Now that I've got all of the maintenance and repair items taken care of on my XJ, I'm planning some upgrades. I have historically built all of my vehicles as I felt they should have come from the factory, and I want to do the same with my XJ. This means subtle, functional upgrades that work without a bunch of hassle. I prefer upgrading using factory parts from other vehicles if at all possible, to save on complexity and cost, and maintain availability of replacement wear parts. I've got my plans for armor and bumpers covered, lighting stuff is just about done already, the only thing that remains is suspension and drivetrain. That said, I am new to 4WD, and solid axles, so there is a bit of a learning curve, please bear with me.
Here's what I'm working with:
89 XJ Limited 4.0L AW4. Non-disco HP D30 up front, NP242, D35 rear. This truck originally had ABS, which I ditched and replaced with '96 XJ non-ABS booster, lines, and hoses. It's currently on a 2" BB(front spacers and rear shackles) with ZJ Canyon wheels and 30x9.5" BFG ATs. It's also got polyurethane bushings in the control arms and leaf eyes.
My use of the truck does not currently include a ton of wheeling. It's clean and rust-free, and I have no intention of bashing it off of rocks and trees anytime soon. So the plan is to build a truck that is capable both on- and off-road, and in inclement weather(snow). It needs to be able to handle medium-duty off-roading(fishing/camping/hunting/skiing trips) and be seamless enough on-road that my old lady can drive it without an instruction manual or fear of breaking something due to improper use.
So, here are my thoughts as to how I want to build this thing, please suggest any changes or correct any errors I may have made:
Transfer case: The NP242 stays, unless there is a very convincing reason to get rid of it. The Full Time feature is one of the reasons I bought a Limited in the first place, and has proven quite useful for winter conditions in my area.
Front Axle:
The HP D30 Non-disco seems to be the way to go, especially since it's originally an ABS-equipped axle, and as such should have the larger 297 joints(I haven't confirmed that). Aside from a full teardown and rebuild with new berings/seals/etc, these are the upgrades I intend to do:
*ZJ V8 tie rod
*Detroit Tru-Trac planetary LSD
*WJ Outers?? (I've read a little about this, I'd like a little further input on the necessity and complexity of this modification)
I would like to upgrade the brakes if at all possible, but I do not want to make any wheel changes, so any upgrade will need to fit under stock-sized wheels.
Rear Axle:
The D35 has to go. I thought about an XJ D44, but they are nearly impossible to find, and costly when they can be found. It seems that adding disc brakes is more complex on a D44 than a Chrysler 8.25 as well, so I've decided to go with less expensive, more readily available 29-spline 8.25. Planned upgrades:
*Detroit Tru-trac
*ZJ Rear disc brakes
Any thoughts on gearing? I have considered a change to 3.73 or 4.10 R&P, but I would like some thoughts on which would be better for all-purpose use. I don't intend to go bigger than 31's, and I don't really plan to do any towing. Fuel economy is a little bit of a concern, as it's already a gas hog.
Driveshafts:
I would love to get rid of the double-cardan joint in the front driveshaft if it's economically viable and not a major hassle. For the rear - it looks like I will need the driveshaft that matches the 8.25, is there anything special I need to do to mate it with the NP242? Is a SYE necessary?
Suspension:
*OME 2" springs, front and rear. I intend to keep the spacers and shackles I'm currently using, to get to about 3.5" of total lift.
*OME or Bilstein shocks
*WJ LCAs (for tire clearance)
I'd like some feedback from you guys, as the wealth of knowledge here seems pretty unlimited. I've done a bunch of reading to come up with this setup, but having never actually done it, I'm sure I'm missing something or have something wrong somewhere. Thanks, everyone!
:cheers:
Here's what I'm working with:
89 XJ Limited 4.0L AW4. Non-disco HP D30 up front, NP242, D35 rear. This truck originally had ABS, which I ditched and replaced with '96 XJ non-ABS booster, lines, and hoses. It's currently on a 2" BB(front spacers and rear shackles) with ZJ Canyon wheels and 30x9.5" BFG ATs. It's also got polyurethane bushings in the control arms and leaf eyes.
My use of the truck does not currently include a ton of wheeling. It's clean and rust-free, and I have no intention of bashing it off of rocks and trees anytime soon. So the plan is to build a truck that is capable both on- and off-road, and in inclement weather(snow). It needs to be able to handle medium-duty off-roading(fishing/camping/hunting/skiing trips) and be seamless enough on-road that my old lady can drive it without an instruction manual or fear of breaking something due to improper use.
So, here are my thoughts as to how I want to build this thing, please suggest any changes or correct any errors I may have made:
Transfer case: The NP242 stays, unless there is a very convincing reason to get rid of it. The Full Time feature is one of the reasons I bought a Limited in the first place, and has proven quite useful for winter conditions in my area.
Front Axle:
The HP D30 Non-disco seems to be the way to go, especially since it's originally an ABS-equipped axle, and as such should have the larger 297 joints(I haven't confirmed that). Aside from a full teardown and rebuild with new berings/seals/etc, these are the upgrades I intend to do:
*ZJ V8 tie rod
*Detroit Tru-Trac planetary LSD
*WJ Outers?? (I've read a little about this, I'd like a little further input on the necessity and complexity of this modification)
I would like to upgrade the brakes if at all possible, but I do not want to make any wheel changes, so any upgrade will need to fit under stock-sized wheels.
Rear Axle:
The D35 has to go. I thought about an XJ D44, but they are nearly impossible to find, and costly when they can be found. It seems that adding disc brakes is more complex on a D44 than a Chrysler 8.25 as well, so I've decided to go with less expensive, more readily available 29-spline 8.25. Planned upgrades:
*Detroit Tru-trac
*ZJ Rear disc brakes
Any thoughts on gearing? I have considered a change to 3.73 or 4.10 R&P, but I would like some thoughts on which would be better for all-purpose use. I don't intend to go bigger than 31's, and I don't really plan to do any towing. Fuel economy is a little bit of a concern, as it's already a gas hog.
Driveshafts:
I would love to get rid of the double-cardan joint in the front driveshaft if it's economically viable and not a major hassle. For the rear - it looks like I will need the driveshaft that matches the 8.25, is there anything special I need to do to mate it with the NP242? Is a SYE necessary?
Suspension:
*OME 2" springs, front and rear. I intend to keep the spacers and shackles I'm currently using, to get to about 3.5" of total lift.
*OME or Bilstein shocks
*WJ LCAs (for tire clearance)
I'd like some feedback from you guys, as the wealth of knowledge here seems pretty unlimited. I've done a bunch of reading to come up with this setup, but having never actually done it, I'm sure I'm missing something or have something wrong somewhere. Thanks, everyone!
:cheers: