Dicks Divorce Causing XJ Build

the title says it. my fiances not a big fan about me spending money on all this, but i love hobbies and my bonuses are what pay for it. it start: ive got an 89 2door aw4/231 combo. i picked it up for $370 bucks. needed some work to get it running right and im about there. so im focusing on the rest of the build now. it needs some floors. its red. the paint is faded. but overall it is in decent shape for the price haha.

heres the first part, and I think ive decided on the lift i want.

so ive been searching around all over the place for a lift and wheels/tires. am i going with 33"s right now or just 31's or and i going with 3" of lift or 4.5". all the combos in between. sooooo, for the beginning, im going with a simple setup from rustys offroad.

well, one of two setups haha. depends on this months bonus. either the bigger of the two: http://rustysoffroad.com/mm5/mercha...duct_Code=RK-405SPC-XJ&Category_Code=WHEELS10

or the smaller: http://rustysoffroad.com/mm5/mercha...duct_Code=RK-405SPC-XJ&Category_Code=WHEELS10


ill be choosing the mtz's for the tires also. this is really a decent price for everything and makes it easy. more than likely ill go down the latter and add a lockrite locker for $300. that should get me around the trails i do just fine i believe, especially the locker helping out. ill then have some money left over for bumpers and/or armor. i want a real simple setup bumper wise, so im looking for something not tube style and with tow points or hitches at both ends. we'll see what i find for that.


ill continuously update this thing with new ideas or plans for it and ill update in a little bit(after i finish cooking dinner) on all my plans for it. feel free to chime in on what i have planned so far, and whatever else i decide to do. ill update with pics in a bit too :clap:

I hear Goodwill and Salvation Army sell some pretty comfortable couches for real cheap...

I'd rather live in a nice quiet cardboard box then :yap: :gonnablow

hahaah... im guessing that has to do with the rustys bit? ill have to look around and see why people dont care for their stuff

ah. the divorce part haha. yeah. it shouldnt happen. we'll see next year haha

update!!!!!!

i wont be going with the rustys offroad kit haha. changed it up a bit. RE 4.5 and 31" baja claws. stock wheels. and the lockrite for the 35 out back. im looking round 2200 all together.

i saw some reviews, and it made me fear for peoples life haha for the rustys kit i mean

dick.breakey said:

update!!!!!!

i wont be going with the rustys offroad kit haha. changed it up a bit. RE 4.5 and 31" baja claws. stock wheels. and the lockrite for the 35 out back. im looking round 2200 all together.

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with that lift go with 33's, also dont go with claws, shitty sidewalls and traction, and please dont waste money on the d35, instead buy a aussie locker for the 30 in frt

dick.breakey said:

i saw some reviews, and it made me fear for peoples life haha for the rustys kit i mean

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yeah there trackbars are awsome:wierd:

ROBZ95Xj said:

with that lift go with 33's, also dont go with claws, shitty sidewalls and traction, and please dont waste money on the d35, instead buy a aussie locker for the 30 in frt

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the claws seem to do really well around my parts. a lot of people love them. why put it up front and not back? does it make a difference? id think it would be better out back. or is the 35 just shittastic?

dick.breakey said:

the claws seem to do really well around my parts. a lot of people love them. why put it up front and not back? does it make a difference? id think it would be better out back. or is the 35 just shittastic?

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seen to many claws with torn sidewalls, and yeah the d35 is a turd, check out the faq section, it will awser all your questins

35 is a turd, don't bother polishing it. When you lift you're gonna have almost a whole axle swap done anyways (you'll have the shocks and springs and maybe brake hose off, the only thing really left is the driveshaft and that's easy) and it's silly to put an expensive locker and expensive gears + setup labor into such a crappy axle. Pick up a 29 spline 8.25 or an XJ d44 and polish that instead, it'll add about 100 dollars to your budget but will keep you from shredding gears, carriers, and shafts at a frightening rate.

you can get an 8.25 relatively cheap on craigslist or here, hell I have one sitting in the back of my xj now if you want to drive up here. it's a 100 dollar upgrade that will save you a ton of headache

have I steered you wrong so far?

kastein said:

35 is a turd, don't bother polishing it. When you lift you're gonna have almost a whole axle swap done anyways (you'll have the shocks and springs and maybe brake hose off, the only thing really left is the driveshaft and that's easy) and it's silly to put an expensive locker and expensive gears + setup labor into such a crappy axle. Pick up a 29 spline 8.25 or an XJ d44 and polish that instead, it'll add about 100 dollars to your budget but will keep you from shredding gears, carriers, and shafts at a frightening rate.

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I agree, don't wast money on a 35, you are going to have it all apart so go for a better axle!

if i find any 44, will it bolt up? or doest it have to be a cherokee 44 to bolt up?

some will bolt up but be too wide, obviously your best is to find a xj 44, but some consider the 29 spline 8.25 pretty much equal

H8PVMT said:

some will bolt up but be too wide, obviously your best is to find a xj 44, but some consider the 29 spline 8.25 pretty much equal

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The 8.25 will take a beating, and depending on where you live (like where I am) are a 1000 times easier to find than an XJ/Comanche D44. It just has that big ugly lip on the bottom.

Check the article, it discusses the Isuzu Rodeo/Honda Passport D44s:

http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticles/drivetrain/154_0904_junkyard_axle_guide/index.html

thanks for the info. i found a 44 for 300obo from a 87 xj. ill keep an eye out over the next few weeks for a cheap 44 or 8.25.

and i think ivee decided on a tire. wrangler mtr with kelvar. 32x11.50x15

a lot of local guys LOVE the cooper sst?, same as the bfg km2's and i believe cheaper