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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

zj95maxx
04-07-2009, 11:44 AM
Other 60 Necessities
The next thing that you need to consider is a truss. A truss is not only a great way to strengthen the overall housing, it allows brackets to be installed relatively easy. There are many versions of trusses, some that have brackets on them, and some that are flat on top for weld on brackets. Either way you go, a truss is something every axle should not be without.
The truss I have on my zj is from TnT customs and ran me about 500 with all the options (track bar mount, shock mounts, coil buckets, shock tabs). The truss eliminated a lot of guess work with brackets and allowed me to set my pinion angle to what I wanted it to be. Without the truss, mounting coil buckets and upper link brackets for a typical front long arm suspension(clayton, rubicon express) would be a pain in my ass.
Keep in mind the truss is only for the 1979-78 ford, but it is a good thing that is the one we are talking about in this write up!
Here you can get a good view at the truss, very quality work.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/DSCN1104.jpg
Only brackets you have to worry about are the lower CA brackets which can be had for about 24 bucks for a pair from Ballistic Fab.

The last thing worth talking about on the front axle purchases is the shafts,u-joints, and the hubs.

Shafts and U-joints
The stock shafts in a 60 are plenty beef but they still can be upgraded, and since you have it all apart, why not? The inner shafts are 35 spline but they usually are a "neck down" type which means the axle shaft diameter gets smaller a inch or two after the splines which means it gets weaker down the shaft. Upgrading to non neckdown shafts is a good idea but not a necessity. They run about 340 for a set of inners.

The main shaft that is upgraded is the outer shaft. It is a 30 spline that can easily be upgraded to a 35 spline. While upgrading, why not replace those old ass u-joints with some fresh ones.
The prices for the U-joints and outer stub shafts are:
$85ea - Yukon 4340 35 spline Ford outer
$35ea - Spicer 806 joints

Ujoints
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/002.jpg

35 spline on left, stock 30 on right
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/007-1.jpg

Last thing to wrap up the front 60 is hubs. You can get Manual locking hubs, or drive slugs.
Manual hubs are nice because it allows you to control when your front axle is engaged, lets you unlock the hubs for street driving, if you break something you can turn the hubs without anything rotating inside the housing and limp home. The main downfall to the manual hubs is it creates a weak point in the axle. The hub would be the first thing to go if enough stress was created to break something in the front more than likely.
To solve that problem and eliminate that weak point is to get drive flanges. This means that your front axle is always spinning and parts are always turning. This makes for more wear on your parts but it eliminates having to turn your hubs to get into 4wd and it also gets rid of that weak point on the axle.
Warn premium hubs are about 180 bucks and drive flanges are about 280 depending on where you shop.

There are a few other things you need on the 60 but it is common sense. Get a good diff cover, a nice and thick one, and replace ALL BEARINGS AND SEALS ON THE 60!

The Rear 14 Bolt
Now let's dive into the rear axle. The 14 bolt can be built relatively cheap depending on what you decide to do with it. But we aren't building it on the cheap are we!? no no no, we are building it to be beefy and so you can still have some road manners out of it.
Gears/Locker
Obviously you would put the same 5.13 gears in the rear pig as you did in the front. The rear gears are going to run you almost the same as the front. Here is what I paid for mine.
$290=5.13 yukon ring and pinion and install kit.
Not too shabby, but now you need to pick a locker. I decided since the rear would more than likely be bumped harder than the front, to upgrade my decision from a Lockright to a Detroit. Usually, a Detroit locker replaces the entire carrier but since the 14 bolt carrier is so massive, the Detroit just simply drops into the carrier once you split it open.

Brakes
The 14 bolt, unless it is very new, comes stock with drum brakes. These brakes are heavy as shit and do not provide the stopping power that discs can provide. Obviously you want to do a disc brake swap on the axle. A complete kit can be purchased for about 290 which includes everything you need to redo your brakes except for brakes lines and fluid. The bracket bolts to the 4 axle flange bolts on the end of each tube or their are some bracket kits that weld on. The calipers used are front calipers since there really isn't rear brakes that fit on it. Keep in mind you won't be able to have an E-brake with this setup.
EDIT:Ruffstuff Specialties does sell a kit that accomodates a second caliper that can be used as an e-brake on a 14b.

