WJ Swap Plan resulting in 5x5 lug pattern

Hello ,

I have picked up some moab 17" take offs for cheap because I wanted to run otk steering and wanted the large wheel for clearance and better road characteristics. I was originally going to order (4) 5x4.5 to 5x5 adapters for my d30 and chrysler 8.25 and be happy with it.

Then I got to thinking about a WJ knuckle swap with the upgraded brakes and then instead of ordering 00-01 xj unit bearings just order the WJ unit bearings that have the correct lug pattern to match my moab wheels I just picked up.

Does that sound correct that if I follow the exact same steps as the conventional WJ knucle swap and use the WJ unit bearing everything will match up?

The XJ stub shaft is a little too short to properly fit the WJ hubs if I remember. Otherwise it's a good plan, I just did this in my XJ with 17" Moabs as well, but its 2wd and I left the WJ CV stub in it

foxwar71 said:

The XJ stub shaft is a little too short to properly fit the WJ hubs if I remember. Otherwise it's a good plan, I just did this in my XJ with 17" Moabs as well, but its 2wd and I left the WJ CV stub in it

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I believe I saw on another question that you can run the XJ shafts but the only way to get the nut on all of the way is to subtract the washer from the end product.

Does that sound too sketchy?

The washer is there for a good reason or it wouldn't be there.
As long as you can get the nut all the way on to the stub, though, I'd use loctite & run it.
I think I remember that the locking setup won't work with this setup, and the torque of the nut isn't even close to the self-locking torque (torque a bolt to a certain level, it won't want to come undone) for that size thread, so... loctite.

It might be a good idea to check the back spacing on those wheels.

Without the washer makes it possible to get the cotter oin in. But for some reason I wanna say there was something else about full spline engagement too for some reason.

IIRC, there is a company or 2 that makes U-joint shafts for WJ's. But a pair of WJ outer shafts, and run those with the XJ inners?

Iron Rock Offroad sells them, but they use XJ stubs IIRC.
JK stubs are about 0.25" longer from U-joint centerline to end of threads though I don't know for sure if that's in the splined / threaded portion or on the back side. I sold the XJ and went WJ before I ever bothered to find out.
Strongly suspect, though, that JK outer shafts are the missing link to use a WJ outer and run 5x5 "properly"

I would order 00-01 hubs and redrill and weld bots or whatever to the hub surface. 5x5 done... sorta .. kinda... hardly... proper

831_xj said:

I would order 00-01 hubs and redrill and weld bots or whatever to the hub surface. 5x5 done... sorta .. kinda... hardly... proper

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Damn. Thanks everyone for their experience and input on the matter. Either way I am going to have to run 4 spacers regardless but it would have been cool to run the WJ unit bearings and just a normal spacer instead of an adapter to meet the width of the chrysler 8.25 with the necessary adapter.

Heading to the pull a part to grab the WJ knuckles and akenobo brake calipers at the least.