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View Full Version : trussing an axle and new skid plate

DesertRunner
May 13th, 2009, 21:45
well i picked up a d44 and decided i would truss it before i toss it on! i also decided that the sail need to go away. after i cut it off i realized it would work as a new truss on top of the axle.

1. So before i mess this up. i can truss the axle complete? or do i have to disassemble?

2. i plan on making a new skid about the height of a license plate any reason to make it smaller or larger? opinions?

pictures
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/jeep1.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/P090513004.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/P090513002.jpg
slcpunk74
May 14th, 2009, 08:31
I have heard both but I think most people say trss with the internals in. I think the oil inside helps keep it cooler too. I need to truss my d44 when Im done with our desert truck so post pics.
xjjeeper19
May 14th, 2009, 21:42
When we did my brothers diff, we bolted it down to the bench so it would not move when we welded it. It was done with a big piece of 2x6 box welded just to the tubes, we did not weld it to the center, but we can make a bracket to have it secured to the top of the truss via the Ruffstuff diff cover.

Here are a few pics
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f66/xjjeeper19/DSC05830.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f66/xjjeeper19/DSC05840.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f66/xjjeeper19/DSC05847.jpg
oakesters
May 14th, 2009, 21:56
Super Clean
DesertRunner
May 14th, 2009, 22:23
that is much nicer than any thing ive thought of so far! i was thinking round tube (1.5 or 1.75) but that makes me wanna go plate or square tube!

i was searching today and im thinking a small truss/ skid on the bottom and a tribent tube over the top about the same shape as the trus pictured above!

bottom truss similar to
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=746328
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c315/Opihi59/DSCN3629.jpg
DesertRunner
May 16th, 2009, 22:22
today was my birthday and i had to work so i didn't get much done on the truss but here is the start of the bottom. its welded lots of work to go. hoping to have it top and botoom trussed and under the jeep come Tuesday night!

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/P090516002.jpg
crazyjim
May 17th, 2009, 13:01
Well hell! Happy Birthday!!!!
techno1154
May 17th, 2009, 18:11
That is a great job you did there XJJeeper19. I am planning to do the same with my XJ. I too will use a Ruff Stuff diff cover and attach it to the truss to add strength to the canter section.
xjjeeper19
May 17th, 2009, 19:02
That is a great job you did there XJJeeper19. I am planning to do the same with my XJ. I too will use a Ruff Stuff diff cover and attach it to the truss to add strength to the canter section.

I can't really take much credit for that, mostly all of it was my brother.

Justin
DesertRunner
May 17th, 2009, 23:18
Well hell! Happy Birthday!!!!

thanks!

i made some more progress today between a family dinner (we have 3 birthdays this week)

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/P090517002.jpg
eflores
May 18th, 2009, 13:08
should have attached the top of the case to the truss
DesertRunner
May 18th, 2009, 13:25
thats aucutally the bottom truss. im going to be trussing the top with tube! that will be tommorow or later today depends on how ambitious i get today!
eflores
May 18th, 2009, 13:53
meant this one

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f66/xjjeeper19/DSC05847.jpg
Swamprat
May 18th, 2009, 19:59
should have attached the top of the case to the truss


what is this!!!! eflores on the jeepspeed/prerunner forum!!!!


its the end of the world.



but hey nice work i have a D44 that were thinking about trussing.
xjjeeper19
May 18th, 2009, 21:15
should have attached the top of the case to the truss

:rolleyes:

Anything else I should have done?
DesertRunner
May 18th, 2009, 22:29
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/P090518002.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/P090518001.jpg

bottoms all done tomorrow i should get the top done!
eflores
May 19th, 2009, 09:07
:rolleyes:

Anything else I should have done?

i'll be nice since swampie plays over here, but i will say you have much to learn about structural rigidity :dunno:
DesertRunner
May 19th, 2009, 13:46
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/P090519003.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/P090519002.jpg

now shes ready for paint!
vagrant
May 19th, 2009, 13:58
looks strong to me! good clean fab work desertrunner
swbooking
May 19th, 2009, 14:04
i'll be nice since swampie plays over here, but i will say you have much to learn about structural rigidity :dunno:

...and just how exactly do you figure that his truss is lacking in structural rigidity?
crazyjim
May 19th, 2009, 16:04
i'll be nice since swampie plays over here, but i will say you have much to learn about structural rigidity :dunno:
And you have a lot to learn about tact, as well as trusses and welding to cast... This is a warning... stop insulting other members right now.
crazyjim
May 19th, 2009, 16:04
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/P090519003.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/P090519002.jpg

now shes ready for paint!
That looks friggin great man!
aparke4
May 19th, 2009, 16:25
That looks friggin great man!