Brackets
To get this thing under your axle, you will need brackets. I really was happy with Ballistic Fab's coil brackets which trap the bottom coil. For coil brackets, lower control arm brackets, and some basic shock tabs. It ran me about 60 bucks for all of it.
A point on the axle that has been known to sometimes fail, is when the axle tubes spin in the housing. This occurs when the rosetta welds/or spot welds fail that hold the tubes to the housing and the tubes rotate under torque and can do all sorts of damage to your parts and your axle. To eliminate this you can simply weld the tubes on either side of the axle. Make sure you phase all your welds and alternate sides when welding the tubes and/or brackets so that you don't warp the housing(heat from the weld can pull the axle in different directions).

A truss is a must as well. This both adds strength to your axle, and chances are, you need one if you are doing a triangulated type of suspension. The clayton truss that comes with the kit is what I have on mine and it is a basic tube truss with angled tabs for the uppers. The truss runs about 150 bucks if you need a new one for the 14 bolt because you are upgrading from the 8.8. Other companies such as BTF,Ruff Stuff, and Ballistic fab make trusses as well but they are usually a flat top truss which means you need to weld on your own tabs for your 4 link.

Here is my 14 bolt, with discs and a truss installed. Obviously you will have better looking brake lines!
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/DSCN1160.jpg

The last thing to keep in mind is the pinion guard.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/DSCN1281.jpg

This hella-thick bracket bolts to the rear of the axle where the pinion bolts onto the axle. This keeps the end of the driveshaft safe and protected from rocks. To make it even stronger you can tie it into the truss by making a bracket that can be unbolted.
My pinion guard is from Great Lakes and is about 55 bucks.

You're Done!
Man, look how cool you are with your built axles! All of your friends are going to be so jealous! Oh wait, you're aren't done yet. Now you just have built axles that look super cool but you still aren't ready to throw them under.

Strength
The huge axles you put under you're jeep are putting a gigantic amount of stress on the unibody itself. The factory body is not meant to take the amount of torque and stress that the axles can put out. Obviously, by this point, long arms will be under your jeep, which is the first step to keeping your unibody in tact.
You need to do other things to your Jeep to make sure you have quality points to attach brackets to, keeping your unibody from twisting, and tying everything in as much as possible.
Ultimate94zj did a great job of plating the unibody to keep it from twisting.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/frontwheelwell.jpg
1/8 can even be used in this application because of how much you are adding. Holes are drilled to provide more areas to weld to. This can either be stitch welded or fully welded over time. This is something I still need to do to mine.
The main thing you can do to keep the unibody in tact is to add a cage. An internal cage will stiffen the body up if you tie it into the framerails. Once the cage is bolted to the floor, run a plate on the bottom and run a piece of tube from the cage to the frame, or any other thing you want on the underside of the jeep.
Here is an example of what I am talking about:
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/DSC03951.jpg

My jeep is tied into almost everything, making the unibody quite stout aside from plating the entire frame which is something I need to do.
My front bumper ties to the tube fenders, which tie to the sliders, which tie to the long arms, which tie to the cage, which tie to the skidplate... you get the point.
Here is a good shot to show what I mean about things tying into one another on the outside of your rig. You want everything to disperse the load throughout the jeep and not rely on all the force being applied to a single thing.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/P2210609.jpg


Conclusion
As you can tell, this is a big step in your Jeeps life and to make it happen right, you need to not skimp on the build. Buy the right parts and ensure your jeep is in strong condition to handle the parts you are dealing it. I haven't even gone into things such as, moving coil mounts back on the frame rails, cycling suspension,buying driveshafts,shocks,brakelines, and other things of the sort. That can be added later, but after typing for a few hours. This will be the first part of the ever continuing jeep tech talk. I hope this has helped anyone out that has questions about going into the world of tons.
Putting these axles on your jeep requires TONS of labor and hard work, and at the end of the day, you will be done, and then you can flick off the world and say, "fuck you, i'm on tons."
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu33/zj95maxx2/n657390617_3269918_5185.jpg

