BennettXJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Raleigh, NC
I'm sick of the issues with my HP30. It's lived a good life and done me well in its mostly stock form, but I'm tired of throwing money at it when simple things break.
98XJ HP30, 4.88s, Lockrite, HD tie rod.
Ive thought about FW, and even got a set of axles, but the project fell through. I'm still leaning towards a hp44 front, but money is tight and I don't want to get stuck in a debt situation again. The main issues I've had are with the steering and unitbearings. The brakes suck, sure, but its managable.
My tierod has, on more than one occasion, knocked the lower pin of my JKS out of the mount. At 25$ each, this isn't too expensive, but it sure is annoying. The tie rod and drag link junction hits the endlink mount, which I'm sure isn't good for the steering either. It's not wobbly, it tracks well onroad too, but the tierod hangs really low and is in the way of every rock, stump, and even parts of my jeep. Should i get new knuckles and OTK steering, or just wait and get hysteer on the 44?
I've gone through 3 1/2 sets of unibearing hubs on the 30. I don't know why this is. Perhaps the spidertrax spacers put extra strain on the bearings? I'm running 15x8 TJ canyons and 33x12.50s on those spacers. What would cause all these failures? I went for a long time without wheeling and I STILL blew up a set. This is the main reason for wanting a 44, to get good, rebuildable hubs and stonger shafts/axletubes. Is there a feasible, cheap way to get better hubs on the 30 other than a 800$ hub conversion kit? Thats half the price of the 44 to put in...
If I got a 44, I'd want a narrowtrac HP, and I think I've gotten it down to a 75-78 ford f150, narrowed to waggy width with new shafts, flattop knuckles and hysteer, and all 5 on 5.5. I don't want FW because I have a perfectly great 8.8 in the rear that I can't justify losing just yet. Is this a good 44 build? I'm going to have the rear shafts made in 5on5.5, as well as redrill the rotors in the 8.8. Can anyone tell me, based on my problems, if they think I should just build up the 30 with new steering and hubs, or get a 44? Any idea whats causing the hub failures?
Thanks
-Bennett
98XJ HP30, 4.88s, Lockrite, HD tie rod.
Ive thought about FW, and even got a set of axles, but the project fell through. I'm still leaning towards a hp44 front, but money is tight and I don't want to get stuck in a debt situation again. The main issues I've had are with the steering and unitbearings. The brakes suck, sure, but its managable.
My tierod has, on more than one occasion, knocked the lower pin of my JKS out of the mount. At 25$ each, this isn't too expensive, but it sure is annoying. The tie rod and drag link junction hits the endlink mount, which I'm sure isn't good for the steering either. It's not wobbly, it tracks well onroad too, but the tierod hangs really low and is in the way of every rock, stump, and even parts of my jeep. Should i get new knuckles and OTK steering, or just wait and get hysteer on the 44?
I've gone through 3 1/2 sets of unibearing hubs on the 30. I don't know why this is. Perhaps the spidertrax spacers put extra strain on the bearings? I'm running 15x8 TJ canyons and 33x12.50s on those spacers. What would cause all these failures? I went for a long time without wheeling and I STILL blew up a set. This is the main reason for wanting a 44, to get good, rebuildable hubs and stonger shafts/axletubes. Is there a feasible, cheap way to get better hubs on the 30 other than a 800$ hub conversion kit? Thats half the price of the 44 to put in...
If I got a 44, I'd want a narrowtrac HP, and I think I've gotten it down to a 75-78 ford f150, narrowed to waggy width with new shafts, flattop knuckles and hysteer, and all 5 on 5.5. I don't want FW because I have a perfectly great 8.8 in the rear that I can't justify losing just yet. Is this a good 44 build? I'm going to have the rear shafts made in 5on5.5, as well as redrill the rotors in the 8.8. Can anyone tell me, based on my problems, if they think I should just build up the 30 with new steering and hubs, or get a 44? Any idea whats causing the hub failures?
Thanks
-Bennett