zj95maxx
04-07-2009, 11:43 AM
So you want to go to tons eh? Welcome to the world of hurtin. The next many purchases are going to be expensive as fuck and you will start regretting what you are doing if you aren't super into this sport. This guide will aid you in knowing what you are getting yourself into, tech talk, and some prices for parts. This build wont go into how to take apart each part, and how to grease it and whatnot because there are tech posts that already cover this on other forums(www.pirate4x4.com/tech (http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech)).
Let's start with the basics. Obviously, one would think," Why should I go tons when I can just go 44/9!?" If you have already gone through the preliminary axle swap to let's say a HP30 and a 8.8, then it would be retarded to "upgrade" again to a 44/9 or even a 44/14 bolt. The first axle swap you do(lets go with the infamous 30/8.8 combo) is always fun. It means you have gotten more into the sport and have decided you want to run a bigger tire and are smart enough to know the limitations of the stock axles under your Jeep. When you get tired of breaking u-joints and 27 spline shafts in your turdy, you realize you want something more out of your jeep. One might think that a simple upgrade to a 44 in the front and another similar 6 lug rear axle would allow them to run slightly bigger tires,37's maybe, without the worry of breaking shafts as easily.
This logic is interesting to me because you have already spent the money to upgrade your stock axles to slightly beefier axles. Basically, upgrading to ANOTHER 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton axle is doing the same thing as you did before, slightly increasing the axle strength to really only gain a little bit more strength is indeed a humorous way to go about spending your money. A good quote I heard from someone on a jeep forum is that, "if you are wheeling hard enough to break stuff on your 30, chances are, you are going to break it on a 44."
So now you realize that the one-ton axle life is the way to go. Great. Putting your jeep under tons is a great idea if you plan on keeping in this sport, going bigger, and not wanting to worry about breaking parts at the local mall. Now you will begin your hunt for the axles of choice.
There are many options at this point for both the front and the rear but the 60/14bolt combo is the way that most people go. Why, you might ask. Their are many reasons, but for now, we will go into the 14 bolt.
The two main rear axles people think about when going tons is the rear 60 and the rear 14bolt. They are both full floating axles which means a few things. The weight of the Jeep is on the hub and bearing assembly and not on the shafts which means the shafts are simply transmitting power/torque. Full floating axles are great because if you break a shaft, you're tire wont come out like on the d35 and other c-clip axles. This also means to do gear/locker work, you don't need to jack up the Jeep or take the tires off, simply slide the shafts out, pop the cover, and do work.
The 14 bolt is extremely easy to find at junkyards as well are 60's. Some people seem to find 60's easier than 14 bolt so some go with that axle. The 14 bolt is simply a better axle, plain and simple. The 30 spline shafts on the 14 bolt are huge. The 60shafts are a bit smaller and to upgrade to the 35 spline, you must bore out the tubes to fit the shafts. The biggest advantage of the 14 bolt is the pinion support. The pinion support is a little bearing that rests in the back of the housing which allows for the pinion to be secure and not flex in the housing which would cause less teeth contact pattern and could possibly break something. The pinion support is indeed one of the top reasons in itself to get the 14 bolt over the rear 60. I will not go into the 60/14 bolt pissing match any further because frankly, that shit can go all day. Plain and simple, get a 14 bolt, build it for cheaper(we will discuss what you need a bit later), and run it.
The front 60 is the champion of the tons and not many other front axles are used until you go into the fancy built to order axles, portals, mogs, and other axles. This tech is for a front 60. The front 60 came in many trucks for a both passenger side and driver side drop. Obviously, since most people will be using the same t-case, we will discuss the driver side drop 60. The Ford 1978-1979 60 is the most sought after 60 for those using coils and planning on running lower links(DUH!). The reason being, the 78-79 ford 60's have the most room on the driver side of the pumpkin for brackets and tabs of the liking. The 1978-1979 60 is pricey though, I snagged mine off ebay for about 700 but people sell them for up to 1k stock!