BigDaveZJ
04-07-2009, 11:51 AM
You really want that shoutbox don't you?? LOL I just skimmed sections of it, but thanks for throwing that together Maxx!

dp96zj
04-07-2009, 03:09 PM
Good info, maxx! I read over the whole thing and I'm sure as hell gonna bookmark it. Maybe it should be an FAQ.

Was this some English paper requirement or are you just trying to grease the wheels for a shoutbox?

jborushko
04-07-2009, 03:12 PM
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


i thought it might be wise to add...

IT MAY ALSO BE ILLEGAL TO RUN FULL HYDRO STEERING IN YOUR STATE ON A ROAD, check state law and plan accordingly :D

and for my stupid question... for your 14 bolt what size is that rear u-joint? i know you have a different t-case than the (231/242) is your whole drive shaft huge? is there a conversion u-joint? is your DS still smaller but you had a larger yoke put on the DS to fit the larger u-joint? - i dont think you mention the 14bolt u-joint in the thread just the d60

thanks

adam99wj
04-07-2009, 03:30 PM
nice write up!!!, this will help alot of ppl in the future

canadian_driver
04-07-2009, 03:32 PM
i thought it might be wise to add...

IT MAY ALSO BE ILLEGAL TO RUN FULL HYDRO STEERING IN YOUR STATE ON A ROAD, check state law and plan accordingly :D

and for my stupid question... for your 14 bolt what size is that rear u-joint? i know you have a different t-case than the (231/242) is your whole drive shaft huge? is there a conversion u-joint? is your DS still smaller but you had a larger yoke put on the DS to fit the larger u-joint? - i dont think you mention the 14bolt u-joint in the thread just the d60

thanks

i believe he has an atlas or something, the 14 bolt u joint should be a 1350, and there is a 1350-1310 conversion joint

zj95maxx
04-07-2009, 04:13 PM
the rear driveshaft is a 1310 at t-case and a 1350 at 14bolt

as for writing this, I was just trying to bring some tech to the board. I have a 8 page paper due friday and instead I wrote a 7 page paper for this forum. :smt040

ATL ZJ
04-07-2009, 04:15 PM
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.
Sure, assuming stock ZJ transmission and transfer case ratios.



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.
not necessarily... 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.



Ford is actually known to have the weakest of the 60 knuckles(dodge,chevy, etc..)
This is partly true... 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.




The inner shafts are 35 spline but they usually are a "neck down" type.
Not always. In 1980, I believe, spicer started using non-neckdown inners. Later versions such as the "short tube" 80s versions of kingpin hp60s did not neck down.



The 14 bolt, unless it is very new, comes stock with drum brakes. [...] Obviously you want to do a disc brake swap on the axle. [...] Keep in mind you won't be able to have an E-brake with this setup.
Ruffstuff Specialties does sell a kit that accomodates a second caliper that can be used as an e-brake on a 14b.

zj95maxx
04-07-2009, 04:39 PM
I knew someone would bring up the e-brake(you can also use an eldarado caliper) and the single ended ram thing. :D

Thanks for pointing that stuff out I missed Cam, I want this to be an ever adding thread if possible.

I edited in the info. As for the neckdown comment. I left that out because I was leaning towards just the 78-79 d60

MoonWorks
04-07-2009, 04:41 PM
So basically this is just a condensed version of your build! Same info just packed into 2 post vs 100+ pages w/ other peoples builds added into it.

The condensed version does include some good info!




i believe he has an atlas or something


Maxx will correct me if I'm wrong but I'm about certain he's running a 231 w/ SYE. And get some u-bolts to swap out the straps on the 14b yoke.

zj95maxx
04-07-2009, 04:46 PM
So basically this is just a condensed version of your build! Same info just packed into 2 post vs 100+ pages w/ other peoples builds added into it.

