axle/steering swap/junkyard lift

[trintek]

during the 2 weeks of rain i got (in a desert), had to use my xj for everything... casualties include the driver's side cv joint on the tire side, power steering box, fuel gauge, and misc other stuff, but those are the main things.

I picked up a donor jeep, it is sitting on its side in a junkyard so i can get in and remove the front axle, steering box, and anything else i want, questions are...

How hard is it going to be to do the steering box and axle swap? no access to power tools or air tools for removal, but i do have a cheater bar and a large hammer :P any special tools required to get the old axle and steering box free? and roughly how long should it take to remove them (i can install them at the shop).

any ideas what would cause a perfectly working gas gauge to start pegging at the 3 o'clock position? i already checked the ground, then reassembled it for now, same issue.

I have access to a load of older vehicles in the junkyards, any recommendations on front spring/shock combos i can use to gain about 3" of lift since i will have the axle off anyway?

all of the work will be taking place either at the shop (if i can borrow it for a day or so), or on the equivalent of a trail.

[DaffyXJ]

The steering box is 3 bolts to the frame and the steering shaft. A pry bar will be needed to get the steering shaft off the box sector shaft. The lines you can just cut and spend the time needed to pull the fittings on the bench.
The axle? If you can get a battery powered 4.5 inch angle grinder and a couple cut off wheels, it will come off in about half an hour. Just start cutting bolts. UCA's LCA's ect. If not bring a can of PB and a cheater bar for the breaker bar. Still shouldn't be more than an hour or so job for the axle.
No clue on the gas gauge, sorry.
Another thought, take the parts off your XJ first, that way you will know exactly what you're looking at at the bone yard.

[trintek]

heh no chance on taking my parts off first, unfortunately i am 20 miles from the donor jeep, and my jeep is the only vehicle still able to get out of here. so will be driving it to the yard to pull everything, tossing it all in the back of mine, then driving the mile or so to the shop.. dont have any cut off wheels, but do have a generator and a 4.5 inch grinder with the regular grinding wheels, sawzall with 12" demolition blades, and a hammerdrill if any of that will help.

[DaffyXJ]

Yeah that will work. But a couple of cut off wheels at local hardware store would be cheep.
Hopefully the jeep is on it's passenger side. Plan to just cut the brake lines and take the calipers with ya.

[trintek]

would be cheap if they had any :) nearest stocked hardware store is 90-100 miles from me... may see if i can borrow the cutting torch for a few hours. am out in terlingua texas atm, solitario region.. so everything is being mad maxed and macguyvered together atm.

[carnuck]

I've done chisels by hand too! Then I used my AC compressor for on board air and an air chisel! Took me one day to strip down an XJ with hand tools.