The Build
You got your ford 60 and rear 14 bolt and you are ready to build. Super. Now you need to decide which parts you want to purchase to make these axles like new. You can go on the cheap side and reuse the stock gearing,shafts,bearings, replace a few seals,throw some brackets on it, run the stock tierod, add a few things, and call it a day and tell all your friends you have one-tons under your zj but you will fail at life if you do so. You are going through all the trouble to finally swap to the bigboy club axles and you missed the point of do it right the first time(or second time!). Building these axles to to the point of no return is not cheap and you need to realize this.
Lets start with the basics. Bringing the axles back to shape. Get out there sand down the axles, make sure they are shining a nice, rust free color, then head to your local napa with your wallet.
These axles are old and they need to be restored. Bearings, seals, U-joints, brakes, and other things of the sort need to be replaced first.
These parts alone are going to be about 400 dollars for the front, and maybe 100 worth of bearings/seals in the back.
You are building these axles once, dont slack off in areas that will require you to come back and take shit apart again because you didnt want to replace all the bearings at the same time. Build the axles so they won't break.
The Front 60
Gears/Locker
Gear ratios are an important aspect to keep in mind when going to the big tires because you really don't want to have to re-gear again, so you kinda want to have a ballpark around what size tire you plan on running now, and in the future. The 40" tire is generally around what people go on when these axles are put under their jeep because you need as much ground clearance as you can get and a 40" tire will aid in that area.
5.13 gears is what I personally chose and I think it is a fine ratio for anywhere from a 39 to a 42 inch tire, maybe even a bit higher. My RPM's are almost stock while driving around town going 35-50.
Yukon is a well known brand for their gears so we are going to use them for this build.
Prices on these will vary but here is what I paid for them.
$150 - Yukon 5.13RT
$110 - master install kit
Then you must factor in the cost to gear them if you can't do them yourself.
There are many types of lockers out there. Electric lockers, air lockers, detroits, lockrights, spools, mini spools, welded diffs. Each have their own advantage and disadvantages so do your research on each. I have a lockright and love it. It was 295 shipped to my door. The Lockright installs very easily on a desk, in about 30 min, just make sure you grease everything up so the parts last longer.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/005-1.jpg
Steering
Their are many different types of steering but only two we are talking about is full hydro and mechanical with the aid of hydro assist.
Full hydro replaces all of your mechanical steering components(tie rod, draglink) and replaces them with a double ended ram that would be installed in the center of your axle, with two links coming out either side and bolting into your tie rod area.
EDIT: a "single ended" cylinder can also be used without a draglink to constitute full hydro as well. A primary difference in this setup is that the cylinder will not have a tendency to return to center, as with a "double ended" (balanced cylinder). Keep in mind you need to run a load reactive orbital (all of PSC's are) in order to achieve a return to center effect with a DE cylinder.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/DSCN0565.jpg
PSC is one of the most used brands when it comes to full hydro.
Full hydro replaces your steering box with an orbital which all the hydraulic lines attach to and it acts as a hydraulic steering box if you will.
Full hydraulic steering kits from PSC run about $1,375. Keep in mind to run a full hydro ram, you must fab a mount for it to attach to, or purchase a truss like the one shown in the picture which can run up to 500 bucks depending where you buy it from.
Full hydro is pretty much the top of the line for steering. You can turn massive tires with the flick of the pinky. Keep in mind since this is completely hydraulic steering, that means if you plan on driving this on the road, it might not be wise. If the engine were to fail, or a line or pump were to fail, you would have no steering. Be warned
The other type of steering we will talk about is the typical mechanical steering with the aid of hydraulic assist. The type of steering that most people go with is high steer. This type of steering consists of two steering arms located on either knuckle, with tapered(for TRE) or non tapered(heim) holes for the steering to bolt to. The tie rod runs along the front of the axle, with the draglink running up to the pitman arm. This type of steering will give you the most clearance because the steering links will be so high up compared to using the stock location for the tierod located on the arm of the knuckles about halfway down.Many companies sell different versions of the highsteer arm but most are similiar in design with a few changes here and there. The biggest choice comes down to the price, and if the arm replaces the kingpin spring located on top of the knuckle. Getting a set of steering arms that replace the spring is a great idea. You don't need to purchase a new spring to replace the old shitty one, and you don't have to worry about the springs wearing out either.