The condensed version does include some good info!






Maxx will correct me if I'm wrong but I'm about certain he's running a 231 w/ SYE. And get some u-bolts to swap out the straps on the 14b yoke.

I indeed need to swap the Ujoint style in, I should have mentioned that.

and yes. 231/sye


I wrote the whole first half of this from 12:15-2:30 last night and the rest this morning. I am sure there is a lot I missed:D

SirFuego
04-07-2009, 06:06 PM
That front 60 would look tits with longfields :D

Nice writeup.

Out of curiosity, how does the budget for a built 60 compare to a 609?

canadian_driver
04-07-2009, 06:09 PM
That front 60 would look tits with longfields :D

Nice writeup.

Out of curiosity, how does the budget for a built 60 compare to a 609?

id say its very comparable, you can use a junk yard 9 and just do a gear swap and its almost the same price

death-mobile
04-08-2009, 11:43 AM
NICE. time to start shopping around. granted...I am on a budget and I might be running 35's on 1 tons for a while, I'm still going to start building a pair.

Step one...find the right axles.

Jeeperoni91
04-08-2009, 01:11 PM
Step one...find the right axles.

not at all.

step one...have a deep bank account and/or money tree forest

death-mobile
04-08-2009, 01:49 PM
the money upfront for the 2 old stock axles should be pretty cheap. and it's a long slow build. if I had money like that, why not drop 4500 on 2 axles already built...maybe it's just my way of looking at it, but 500 here, and 500 there over the course of like 6-8 months really isn't such a HUGE deal. It's a lot of money to spend for no reason, but still...it's not like we are going out and buying 65K dollar race cars.:smt118

death-mobile
04-09-2009, 12:49 PM
I found a 14B out of a 96 chevy 3500. It's already been rebuilt and just needs brakes. It's cheap and it's local. Yay.

Question about wheels. What is the lug pattern and what do you do about it?

zj95maxx
04-09-2009, 01:04 PM
Lug pattern is 8 on 6.5
what do I know about it? Generally they are about the same in all 14 bolts.
Some come with a shitty "locker" which is more worthless than a limited slip. It is called a Gov Lock. If you find a carrier that has one of these in them, you have to purchase a whole new open carrier to put a locker in it.

Shit sucks!

Taking apart the carrier is super easy though. 4 Phillips head bolts held mine together.

death-mobile
04-09-2009, 01:08 PM
haha, this one has 4.10s and a gov lock. Whatever. I'm fast right? First the welder, and now already a 14B? haha, I can't wait to take pics in the upcoming months of what a 14B looks like on 33's.

I was asking about the wheels because I'm guessing that pattern works with most D60's too?

zj95maxx
04-09-2009, 01:14 PM
yes.

Replace that Gov. Lock asap!

death-mobile
04-09-2009, 01:16 PM
haha...ok, gotta drive 2 hours to pick it up first. And then I figure about 3-4 months before I even put it under the jeep. I'll keep ya posted though. Gotta splurge on claytons first.

ELLLLLIOTTTTT
04-09-2009, 01:33 PM
not at all.

step one...have a deep bank account and/or money tree forest

Also not true.

Step one... cut a hole in the box.

AgitatedPancake
04-09-2009, 01:56 PM
Step two, put your junk in that box.

death-mobile
04-09-2009, 02:09 PM
Junk? as in...my "junk" :smt104

haha

Jeeperoni91
04-09-2009, 02:13 PM
he doesn't get it

Goosed76
04-09-2009, 05:04 PM
Nice write up Maxx...

FortCollinsZJ
04-10-2009, 03:04 AM
Step three, make her open the box.

I have a friend that just got done putting a 60 under the front of his 02 (I think) pathfinder. Its on 39's as well. It's freakin huge.

AQHACowboy
04-25-2009, 06:05 PM
Great write up and if you want I have a couple sites for 14 B brake kits as well.

