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I have $6500 to buy and build

1

1m4j2t

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Denver
$6500 to start with and that's about it for a year or so. I'm thinking 1999, but from there I have no idea.

I want a back country (rocky mountains in Colorado) elk hunting rig that will haul my 2 kids, wife, and five days worth of camping gear. It won't be a daily driver, but I will drive it on the street a lot! I also plan on using it in Moab at least once per year.

$6500 is what I have for the purchase, lift, and wheels. The rest of the mods will be added as I save money--bumpers, winch, fuzzy dice, etc...

I've read that the 99 is the best year (I want to give this to my son when he's 16--he should be born any day now) to build on. How much money should I spend on lower (more out of budget) versus higher(less out of budget more $ for lift and tires) mileage?

Are any of the alloy wheels that come stock worth using, or should I find one with the stock steel wheel and replace them?

Oh yeah. I'd prefer to buy a bone stock model and do all the work myself.

Thanks in advance.
 
Can't go wrong with a Rubicon Express Lift kit. 3.5 is probably the most reasonable lift for daily driving and wheeling, although you probably will want to go higher as time goes on. I bought my RE 4.5 lift from jeepingoutfitters.com and got free shipping, total cost out the door was around $1000. Tires and rims will cost another grand, and you will want to regear which is another thousand. Also factor in essential like rock rails and transfer case skid if your gona be doing any kind of wheeling which is around another $500. Its expensive, but that should get you moving in the right direction.
 
oh ya, your defiantly going to need to do that too, especially on the newer body style.
 
well welcome to naxja fellow coloradan... find a good rig worth every penny i seen a good 2 door maroon in color with low miles at a dealer somewhere in denver all i have to say is TAKE YOUR TIME
 
Save some money on the initial price and go with a 91-95. HO motor, all the good stuff. Then toss a 5.5" Rubicon Extreme duty lift, trim it a bit and toss on 33's. Put a 44 or 8.8 out back with 4.56 gears, some armor and call it done...
Or buy one already built from somewhere they don't rust like socal.
 
Okay,

I ended up with a clean and straight 1993 XJ. The guy I bought it from was a mechanic, and his buddies got him started but he just never got bit by the bug. It has 185k miles (runs perfectly) RE 5.5 Extreme Duty w/ a SYE and Woods DS, and 33X12.5 wranglers. I ordered rigidco bumpers and sliders. and now I have about $1200 left for upgrades. Its stock Dana 30, Chrysler 8.25. I want to keep those axles for now. How should I upgrade them? I need to start with the rear; I'm thinking high strength (aftermarket) 29 spline axles with 4:56's and an open carrier (so I can pop a powertrax no slip in if there enough money left over) I'm going to replace all bearings as this will be a long term axle (she'll need an engine in a year or two); and then pretty much bolt on some zj brakes from what I understand? In the front just gears and a no-slip down the road. Then if I break something in the front ugrade the axle or axle shafts.

This vehicle will mostly be a family camping/hunting rig. Occasionally I'll follow a buddy to Moab. This is not a rock crawling specialty rig, but I want it to be very nimble and strong--I will never run bigger than 33's on her.

I have been reading all day about the 27 to 29 spline swap, but I am still unsure of everything I need to buy to get it done with the powertrax no slip? any advice is welcome thanks.
 
Replace the 8.25 with a Dana 44.

The cost of 8.25+no-slip+alloys (29 spline) will be about half of d44+aussie, and be stronger.
 
1m4j2t said:
I have been reading all day about the 27 to 29 spline swap, but I am still unsure of everything I need to buy to get it done with the powertrax no slip? any advice is welcome thanks.
Click to expand...

You'd need a 29 spline carrier and locker or spider gears.

8.25 carriers, for some reason, usually run $100+.
 
1m4j2t said:
$6500 to start with and that's about it for a year or so. I'm thinking 1999, but from there I have no idea.

I want a back country (rocky mountains in Colorado) elk hunting rig that will haul my 2 kids, wife, and five days worth of camping gear. It won't be a daily driver, but I will drive it on the street a lot! I also plan on using it in Moab at least once per year.

$6500 is what I have for the purchase, lift, and wheels. The rest of the mods will be added as I save money--bumpers, winch, fuzzy dice, etc...