Building your own steering links is a great idea because it is cheaper and it allows you can make your steering links as beefy as you want. My steering links consist of .250 wall 1.5" DOM tubing, with tube inserts from ballistic fabrication.
Hydraulic assist is a great way to turn those huge tires with ease, without going full hydro. The ram consists of a single ended hydraulic ram which has a fixed end and a ram end. Custom mounting points must be made when purchasing the the hydro assist ram. One end of the ram must be attached to a fixed point on the axle, such as the axle itself, the diff cover, or a truss, While the other end of the ram should be mounted to the tie rod itself. The ram needs to have correct throw on both the push and the pull end of the ram so that you do not over extend your ram or compress it too much. So picking out a ram with the correct amount of rod throw is important. Get the tape measurer out and write down how far your tierod moves when going from lock to lock and give the guys at PSC motorsports a call and they can get you hooked up with the right ram. Make sure the hydro assist ram is mounted in direct line with the tierod as well, as in, it moves in the exact same motion as the tie rod, straight. the hydro assist ram has hydraulic lines that run from the top of the ram to your steering box which needs to be tapped for this type of steering. A local shop can do this or you can do it yourself but keep in mind tapping your box is drilling holes in the box which means metal shavings will get inside it, so a box cleaning is recommended. A power steering cooler must be purchased as well because with the hydro assist, you are pushing the limits to your stock power steering pump and heating the fluid up rapidly. A cooler can be purchased for about 75 bucks from PSC.
The hydro assist kit from PSC runs anywhere from $1,028 if you want a pre-tapped box, upgraded pully, extra resevior for added fluid to 120 bucks if you just want the ram itself and plan on buying the lines from some where else.
The knuckles are the next topic. Ford is actually known to have the weakest of the 60 knuckles(dodge,chevy, etc..) and has been prone to failure because of weakspots throughout the knuckle itself. Some people add material to these weakspots to strengthen the over all knuckle. Here is an example from Cam's build(ATL ZJ).
EDIT:of all the kingpin knuckles, Ford's are considered the weakest due to their thinner material and tendency to crack and twist off at the upper kingpin cap area. However, not all Ford 60s came with kingpins. Later axles came with balljoints, and those axles have much stronger knuckles, although the balljoints themselves may be arguably weaker than the kingpin design.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/atlzj/photo-6.jpg
The knuckle is now a good amount stronger than before.
The reason for worrying about the knuckles is that when you get into hydraulic assist and full hydro, it puts an extreme amount of pressure on the knuckles when you get into a bind on the trail because you can actually lift and move the vehicle with the steering if the tires were jammed because the hydraulic aspect of it is so powerful. The pressure is somewhat less on the knuckles with hydro assist but with full hydro, the pressure from giant ram is being directed to the knuckles and it can snap and/or break in some way, shape or form which you do not want to do on the trail.
The other choice in knuckles is upgrading. Companies such as Reid Racing, Crane, and Solid Manufacturing pump out aftermarket knuckles that blow stock knuckles out of the water. The added rib support, stronger material, and added mounting points on top(on some), make aftermarket knuckles appealing to buy.
Here is a stock ford knuckle next to a Reid Racing knuckle. You can see the difference in the size and extra ribs.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/n657390617_3088257_4763.jpg
The downfall to the aftermarket knuckle is the cost part of it. The knuckles range a bit but generally are no cheaper than around 500 dollars for the pair of two. For the peace of mind, I highly recommend them.
