Dirtbound Hack-N-Tap problem installing

Ok first I know I spelled Dirtbound wrong so please forgive my typo.

Now to the problem. My cousin and I are trying to install the Dirtbound Offroad Hack-N-Tap kit on his 99 XJ auto 4x4 with a 3.5" RE lift with full leaf packs. The kit came without instructions and my cousin didn't order the drill bit and tap with the kit. So we email Dirtbound asking for directions and what size tap and drill bit we would need. They emailed back saying we needed a 3/8-24 tap and a 3/4" bolt. This did not answer the question about the bit and a 3/8-24 tap is for a fine thread and the only bolts that are fine thread that came with the kit are the four that hold the driveshaft onto the yoke. Also if we used a 3/8 tap of either fine or course, a 3/4" bolt would be way to big. So essentially we are extremely confused here. To me it seems we need to use a 3/8-16 as the only bolt that came with the kit that fits in the new yoke is a 16 thread count checked with a special thread gauge tool that came with our tap and die kit. Does that sound right?

To make matters worse we have been told that a stock front driveshaft from an automatic XJ would fit with this SYE kit, 8.25 rear axle, and 3.5" of lift. Well after we cut the output shaft per the amount required in the instructions, we slid the yoke on and tried to put the driveshaft in to check and see if it fits and sure enough even fully collapsed it will not. The drivesahft is too long!!!

So what am I missing here? Go-Jeep says a stock shaft will fit along with dirtbound, IRO, and numerous threads here on saying the same as well.

Re: Dirtboung Hack-N-Tap problem installing

Is the t case dropped?

Re: Dirtboung Hack-N-Tap problem installing

teraflexed said:

Is the t case dropped?

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It was but we took the t-case drop kit off as I figured it wouldn't fit if the drop kit was still on there.

Re: Dirtboung Hack-N-Tap problem installing

Is the d-shaft from an auto or manual? Are you sure you didn't get one from a ZJ by mistake?

Re: Dirtboung Hack-N-Tap problem installing

who pulled the shaft-- is it possible the shaft was from a 4cyl auto? I'm pretty sure the 4.0l front shaft from an auto should work.

Re: Dirtboung Hack-N-Tap problem installing

After looking at the picture of the Dirtbound hack and tap kit; the bolt that holds the yoke onto the output shaft appears to be fine thread; so I would say that the 3/8"-24 tap that was recommended is correct. The drill bit to use should be 5/16".
As for 3/4"; that is probably the length of the bolt.
When tapping the treads; apply cutting oil and slowly cut the threads. Remember to back the tap out several turns to clear out the cut thread material before cutting more threads....

Charles

Re: Dirtboung Hack-N-Tap problem installing

I was present at the pulling of the shaft and helped select the Jeep to pull from. The XJ was a 4.0L auto and was most certainly an XJ I know my Jeeps pretty well and even if I wasn't sure I saw the leaf springs on the back so that is a huge indicator as well as the Cherokee sign on the door haha. We chose an XJ that appeared to be a 98-99 as it was the newer body style but the badging was a raised badge instead of a decal like the 97s and I remember the print out of all the XJs in the yard and there weren't any newer than a 99.

As far as the bolt goes the one in the picture is a fine thread allen head bolt. The only one that came in our kit that could work in the yoke is a course thread grade 8 (assuming grade 8 because of the gold/brass color). I don't have the bolt with me so couldn't check the length but I would guess that 3/4" is the length.

I can make the bolt that came with it work just need to use the right tap and get the right drill bit. But the driveshaft thing has me super stumped. I called up my local driveshaft shop and they can shorten it for me for $65 but I am unsure of how much if I needed to but I was thinking an inch.

Use whatever drill size is correct for the tap you have. I had an 8mm tap and a bunch of 8mm bolts, so that is what I used. Here is a chart for SAE bolts, there are a bunch of these on google

Mine was on the earlier style transfer case, which fits the front driveshaft fine on an AW4-8.25 on RE3.5 springs.

I think I have pretty much decided to just use the one bolt that seems to work with it that came in the bag of bolts and drill and tap accordingly. But the drivesahft thing is still stumping me. I mean I can jack the Jeep up and let the rear droop enough to get it in but I think that wouldn't be right as it won't fit completely collapsed so it would push the driveshaft into the t-case as soon as it sits on its own weight. Am I wrong here?