I agree - I would like to make a pinion skid for my 44 - I have a friend with a tig but i have not gotten around to it yet

are you going to plate in the tube?
DesertRunner
May 19th, 2009, 21:01
That looks friggin great man!

thanks!
I agree - I would like to make a pinion skid for my 44 - I have a friend with a tig but i have not gotten around to it yet

are you going to plate in the tube?

i didn't tig any of that. i wish i had a tig! im going to leave the tube as it i only used plate on the bottom to keep as much ground clearance as possible. i use the jeep as a dual sport rocks and dezert so ground clearance is important to me.

should have painted pictures of it under the jeep next week! i work till monday....

hopefully i dont bend this one!
-Chad
xjjeeper19
May 19th, 2009, 21:26
Should have made a small trip east... I have a TIG you could use...:D

Justin
Big Kev
May 20th, 2009, 03:12
I like incorporating the skid on the bottom, nice idea.
Darky
May 20th, 2009, 14:14
:rolleyes:

Anything else I should have done?
Made one for my axle too, that's what else you should've done! Help a fellow Justin out!

:D
Swamprat
May 20th, 2009, 15:53
looks good! your going to have to tell me how it holds up, so i know what to do on mine
aparke4
May 20th, 2009, 15:58
cool man thanks for the ideas! I think I am going to make a skid for mine - the only skid for a 44 is the one by AEV? and it is around 300 and bolt on...
Ryan93
May 20th, 2009, 16:55
wow looks really good!
slcpunk74
May 20th, 2009, 18:17
all you need are dimple dies and you will have the phone numbers just fallin out of your pockets.

I dig it, the skid is the sickness and the top is primo!
xjjeeper19
May 20th, 2009, 19:38
Made one for my axle too, that's what else you should've done! Help a fellow Justin out!

:D


I have enough orders to fill already....
DesertRunner
May 20th, 2009, 20:18
thanks guys!

all you need are dimple dies and you will have the phone numbers just fallin out of your pockets.

I dig it, the skid is the sickness and the top is primo!

dimple dies are so expensive! some day they will make it to the top of my list!
slcpunk74
May 20th, 2009, 20:21
thanks guys!



dimple dies are so expensive! some day they will make it to the top of my list!

Chech ebay. Im about to buy some from a guy on there, they have heat treated and 1018.
DesertRunner
May 20th, 2009, 21:11
ok so the axel is filled with a new gasket painted and ready for me to hook the brake lines up. but i ran across one delimma does anyone know the size of a spring bolt (that centers the spring on the pearch) on the deaver 9 leaf pack. i remember it was larger than stock but cant member what size. i measured the hole on the d44 pearch it was 5/8.... just want to know if i need to ream the hole before i try to bolt it up?
thanks,
-chad
xjjeeper19
May 20th, 2009, 21:17
5/8's thats what I had to drill mine too.
DesertRunner
May 20th, 2009, 21:19
sweet thanks! then maybe tommorow night it will be in its new home!
DesertRunner
May 21st, 2009, 23:51
ok i gotta admit i got antcy!
full droop
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/DSCN0564.jpg

at ride hight
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/DSCN0565.jpg
DesertRunner
May 22nd, 2009, 21:55
got the drive shaft in today... kinda worried the drive shaft is in farther than it was before.... not sure how much the slip yoke moves through the travel.

any one running a aw4 242 d35 drive shaft with a d44?
slcpunk74
May 24th, 2009, 10:31
got the drive shaft in today... kinda worried the drive shaft is in farther than it was before.... not sure how much the slip yoke moves through the travel.

any one running a aw4 242 d35 drive shaft with a d44?