As you can see here, with the tierod,trackbar,draglink, hydraulic assist ram, steering cooler, the front axle tends to get crowded fast. Especially after you add a protective ram to keep the rocks off your precious hydro ram.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/100_0017.jpg
Let's start with the basics. Obviously, one would think," Why should I go tons when I can just go 44/9!?" If you have already gone through the preliminary axle swap to let's say a HP30 and a 8.8, then it would be retarded to "upgrade" again to a 44/9 or even a 44/14 bolt. The first axle swap you do(lets go with the infamous 30/8.8 combo) is always fun. It means you have gotten more into the sport and have decided you want to run a bigger tire and are smart enough to know the limitations of the stock axles under your Jeep. When you get tired of breaking u-joints and 27 spline shafts in your turdy, you realize you want something more out of your jeep. One might think that a simple upgrade to a 44 in the front and another similar 6 lug rear axle would allow them to run slightly bigger tires,37's maybe, without the worry of breaking shafts as easily.
This logic is interesting to me because you have already spent the money to upgrade your stock axles to slightly beefier axles. Basically, upgrading to ANOTHER 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton axle is doing the same thing as you did before, slightly increasing the axle strength to really only gain a little bit more strength is indeed a humorous way to go about spending your money. A good quote I heard from someone on a jeep forum is that, "if you are wheeling hard enough to break stuff on your 30, chances are, you are going to break it on a 44."
So now you realize that the one-ton axle life is the way to go. Great. Putting your jeep under tons is a great idea if you plan on keeping in this sport, going bigger, and not wanting to worry about breaking parts at the local mall. Now you will begin your hunt for the axles of choice.
There are many options at this point for both the front and the rear but the 60/14bolt combo is the way that most people go. Why, you might ask. Their are many reasons, but for now, we will go into the 14 bolt.
The two main rear axles people think about when going tons is the rear 60 and the rear 14bolt. They are both full floating axles which means a few things. The weight of the Jeep is on the hub and bearing assembly and not on the shafts which means the shafts are simply transmitting power/torque. Full floating axles are great because if you break a shaft, you're tire wont come out like on the d35 and other c-clip axles. This also means to do gear/locker work, you don't need to jack up the Jeep or take the tires off, simply slide the shafts out, pop the cover, and do work.
The 14 bolt is extremely easy to find at junkyards as well are 60's. Some people seem to find 60's easier than 14 bolt so some go with that axle. The 14 bolt is simply a better axle, plain and simple. The 30 spline shafts on the 14 bolt are huge. The 60shafts are a bit smaller and to upgrade to the 35 spline, you must bore out the tubes to fit the shafts. The biggest advantage of the 14 bolt is the pinion support. The pinion support is a little bearing that rests in the back of the housing which allows for the pinion to be secure and not flex in the housing which would cause less teeth contact pattern and could possibly break something. The pinion support is indeed one of the top reasons in itself to get the 14 bolt over the rear 60. I will not go into the 60/14 bolt pissing match any further because frankly, that shit can go all day. Plain and simple, get a 14 bolt, build it for cheaper(we will discuss what you need a bit later), and run it.
The front 60 is the champion of the tons and not many other front axles are used until you go into the fancy built to order axles, portals, mogs, and other axles. This tech is for a front 60. The front 60 came in many trucks for a both passenger side and driver side drop. Obviously, since most people will be using the same t-case, we will discuss the driver side drop 60. The Ford 1978-1979 60 is the most sought after 60 for those using coils and planning on running lower links(DUH!). The reason being, the 78-79 ford 60's have the most room on the driver side of the pumpkin for brackets and tabs of the liking. The 1978-1979 60 is pricey though, I snagged mine off ebay for about 700 but people sell them for up to 1k stock!
