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building an MJ

Jeff in VA

<---respect
Location
Richmond, VA
Finally found some time to love on the MJ a bit. Rebuilt a D44 from the ground up, locked it, and SOA’d it. Here’s what I started with:

axle1.jpg


stripped it bare, regeared it to 4.56 and added the locker:

stripped.jpg


stripped2.jpg


primed.jpg


Picture003.jpg


Picture007.jpg


fitted it with an 8.25 soft line and distribution block, and welded on the perches:

installed2.jpg


Picture012.jpg




Did the SOA on it a few months ago, lifting the front with some ZJ springs and ACOS and a RE adustable trackbar and bracket:

IMG_1515.jpg


Didn’t like that setup, so it all came out in favor of some 5.5 TJ coils, JKS discos, and some RE adjustable uppers:

Picture007-1.jpg


all the old stuff out:

Picture008-1.jpg


TJ springs versus ZJ springs :D:

Picture010-1.jpg


done:

Picture012-1.jpg
 
Couple shots of the frontend stuff…..I just picked up a 4.0/AW4 front driveshaft that’ll get cut down to fit the new front axle position. The stock AX5 one is beyond maxed out now.

Coils and discos:
Picture001.jpg


UCA’s:
Picture003.jpg


from the rear:
Picture018.jpg


Added some 33” AT’s on 3.75 BS Cragars yesterday, and trimmed the front fenders a bit:

Picture001.jpg


Picture002.jpg


Picture004.jpg



Picture005.jpg


Picture006.jpg


Picture007.jpg
 
Andy in Pa. said:
They must be 10" wide Cragars, you have a lot of tire sticking out. Looks great, all the cool kids are doing it these days.

Mine started out as a 2WD MJ also. Built this for my wife last year, and I like driving it as much as she does. This is a shot up at RC in their comp course area, she was driving.

2076199480056987571xHfUNn

For the $150 I paid for all the wheels/tires (including the brand new one in the bed), I wasn't being picky on width:laugh: Plus, I didn't have to mount or balance them.....I'm going to MT's soon, so this deal worked out perfectly. I got to see if 33X12.5's fit and how the 2.5L would work with them, and if it didn't I wasn't out a pile of cash.

I still have to readjust the front axle, lengthen the TB about 1/2" to center it. Also have to have an AW4 front shaft cut down to fit, so it's 2WD for now (the AX5 stock one was maxed out, surprised I didn't snap it on the test run LOL).

:cheers: to your MJ as well. My wife won't even get into mine.....

Jeff
 
Skwerly said:
Very nice job on that rig, you sure know your stuff!!

Years of careful listening and studying here on NAXJA. I got this MJ back in '99 and didn't really know a thing about Jeeps. I learned from the best.

:cheers:


SOUTHTEXASXJ said:
nice looks great nice build on the diff.

I didn't set the gears up....paid a fellow Jeeper here to do that.

Thanks for the compliments, guys.

Jeff
 
looks great... and framiliar...
doing a similar mj build up with a friend of mine. also based around the d44 soa swap....
im going with a rc 3 link front and new springs/track bar for the front however.

did the rear drive shaft need modification for the soa?
 
yeah, it did because I went from a D35 SUA to a D44 SOA. I had a local shop build a sexy new one out of 3" tube. The stock one "worked" but the slip yoke was pulled out far enough that it had about 1/8" play in it....caused vibes, and didn't seal well so I had a leak.

Here’s a pic with the stock one:

IMG_1461.jpg


The new driveshaft:

IMG_1540.jpg
 
I got lucky when I did my SOA. I used an MJ D44 and welded on the perches so the pinion was pointed just a few degrees off of looking at the back of the t-case. I swapped in a MJ 4WD auto (with a D35 rear) rear driveshaft and it worked great. No vibes, no leaks. I was ready to have the 2WD driveshaft cut down, but luckily didn't have to.

A.
 
For the perches, we just welded them on parallel with the stock ones under the tubes. The rationalization for that was that the relationship of the pinion to the TC output would (and did) remain the same, just that that angle would increase a bit. In other words, both the TC and pinion angle in relation to the ground wouldn't change with the SOA, but would change in equal proportion to each other, so the stock pinion angle would be the correct angle. It worked out perfectly...no vibes at all ;) Just had to get a slightly longer DS is all. It all depends on what all you do: different pinion lengths by changing axle types, how much lift you end up with on the SOA, whether you reuse your 2WD springpacks vs. replacing with 4WD packs, etc......as to what your DS length will need to be.

I wasn't, however, expecting to have to worry about the front DS. My homebrew lift combo up front resulted in a one-off DS length, and I'll have to modify a longer one to fit. Actually, two of them so I can carry one as a spare :(

Jeff

Jeff
 
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