling trip before I got all this stuff.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm def. going to lock the rear with an aussie and def get gears. I might go up to 35s someday so I think I'll go with 4.88s. After that I think I'll start in on armoring it. Armour like rear quarter, sliders, and I have a friend who would help me make a set of bumpers.

So an aussie is like right at 300 bones and I can get gears and the mast install kits for 600 or less. Now as far as installing the gears....would you guys recommend me doing it on my own or getting somebody to do it for me?
 
if its not your DD, do it yourself. its not "hard"... jsut time consuming. a lot of people say that you need someone who knows what they are doing to do it. well i ask you, where did they start? me personally... my jeep is my DD, so id like someone reputable and willing to back their work up in the even that something went unoticed and so i have less down time. a general ball park number for having gears installed is $1k, area depending. northridge4x4.com offers aussies for <$300 (for the D30, 8.25 typically has little aftermarket support and carries a higher price tag on parts), and free shipping which is a life saver. they should also have gears and such. i know rough country offers a gear/master install package for front/rear applications that is right at $500, though i dont know what brand they carry. you dont have a manual, so 4.88s and 33s shouldnt be a problem.

my post still stands... make sure its running right first. then when all is said and done, bumper and sliders can be built at your leisure. you got to remember there will be outside costs other than parts. gas getting to/from places. fluids, diff covers, and all kinds of other goodies.




also, dont rush into ordering right away. check your local chapter and classifieds/craigslist to see if you can find any deals on built axles. if you find a combo the same as yours... BOOM! youve got spare shafts and can haul the rest to the scrap pile for enough cash to buy you lunch. :)
 
VAhasnoWAVES said:
if its not your DD, do it yourself. its not "hard"... jsut time consuming. a lot of people say that you need someone who knows what they are doing to do it. well i ask you, where did they start? me personally... my jeep is my DD, so id like someone reputable and willing to back their work up in the even that something went unoticed and so i have less down time. a general ball park number for having gears installed is $1k, area depending. northridge4x4.com offers aussies for <$300 (for the D30, 8.25 typically has little aftermarket support and carries a higher price tag on parts), and free shipping which is a life saver. they should also have gears and such. i know rough country offers a gear/master install package for front/rear applications that is right at $500, though i dont know what brand they carry. you dont have a manual, so 4.88s and 33s shouldnt be a problem.

my post still stands... make sure its running right first. then when all is said and done, bumper and sliders can be built at your leisure. you got to remember there will be outside costs other than parts. gas getting to/from places. fluids, diff covers, and all kinds of other goodies.




also, dont rush into ordering right away. check your local chapter and classifieds/craigslist to see if you can find any deals on built axles. if you find a combo the same as yours... BOOM! youve got spare shafts and can haul the rest to the scrap pile for enough cash to buy you lunch. :)
Click to expand...

Well it actually is my DD, so I should probably have somebody install for me? Yea I don't plan on doing any of this till probably mid summer. Figured I would get a good idea of a good list and keep an eye out for some stuff. Also, a point of concern for myself is my D30. I'm not aggressive with the skinny peddle when I wheel and try to avoid giving it the gas when I have the wheels locked all the way to one side. Aside from shafts, is there anything I can do to beef it up a bit?
 
a full case locker, truss, and stout diff cover are the best ways to prevent deflection of the housing which is the biggest cause of ring gear failure. im partial to the OX as you get 2 of those 3 things from it. also... as much of a PITA changing shafts would be on the trail, id much rather do that then bust a ring and pinion, so having your shafts as the weak link isnt a "bad" thing per say...

and im not saying having someone do the gear install is the BEST way to handle it, im speaking from a personal stand point. if you can get a few days off of work to dedicate to the install and are confortable with it then by all means charge it. i dont feel id be competent enough to do so though.
 
So would this be applicable to my D30?

http://www.jcroffroad.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=1TNSTOTK&Category_Code=S6

That steering looks #!^%!'n clean! Stock steering set up just looks nasty.