The Build
You got your ford 60 and rear 14 bolt and you are ready to build. Super. Now you need to decide which parts you want to purchase to make these axles like new. You can go on the cheap side and reuse the stock gearing,shafts,bearings, replace a few seals,throw some brackets on it, run the stock tierod, add a few things, and call it a day and tell all your friends you have one-tons under your zj but you will fail at life if you do so. You are going through all the trouble to finally swap to the bigboy club axles and you missed the point of do it right the first time(or second time!). Building these axles to to the point of no return is not cheap and you need to realize this.
Lets start with the basics. Bringing the axles back to shape. Get out there sand down the axles, make sure they are shining a nice, rust free color, then head to your local napa with your wallet.
These axles are old and they need to be restored. Bearings, seals, U-joints, brakes, and other things of the sort need to be replaced first.
These parts alone are going to be about 400 dollars for the front, and maybe 100 worth of bearings/seals in the back.
You are building these axles once, dont slack off in areas that will require you to come back and take shit apart again because you didnt want to replace all the bearings at the same time. Build the axles so they won't break.
The Front 60
Gears/Locker
Gear ratios are an important aspect to keep in mind when going to the big tires because you really don't want to have to re-gear again, so you kinda want to have a ballpark around what size tire you plan on running now, and in the future. The 40" tire is generally around what people go on when these axles are put under their jeep because you need as much ground clearance as you can get and a 40" tire will aid in that area.
5.13 gears is what I personally chose and I think it is a fine ratio for anywhere from a 39 to a 42 inch tire, maybe even a bit higher. My RPM's are almost stock while driving around town going 35-50.
Yukon is a well known brand for their gears so we are going to use them for this build.
Prices on these will vary but here is what I paid for them.
$150 - Yukon 5.13RT
$110 - master install kit
Then you must factor in the cost to gear them if you can't do them yourself.
There are many types of lockers out there. Electric lockers, air lockers, detroits, lockrights, spools, mini spools, welded diffs. Each have their own advantage and disadvantages so do your research on each. I have a lockright and love it. It was 295 shipped to my door. The Lockright installs very easily on a desk, in about 30 min, just make sure you grease everything up so the parts last longer.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/005-1.jpg
Steering
Their are many different types of steering but only two we are talking about is full hydro and mechanical with the aid of hydro assist.
Full hydro replaces all of your mechanical steering components(tie rod, draglink) and replaces them with a double ended ram that would be installed in the center of your axle, with two links coming out either side and bolting into your tie rod area.
EDIT: a "single ended" cylinder can also be used without a draglink to constitute full hydro as well. A primary difference in this setup is that the cylinder will not have a tendency to return to center, as with a "double ended" (balanced cylinder). Keep in mind you need to run a load reactive orbital (all of PSC's are) in order to achieve a return to center effect with a DE cylinder.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/DSCN0565.jpg
PSC is one of the most used brands when it comes to full hydro.
Full hydro replaces your steering box with an orbital which all the hydraulic lines attach to and it acts as a hydraulic steering box if you will.
Full hydraulic steering kits from PSC run about $1,375. Keep in mind to run a full hydro ram, you must fab a mount for it to attach to, or purchase a truss like the one shown in the picture which can run up to 500 bucks depending where you buy it from.
Full hydro is pretty much the top of the line for steering. You can turn massive tires with the flick of the pinky. Keep in mind since this is completely hydraulic steering, that means if you plan on driving this on the road, it might not be wise. If the engine were to fail, or a line or pump were to fail, you would have no steering. Be warned
The other type of steering we will talk about is the typical mechanical steering with the aid of hydraulic assist. The type of steering that most people go with is high steer. This type of steering consists of two steering arms located on either knuckle, with tapered(for TRE) or non tapered(heim) holes for the steering to bolt to. The tie rod runs along the front of the axle, with the draglink running up to the pitman arm. This type of steering will give you the most clearance because the steering links will be so high up compared to using the stock location for the tierod located on the arm of the knuckles about halfway down.Many companies sell different versions of the highsteer arm but most are similiar in design with a few changes here and there. The biggest choice comes down to the price, and if the arm replaces the kingpin spring located on top of the knuckle. Getting a set of steering arms that replace the spring is a great idea. You don't need to purchase a new spring to replace the old shitty one, and you don't have to worry about the springs wearing out either.