How much spline do you have on the tcase output - what length did you cut it down to? You have 2 options: 1) have your driveshaft shortened or 2) if there is enough length on the output and yoke, cut the spline length down to 1.25", cut the yoke down to fit, then install the driveshaft.

I've read of one front shaft that is 1 in. longer than normal, why and what it's off of im not sure.

I had the same problem on my '00. I was able to cut enough off of the output shaft to make it work. You don't need that much "squish" on the ds with the vehicle @ ride hight mine has less than 1"

I am not sure how much is left of the splines but I will get my cousin to go out to his garage and check and report back but according to the directions we finally got from dirtbound they say to stick a tap measure in the yoke and measure how deep it is and use that measurement to measure from the beginning of the bevel before the smooth section leading up to the splines. The yoke measured 3" inches deep and the directions said to add 1/16" to that measurement and that was where to measure to to make the cut.

teraflexed said:

I've read of one front shaft that is 1 in. longer than normal, why and what it's off of im not sure.

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You know what that might make sense on an XJ with a low pinion D30 front. Anyone else agree?

I have installed this kit.

you need

3/8"x24TPI tap (get 2)
3/8"x3/4"x24TPI bolt
3/8" lock washer
5/16" drill bit (get 2 drill slow, use oil)

I am running a np231, a Chryco 8.25, an auto front shaft (not sure which trans it came off), 4" of lift and my t-case is raised 2" and the driveshaft is still this close at ride height.

If the donor for the shaft had the raised emblem, it would be a 00-01 with a low pinion d30. Stands to reason that since the yoke is lower it will be farther from the tcase and the shaft would be longer. Get a different shaft I guess or get that one shortened. Or take the opportunity to move the axle back an inch or so.

Ok so he measured how much is left of the splines and he measured 2 1/16" left so we could cut it down to 1 1/4" and cut the yoke down more if needed. At 2 1/16" though we really only have about 3/4" more that we could cut out and with where it is at the yoke is only maybe a little over 1/8" from hitting that bevel on the shaft so the yoke would have to be shortened and I would think that Dirtboung designed the kit with the right length yoke. But even still if we took out another 3/4", I don't know if that would be enough to let the driveshaft extend out to an appropriate length.

rockclimber said:

I have installed this kit.

you need

3/8"x24TPI tap (get 2)
3/8"x3/4"x24TPI bolt
3/8" lock washer
5/16" drill bit (get 2 drill slow, use oil)

I am running a np231, a Chryco 8.25, an auto front shaft (not sure which trans it came off), 4" of lift and my t-case is raised 2" and the driveshaft is still this close at ride height.

Click to expand...

With your specs I would expect the shaft to be extended out a little more but then again the picture may not be doing much justice to how much it is extended.

98stocker said:

If the donor for the shaft had the raised emblem, it would be a 00-01 with a low pinion d30. Stands to reason that since the yoke is lower it will be farther from the tcase and the shaft would be longer. Get a different shaft I guess or get that one shortened. Or take the opportunity to move the axle back an inch or so.

Click to expand...

I guess I was mistaken on the emblems but I am not 100% positive that it was raised emblems but I was pretty confident that it was. He has a 92 4x4 at his house too so he went out there and measured how much extended out the one on the 92 was, extended his to match, and then measured both to a common point and they are nearly the same and not off by an inch so that seems to show that it is the right length. This is also a daily driver that sees very little off-road use so pushing the axle back is not really an option.

Ben824 said:

With your specs I would expect the shaft to be extended out a little more but then again the picture may not be doing much justice to how much it is extended.

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it gives me about 3/4" to 1" left before it is fully collapsed. I have flexed the jeep out fully and it gets really close. I will probably cut the shaft down some, I'm not sure if it would collapse all the way under load, but I don't really want to find out.

Ben824 said:

Ok so he measured how much is left of the splines and he measured 2 1/16" left so we could cut it down to 1 1/4" and cut the yoke down more if needed. At 2 1/16" though we really only have about 3/4" more that we could cut out and with where it is at the yoke is only maybe a little over 1/8" from hitting that bevel on the shaft so the yoke would have to be shortened and I would think that Dirtboung designed the kit with the right length yoke. But even still if we took out another 3/4", I don't know if that would be enough to let the driveshaft extend out to an appropriate length.

Click to expand...

Sounds like you should shorten the shaft then.

Thanks for all the help guys. My jeep seems to have all the problems :/ we call it the cursed one but its all learning I guess.