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anyone cut and turn their LP D30?

2001XJ

2001XJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Canton, MI
I have 6" of lift and unfortunately have a LP D30. I have been battling with caster issues and got it finally set to 6.5 degrees but it is still borderline.....it tracks almost stock down the road but the front driveline has to be out in order for it not to vibe badly. Has anyone cut and turned their front axle so one could have stock caster and no vibes? How did it work out? Did you do it yourself? How much did it run if you had a shop do it?

thanks
 
I am by no means an advance fabricator, or mechanic for that reason, but wouldn't it just be easier to swap in a HP Dana 44?
 
tomcat said:
I am by no means an advance fabricator, or mechanic for that reason, but wouldn't it just be easier to swap in a HP Dana 44?
Click to expand...

don't know....maybe, but I already regeared to 4.56s before I knew it was gonna be such a PITA with caster and driveline issues with the LP D30
 
Unless you already dropped the cash to regear it, don't waste your time with the LP30. Get a hp30 and take your time cutting and turning the knuckles. That way you aren't in such a hurry to get it done. Gusset the passenger side upper control arm mount, put some skids on the lower control arm mounts, and maybe add a truss while you are at it.

I cut and turned the knuckles on my HP44 and it took about 4-5 hours. That does not include removing the axle from the jeep or putting it back in.
 
2001XJ said:
don't know....maybe, but I already regeared to 4.56s before I knew it was gonna be such a PITA with caster and driveline issues with the LP D30
Click to expand...

Moog makes some adjustable ball joints that will gain you 1.5 degrees of caster.

I was running those in my LP30 on 6" of lift with no driveline vibes or caster problems. You may have to sacrifice some caster, but on my '00 it still handled great with that combo.

Check your front driveshaft for wear at the slip joint, as that is where I was getting some vibes from. Replaced it and the vibes were gone.
 
Prepmech said:
Unless you already dropped the cash to regear it, don't waste your time with the LP30. Get a hp30 and take your time cutting and turning the knuckles. That way you aren't in such a hurry to get it done. Gusset the passenger side upper control arm mount, put some skids on the lower control arm mounts, and maybe add a truss while you are at it.

I cut and turned the knuckles on my HP44 and it took about 4-5 hours. That does not include removing the axle from the jeep or putting it back in.
Click to expand...


Believe me I wouldn't waste my time with the LP 30 but that's what was in it when I bought it and it is already geared to 4.56s so I am stuck with it.
 
Prepmech said:
Moog makes some adjustable ball joints that will gain you 1.5 degrees of caster.

I was running those in my LP30 on 6" of lift with no driveline vibes or caster problems. You may have to sacrifice some caster, but on my '00 it still handled great with that combo.

Check your front driveshaft for wear at the slip joint, as that is where I was getting some vibes from. Replaced it and the vibes were gone.
Click to expand...

thanks...I had forgotten about the adjustables giving 1.5 inches of caster
 
Id like to know what the problem actually is?Ive been running a LP D30 at 6" for 6 years now at 3* castor.Ive got 35k DD miles with no problems at all!
FWIW,95% of the vehicles in the world run on less than 4* castor!
 
Last edited:
That's what I was wondering too in another post the other day. Cruisers I know run with a stock caster of around 3 degrees, why is it then that our XJ's need 6-7? I'm currently at nearly 6" still with a LP D30 - cut and turning the D30 is definately a lot easier than swopping in a HP D44. I've been down that road and just couldn't justify all the related mods for my simple DD.

My suggestion would be to check the slip joint of your front propshaft and just do the cut and turn - I'd love to hear how it turned out. From the little research I've done so far the stock relationship between caster and pinion is about 11-12 degrees. If you're going to cut and turn you could go as far a moving that relationship out by about 4 degrees to say 16. You do however have to realised that when setting it up to be perfect at 6" lift, there is no going back, you can't lower it again unless you'll cut and turn again. What I would do it to set it up to be perfect for say a 4.5" lift and then compromise a little while running 6", knowing that you can go down if you want...seeing that there is a lot of focus recently on low centre of gravity lifts with a bit of trimming.
 
RCP Phx said:
Id like to know what the problem actually is?Ive been running a LP D30 at 6" for 6 years now at 3* castor.Ive got 35k DD miles with no problems at all!
FWIW,95% of the vehicles in the world run on less than 4* castor!
Click to expand...

Don't know but for whatever reason I had to set mine to 6.5* of castor to get it driveable down the road or it wanted to dart back and forth all over the road.....didn't track safely. However, now that it tracks acceptably, the driveshaft can't be used on road. I guess I could try to set castor to 3* but I don't think it will work (can't rememeber what my starting point was to get to 6.5*)

I should take a picture but my pinion is literally sticking straight out and parallel to the ground.....this is the only way it drives well. Of course I want it pointed up for driveline angle but as of now it isn't allowed.
 
gorman said:
That's what I was wondering too in another post the other day. Cruisers I know run with a stock caster of around 3 degrees, why is it then that our XJ's need 6-7? I'm currently at nearly 6" still with a LP D30 - cut and turning the D30 is definately a lot easier than swopping in a HP D44. I've been down that road and just couldn't justify all the related mods for my simple DD.