Building your own steering links is a great idea because it is cheaper and it allows you can make your steering links as beefy as you want. My steering links consist of .250 wall 1.5" DOM tubing, with tube inserts from ballistic fabrication.
Hydraulic assist is a great way to turn those huge tires with ease, without going full hydro. The ram consists of a single ended hydraulic ram which has a fixed end and a ram end. Custom mounting points must be made when purchasing the the hydro assist ram. One end of the ram must be attached to a fixed point on the axle, such as the axle itself, the diff cover, or a truss, While the other end of the ram should be mounted to the tie rod itself. The ram needs to have correct throw on both the push and the pull end of the ram so that you do not over extend your ram or compress it too much. So picking out a ram with the correct amount of rod throw is important. Get the tape measurer out and write down how far your tierod moves when going from lock to lock and give the guys at PSC motorsports a call and they can get you hooked up with the right ram. Make sure the hydro assist ram is mounted in direct line with the tierod as well, as in, it moves in the exact same motion as the tie rod, straight. the hydro assist ram has hydraulic lines that run from the top of the ram to your steering box which needs to be tapped for this type of steering. A local shop can do this or you can do it yourself but keep in mind tapping your box is drilling holes in the box which means metal shavings will get inside it, so a box cleaning is recommended. A power steering cooler must be purchased as well because with the hydro assist, you are pushing the limits to your stock power steering pump and heating the fluid up rapidly. A cooler can be purchased for about 75 bucks from PSC.
The hydro assist kit from PSC runs anywhere from $1,028 if you want a pre-tapped box, upgraded pully, extra resevior for added fluid to 120 bucks if you just want the ram itself and plan on buying the lines from some where else.
The knuckles are the next topic. Ford is actually known to have the weakest of the 60 knuckles(dodge,chevy, etc..) and has been prone to failure because of weakspots throughout the knuckle itself. Some people add material to these weakspots to strengthen the over all knuckle. Here is an example from Cam's build(ATL ZJ).
EDIT:of all the kingpin knuckles, Ford's are considered the weakest due to their thinner material and tendency to crack and twist off at the upper kingpin cap area. However, not all Ford 60s came with kingpins. Later axles came with balljoints, and those axles have much stronger knuckles, although the balljoints themselves may be arguably weaker than the kingpin design.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/atlzj/photo-6.jpg
The knuckle is now a good amount stronger than before.
The reason for worrying about the knuckles is that when you get into hydraulic assist and full hydro, it puts an extreme amount of pressure on the knuckles when you get into a bind on the trail because you can actually lift and move the vehicle with the steering if the tires were jammed because the hydraulic aspect of it is so powerful. The pressure is somewhat less on the knuckles with hydro assist but with full hydro, the pressure from giant ram is being directed to the knuckles and it can snap and/or break in some way, shape or form which you do not want to do on the trail.
The other choice in knuckles is upgrading. Companies such as Reid Racing, Crane, and Solid Manufacturing pump out aftermarket knuckles that blow stock knuckles out of the water. The added rib support, stronger material, and added mounting points on top(on some), make aftermarket knuckles appealing to buy.
Here is a stock ford knuckle next to a Reid Racing knuckle. You can see the difference in the size and extra ribs.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/n657390617_3088257_4763.jpg
The downfall to the aftermarket knuckle is the cost part of it. The knuckles range a bit but generally are no cheaper than around 500 dollars for the pair of two. For the peace of mind, I highly recommend them.
As you can see here, with the tierod,trackbar,draglink, hydraulic assist ram, steering cooler, the front axle tends to get crowded fast. Especially after you add a protective ram to keep the rocks off your precious hydro ram.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/100_0017.jpg