Since you have done all this you will be a pro at helping me build my WJ :D.

SirFuego
10-01-2009, 10:06 AM
I'm sure this has been asked before (but it at least seems relevant to this thread), but does anyone have any pics (or recall someone doing it) of setting up a non-78-79 HP60 for ZJ coil springs? I know the axle tube length on the driver side is undesirable, but I am curious of anyone that has successfully addressed the problem.

I remember seeing something about this before, but I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it.

ATL ZJ
10-01-2009, 10:43 AM
I'm sure this has been asked before (but it at least seems relevant to this thread), but does anyone have any pics (or recall someone doing it) of setting up a non-78-79 HP60 for ZJ coil springs? I know the axle tube length on the driver side is undesirable, but I am curious of anyone that has successfully addressed the problem.

I remember seeing something about this before, but I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it.

This bracket will work. The guy who bought my extra 1980s hp60 used these on his. http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Link-bracket-coil-spring-shock-mount-combo_p_32-1461.html#

Or you can always do this, but I would want to run a full-length truss or at least weld the tube back to the cast...

http://www.wheelingarizona.com/forums/files/thumbs/t_p1310008_157.jpg

http://www.wheelingarizona.com/forums/files/thumbs/t_p1310012_265.jpg

zj95maxx
10-01-2009, 10:50 AM
Even my LCA mounts are welded onto the cast. One bracket is butted up to where the tube meets the cast, then the other bracket is 100% on the cast.


Does this mean you have a 60?:D

CrawlerReady
10-01-2009, 11:25 AM
I'll be addressing that problem with my '86 Ford D60 in the next few months. Lots of pictures to come for sure!

SirFuego
10-01-2009, 11:26 AM
Thanks, Cam!


Does this mean you have a 60?:D

No, at least not yet. There was an 88 HP60 my buddy has and I was looking into the viability of using that.

zj95maxx
10-01-2009, 11:28 AM
Thanks, Cam!



No, at least not yet. There was an 88 HP60 my buddy has and I was looking into the viability of using that.

Unless you want to get the TNT truss like I have, it doesnt really matter what year you get.. they are all doable.

jfowlzj95
10-01-2009, 12:20 PM
I remember seeing something about this before, but I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it.

Looks like your question has already been answered, but I think this is the thread you were thinking of.

http://www.mallcrawlin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16204

5.9 ANDY
06-27-2010, 05:50 PM
Ruffstuff Specialties does sell a kit that accomodates a second caliper that can be used as an e-brake on a 14b.

not anymore, just called and asked about it.

ATL ZJ
06-27-2010, 08:19 PM
not anymore, just called and asked about it.

Interesting... did Dan say why it had been discontinued?

5.9 ANDY
06-27-2010, 08:28 PM
Interesting... did Dan say why it had been discontinued?

his insurance company would not cover the product, as the secondary caliper were to be hydraulically opperated on a seperate system.

turns out it is illegial for a parking brake system to be opperated by a hydraulic system, so he had to pull them, he said that this was over 3 years ago.

my guess is that a parking brake has to be a mechanical system, nothing else.

so looks like im sticking with drums on my 14 bolt.

859zj
08-30-2010, 08:52 PM
Ay brother how hard was it to take the stock does off and put the tube doors on??? and did it effect any of the electrical switching them back n forth???

IndyZJ
08-30-2010, 09:05 PM
Ay brother how hard was it to take the stock does off and put the tube doors on??? and did it effect any of the electrical switching them back n forth???

1. This has absolutely nothing to do with this thread.
2. Search. Your exact question has been discussed multiple times.

chadjans
06-04-2011, 09:41 PM
his insurance company would not cover the product, as the secondary caliper were to be hydraulically opperated on a seperate system.

turns out it is illegial for a parking brake system to be opperated by a hydraulic system, so he had to pull them, he said that this was over 3 years ago.

my guess is that a parking brake has to be a mechanical system, nothing else.

so looks like im sticking with drums on my 14 bolt.

A suggestion: weld two brackets together.