No but Im running a hack&tap with a stock front shaft on my xj44 with about 5-6" lift FWIW.
eflores
May 24th, 2009, 13:05
And you have a lot to learn about tact, as well as trusses and welding to cast... This is a warning... stop insulting other members right now.

i know plenty about welding, trussing and cast iron, its kind of what i do, no no its ACTUALLY what i do, and who needs tact, this is the internet, so far as i can tell i only see one warning in my box from a long time ago.....
Jays siik xj
May 24th, 2009, 14:57
i know plenty about welding, trussing and cast iron, its kind of what i do, no no its ACTUALLY what i do, and who needs tact, this is the internet, so far as i can tell i only see one warning in my box from a long time ago.....

Are you f'n serious?lastara

STFU man! Who gives a flying F*ck what you do?!?
crazyjim
May 24th, 2009, 15:41
i know plenty about welding, trussing and cast iron, its kind of what i do, no no its ACTUALLY what i do, and who needs tact, this is the internet, so far as i can tell i only see one warning in my box from a long time ago.....
Check it again cool guy.
eflores
May 24th, 2009, 15:46
indeed i shall
xjjeeper19
May 24th, 2009, 17:19
i know plenty about welding, trussing and cast iron, its kind of what i do, no no its ACTUALLY what i do, and who needs tact, this is the internet, so far as i can tell i only see one warning in my box from a long time ago.....


I thought you were a 23 y/o Automotive service Tech/Shop manager.. at least thats what you claim to be.

You could just stay off DesertRunner's thread. I posted a pic of how we did it, thats all. Just becuse it's not welded to the center doesn't mean it's not strong. There are plenty of trusses out there that are not welded to the center.

Here's one right here http://www.naxja.org/forum/showpost.php?p=243993974&postcount=34

he also has a TNT truss on the front, which some people weld them and some dont. Clayton is the same way. they have a weld on truss that doesn't touch the center section.
DesertRunner
May 24th, 2009, 17:41
well back on topic!

anyone know how much the shaft will travel in throught the travel? i have about a inch of useable yoke showing! before wham! that enough?
xjjeeper19
May 24th, 2009, 17:50
well back on topic!

anyone know how much the shaft will travel in throught the travel? i have about a inch of useable yoke showing! before wham! that enough?

I will travel inward as it droops, I would be more worried about it pulling out when you compress. I don't think it reall moves that much though may be and inch or so. I've only ever ran SYE's so I never had to worry about that too much.

Justin
DesertRunner
May 24th, 2009, 17:56
i have a drive shaft loop (limit strap) so if it comes out thats not a bad thing... it never has before. but im ready for it. i would love to do a sye but its not in the budget currently! i need to replace the rear trans seal and front tcase seal first (one of them is leaking)
DesertRunner
May 25th, 2009, 15:03
ok its time to start on the new skid plate its only gonna hold the license plate so...

heres how it looks now:
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/P090525001.jpg
and heres what im thinking:
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/jeepidea.jpg

please feel free to photoshop the first picture to give me your idea and all opinions are welcomed!
thanks!
chad
xjjeeper19
May 25th, 2009, 15:06
I think that would be perfect
DesertRunner
May 25th, 2009, 20:50
gotta make the upper tabs, buy button head bolts, round the skid plate a litte and mount the plate!
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/DSCN0571.jpg

and i welded up the broken gears too!
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u126/snore1657/da%20jeep/DSCN0573.jpg
Mike1331
May 25th, 2009, 21:50
what do you mean you welded up the broken gears? sick jeep by the way, you have encouraged me to build my axle trusses this week while i'm out of school for the next two weeks.
DesertRunner
May 25th, 2009, 22:01
The gears are welded that way I'm going to find a clock that will fin in the ring gear and make it desk art! Thanks for the complement!
Mike1331
May 25th, 2009, 22:06
Oh i had a sneaking suspician that that's what you meant but just had to make sure. How'd you manage to do that to the pinion? What axle? R&P brand? and tire size? Thanks, i'm just in the market and like to do research.
DesertRunner
May 25th, 2009, 22:09
It was a stroker motor beating up a d35 for about 3 years... It blew apart when I made a right turn the LSD bit and it popped. Drove it home about a mile... They were 355's
Mike1331
May 25th, 2009, 22:26
stroker!! dayum your shit just gets more and more impressive.
DesertRunner
May 25th, 2009, 23:19
haha ive only had it for 6 years so its been a slow build but every time i break something i try to replace it with something better.