I've read that the 99 is the best year (I want to give this to my son when he's 16--he should be born any day now) to build on. How much money should I spend on lower (more out of budget) versus higher(less out of budget more $ for lift and tires) mileage?

Are any of the alloy wheels that come stock worth using, or should I find one with the stock steel wheel and replace them?

Oh yeah. I'd prefer to buy a bone stock model and do all the work myself.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

You are right about 1999, great year for axles and stuff. There pretty much is no way to go wrogn there, but 1997, 1998 , and 1999 are all the same. Get one of those years and you are set.
 
cal said:
Replace the 8.25 with a Dana 44.

The cost of 8.25+no-slip+alloys (29 spline) will be about half of d44+aussie, and be stronger.
Click to expand...

:bs:

Instead, throw a 8.8 in the back, they can be built for cheaper than a 44 and are way stronger..They are beefy!!

(I'm just a fan of 8.8's. not trying to shoot you down cal.)

Keil
 
rooneypower said:
:bs:

Instead, throw a 8.8 in the back, they can be built for cheaper than a 44 and are way stronger..They are beefy!!

(I'm just a fan of 8.8's. not trying to shoot you down cal.)

Keil
Click to expand...

They are *slightly* stronger than a stock 44, not way stronger. My 44 is stronger than any 8.8 you will find. :)

The 44 is more common (in xj crowds) and has better clearance. For what it costs to modify an 8.8 to fit into an XJ, you can put discs onto the 44. I'd call them about equal, except that the 44 is far more upgradable.
 
cal said:
They are *slightly* stronger than a stock 44, not way stronger. My 44 is stronger than any 8.8 you will find. :)

The 44 is more common (in xj crowds) and has better clearance. For what it costs to modify an 8.8 to fit into an XJ, you can put discs onto the 44. I'd call them about equal, except that the 44 is far more upgradable.
Click to expand...


Well i guess I stand corrected!! :)

here are the specs for stock shafts of the common axles...

The axle shaft strength tested by Warn Ind:
F8.8= 6,500 (lb. ft.)
D44= 4,600-5,000 (lb. ft.)
D35C= 4,000-4,300 (lb. ft.)
-------------------------------
COT: Continuous output torque rating
MOT: Maximum output torque rating

Dana 35 rear axle COT: 870 MOT: 3480
Dana 44 rear axle COT: 1100 MOT: 4460
Ford 8.8 28spline COT: 1250 MOT: 4600
Ford 8.8 31spline COT: 1360 MOT: 5100
Dana60 semifloat COT: 1500 MOT: 5500]


And you could always throw the super 8.8 kit of whatever its called to get rid of the c clips. That bumps up the strength I'm sure..

Keil
 
rooneypower said:
Well i guess I stand corrected!! :)

here are the specs for stock shafts of the common axles...

The axle shaft strength tested by Warn Ind:
F8.8= 6,500 (lb. ft.)
D44= 4,600-5,000 (lb. ft.)
D35C= 4,000-4,300 (lb. ft.)
Click to expand...

I have a hard time buying that a 31 spline shaft is 30% stronger than a 30 spline shaft.


rooneypower said:
And you could always throw the super 8.8 kit of whatever its called to get rid of the c clips. That bumps up the strength I'm sure..

Keil
Click to expand...

Whens the last time you saw a c-clip fail? :)
 
1m4j2t said:
I have been looking at the RE 4.5 superflex. Did you put a SYE and CV shaft in yours?
Click to expand...

That's the lift i have too, great lift kit for the money. Very complete kit, will net you more than 4.5" of lift, too. I ran a SYE and a custom CV shaft on mine as well. Mines a super flex too, I have some suggestions on stuff to upgrade on it, I will be upgrading to 7" of front lift using rustys springs & spacers, also RC drop brackets and bilstein shocks. I ran the RE twin tubes originally, those kinda suck though. That kit will flex like crazy though, ride quality will be good if you get drop brackets and GOOD shocks, skip the twin tubes, or you can buy mine. PM me if you have quesitons i prob wont be watching this thread but i do have a 99 like oyu want and hte same lift
 
Well yes, you would need an install kit to install the 29 spline carrier.


iirc the wheel bearings are the same as both shafts are the same size at that end.. but its been a bunch of years since i had an 8.25 ;)
 
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