My suggestion would be to check the slip joint of your front propshaft and just do the cut and turn - I'd love to hear how it turned out. From the little research I've done so far the stock relationship between caster and pinion is about 11-12 degrees. If you're going to cut and turn you could go as far a moving that relationship out by about 4 degrees to say 16. You do however have to realised that when setting it up to be perfect at 6" lift, there is no going back, you can't lower it again unless you'll cut and turn again. What I would do it to set it up to be perfect for say a 4.5" lift and then compromise a little while running 6", knowing that you can go down if you want...seeing that there is a lot of focus recently on low centre of gravity lifts with a bit of trimming.
Click to expand...

So you have an LP D30 with 6-7* of castor also? How is your driveability? I think I will try to mess with 3-4* and if that don't cut it I will maybe drive offset balljoints or cut and turn it.
 
I have a LP D30, but if I take a rough guess as to what my caster is (based on measuring the pinion angle with an angle finder) I'd say I'm currently on about 4.5 degrees of caster. The handling is a bit looser than what it was at 4" lift with 6 degrees of caster and 31" tyres, but it's not bad...and I haven't even had my alignment check, I think my toe is out too. No major vibrations of note, a little shimmey, but I know my front propshaft's slip joint also has some play in it.
 
I may be wrong but, when you flip your axle around won't you have to regear anyway because your inverting your ring and pinion and you'll have to have reverse cut gears so when you put it in 4WD your rear tires aren't going forward and your front tires going backwards.
 
gorman said:
That's what I was wondering too in another post the other day. Cruisers I know run with a stock caster of around 3 degrees, why is it then that our XJ's need 6-7? I'm currently at nearly 6" still with a LP D30 - cut and turning the D30 is definately a lot easier than swopping in a HP D44. I've been down that road and just couldn't justify all the related mods for my simple DD.

My suggestion would be to check the slip joint of your front propshaft and just do the cut and turn - I'd love to hear how it turned out. From the little research I've done so far the stock relationship between caster and pinion is about 11-12 degrees. If you're going to cut and turn you could go as far a moving that relationship out by about 4 degrees to say 16. You do however have to realised that when setting it up to be perfect at 6" lift, there is no going back, you can't lower it again unless you'll cut and turn again. What I would do it to set it up to be perfect for say a 4.5" lift and then compromise a little while running 6", knowing that you can go down if you want...seeing that there is a lot of focus recently on low centre of gravity lifts with a bit of trimming.
Click to expand...

I most likely would set it up for always being 5.5-6". I was planning on going up to 33's anyway from the 32's i'm on now. I'm not concerned about ever lowering my COG.

I was wondering...about cutting and turning....can one cut and turn just the diff. assembly only. It seems when cutting and turning the inner c's, when adjusting the pinion up, you are also rotating the spring perches. Shouldn't the spring perches, technically, be parallel to the ground so that the springs are "squared up"? Anyone have a write up of cutting and turning the c's or the diff. assembly?
 
You'd have to cut or torch out the plug welds, remove the tubes, clean them up, then press them back into the housing at the angle you want. It would be a lot more difficult. You're correct, to get it "perfect" you'd want the coil buckets and all other brackets "squared up" with the springs, but it's liveable with them off some.
 
2001XJ said:
I most likely would set it up for always being 5.5-6". I was planning on going up to 33's anyway from the 32's i'm on now. I'm not concerned about ever lowering my COG.

I was wondering...about cutting and turning....can one cut and turn just the diff. assembly only. It seems when cutting and turning the inner c's, when adjusting the pinion up, you are also rotating the spring perches. Shouldn't the spring perches, technically, be parallel to the ground so that the springs are "squared up"? Anyone have a write up of cutting and turning the c's or the diff. assembly?
Click to expand...
Ditto.. I assume that you would have to grind off the factory welds, but how much penetration is there on the factory welds? That would seem to be problematic to me.
 
2001XJ said:
I most likely would set it up for always being 5.5-6". I was planning on going up to 33's anyway from the 32's i'm on now. I'm not concerned about ever lowering my COG.

I was wondering...about cutting and turning....can one cut and turn just the diff. assembly only. It seems when cutting and turning the inner c's, when adjusting the pinion up, you are also rotating the spring perches. Shouldn't the spring perches, technically, be parallel to the ground so that the springs are "squared up"? Anyone have a write up of cutting and turning the c's or the diff. assembly?
Click to expand...

I would say cutting and turning the knuckles would be a lot less hastle and still yeild the same results.
 
The adjustment made will only be a few degrees - I don't think the springs would worry too much about their base changing ever so slightly..
 
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