Btw I have some horrible slop in my steering so this is the first issue I will address. After I lifted it and got an alignment it was fine. I then drove it from Tulsa, OK to Amarillo, TX and it was fine. However, like 3 weeks after I was here I noticed that I had to keep my steering wheel turned almost 90 degrees to keep the wheels straight. The only fluid I leak is oil and that's from the bad O-rings on the oil filter w/e you call it that actually screws into the block of the engine.

Thinking steering will come first and then an Aussie for the 8.25. I'm kinda debating gears...they aren't that expensive, but install is a kick in wallet. I drive around all the time in 3 and it has no trouble with hills or anything drives normally. Although, if I put in in OD it really sucks on the highway cause it's always going in and out of OD. I can do 70mph @ 2800rpm with my setup now. What you think about the idea of skipping gears?
 
Get someone to install the gears for you. I had a friend redo the bearings in my D30, he rushed the job and the next trip out, ring gear went kablooie.

Like I said, gears, rear locker, and HD diff covers lasted me 2 years on 32's with probably 30-40k miles on the street and a bunch of wheeling trips. I'd start worrying about alloy shafts when you up to 35's.

Remember, gearing will drastically improve your offroad driving as well. Higher numerical gears mean when you put it in 4Lo, the Jeep will crawl slower over obstacles. With stock gears, its super jumpy and you'll always be on the brake trying to slow yourself down over rocks and stuff. I'd save up a tad more and do the gears and locker all in one. Get quotes from a few different shops or see if someone in your local club is experienced with them.
 
I have that steering kit and love it. I would say make sure it is in fact not a bad box or something else like bushings or unit bearings first before you upgrade the steering and still have the same issue. Then I'd do the armor, sliders and diff covers and if you have enough left over do the gears too. Gears and install kits should cost around $200 an axle ballpark and installation should be between $250-350 per axle. Finding a "reputable" offroad related shop that will do a package deal could save you time and money. Doing the gears definitely make your jeep a hell of a lot more fun to drive and ballsy as f**k so yes it is worth it. I've did Aussies F&R at the same time too and it's like night and day offroad, it's like a whole new truck.
 
Last edited:
robsjeepxj said:
I have that steering kit and love it. I would say make sure it is in fact not a bad box or something else like bushings or unit bearings first before you upgrade the steering and still have the same issue.
Click to expand...

How would I know if it's the box or bushings? I have prob about 45 degrees of slop to where I can turn it and nothing happens.
 
Have someone turn the wheel back and forth while you get under the front end and look at every joint in the steering and suspension. You should be able to see what's moving. Could very well be your trackbar wearing out as well.
 
Ok so I found the issue causing horrible slop and fixed it. Some how I lost 2 bolts of the bottom of the track bar mounting bracket...wtf? So I just went to ACE and got some grade 8 bolts and fixed it in the parking lot and wow my steering is so much better! No slop! So that's fixed. I was afraid I was going to have to get a new gear box. Does anybody else lose bolts when they go wheeling? Including those two I just replaced I've lost 3 bolts. The other one was off the sway bar disco's. I know when I installed everything I cranked it down pretty good. Be tea double you, I have an Iron Rock Offroad double sheer track bar.

Another upgrade I was thinking of was injectors...I saw a guy on here just did it and gained about 3mpg+, I believe they were orange top Ford injectors. So I was thinking with those injectors and gears I could possibly hit around 20+ mpg in theory?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

I
Bought Son 2000 XJ, Need Help with RC Lift
2 3
Replies
45
Views
6K
Tim_MN
Tim_MN
M
New and need help
2 3
Replies
41
Views
9K
Evan03
E
V
Engine rebuild guidance
2
Replies
34
Views
6K
RCP Phx
R
G
Chrysler 8.25 wheel studs for aluminum rims
Replies
10
Views
2K
kastein
kastein
K
Shop rebuilt front differential failed on first test drive, trying to figure out why?
Replies
4
Views
3K
xcm
xcm
Back
Top