Don't axles look so nice when they're freshly painted? If only they could stay that nice and shiny!
James & The Sahara Build Thread
- Thread starter JamesAndTheSahara
- Start date
Wish they would! Only time will tell how they will look at meeting a rock or two
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James you are making us drool. I can only imagine that your face hurts today from all the smiling you couldn't stop doing. :biggrin:
Ok update:
I spoke with Bobby from Motobilt on Friday and the axles are ready for pickup Wednesday after 5, so I am getting them Wednesday afternoon! I am starting at the crack of dawn on Thursday morning installing both axles. I have full intention of installing the HP Dana 30 and then the Dana 44 (Less stuff to swap over, don't have to re-do brake lines, build axle swapping confidence). In the event Motobilt doesn't install a set of new axle bearings on the Jeep (I think I ordered it that way), I will do the Dana 44 before the Dana 30 as I will need to order them. If anyone is curious the official gears going into my TJ are:
I also picked up a Bestop TJ Spice Duster off a guy on FB Jeep marketplace for $20.00, just had him ship it so waiting for it to arrive.
To conclude these are all the parts being installed on Thursday:
I spoke with Bobby from Motobilt on Friday and the axles are ready for pickup Wednesday after 5, so I am getting them Wednesday afternoon! I am starting at the crack of dawn on Thursday morning installing both axles. I have full intention of installing the HP Dana 30 and then the Dana 44 (Less stuff to swap over, don't have to re-do brake lines, build axle swapping confidence). In the event Motobilt doesn't install a set of new axle bearings on the Jeep (I think I ordered it that way), I will do the Dana 44 before the Dana 30 as I will need to order them. If anyone is curious the official gears going into my TJ are:
- Rev-TJ-Dana 44-488 (Ordered with Reverse cut Dana 30 front gears and a thick rear gear).
- New Dana 30 Carrier.
- Refresh all pinion & axle bearings/seals.
- Spicer Ball Joints.
- New Dana 30 U-joints.
I also picked up a Bestop TJ Spice Duster off a guy on FB Jeep marketplace for $20.00, just had him ship it so waiting for it to arrive.
To conclude these are all the parts being installed on Thursday:
- High Pinion Dana 30 with Revolution Gear & Axle Gears 4.88 Open.
- Low Pinion Dana 44 with Revolution Gear & Axle Gears 4.88 Open (Thick Gear).
- MetalCloak TJ Adjustable Rear Track Bar.
- Black Magic Brakes Front Centric Rotors & Brake Pads (Cleaning & Reusing stock TJ Calipers).
- Black Magic Brakes Rear Drum to Disc Brake Conversion Kit.
- Moog Upper Control Arm Bushings.
- Savvy Offroad Aluminum Double Adjustable Control Arms.
derekmac
TJ Addict
Man, you must be absolutely itching to get working on it!! Can't wait to see/read your progress on it! 
That'll be a long day. You've come a long way man! From the SL with your dad to CB's, sreeeos, mirrors and now axles, et al. Going to be nice, very nice. Cheers!
Thank you guys! Yeah I have been wanting to get this done for quite a while! I am very happy with how she is about to be! Some small stuff to follow after this, no more serious purchases for a little whileMan, you must be absolutely itching to get working on it!! Can't wait to see/read your progress on it!
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Glad to hear you are working with Motobilt. Some of his work is pure art.
Yes! If only they had time to build me a cage
. That will come in time I guess haha (When I have the funds of course!).
When both of the axles purchased is $850.00, new braking equipment f&r is $700, regear and refresh is $1600, on a college students budget its what I can afford. I couldn’t choose which lockers I wanted and to do f&r arb’s its nearly double the price, but then I need to upgrade my shafts (Another $1500). I had to break it up where it was reasonable to keep my Jeep as a daily driver. 3.07s on 33’s taxed my 4.0 on the interstate more than I am comfortable with. Lockers and Chromo’s are in the future, but I wasn’t going to load up a CC for this. I was going to do just a detroit rear, but was talked out of it. E-lockers and Air lockers are still on the table.
If anyone is curious on how much front and rear lockers are, with chromos front and rear, and a re-gear for a dana 30/35 combo its $5500 from a reputable shop.
Yep. One of the reasons I forced myself to buy a Rubicon. I still had to re-gear it of course, and put in chromoly axles... But at least the lockers and Dana 44 axles were there from the start, otherwise I would have spent even more!
You'll be one happy camper though with that setup.
I’d hope I’d be happy with that setup! I wanted a rubicon but most of them had been priced and loved the sahara. Who doesn’t love a good build/journey anyways
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I’d hope I’d be happy with that setup! I wanted a rubicon but most of them had been priced and loved the sahara. Who doesn’t love a good build/journey anyways
I agree. I think the Rubicon has much more benefit if you plan on keeping it in stock form. I ended up putting in chromoly shafts in the rear, RCV axle shafts in the front, new gears, etc. So in all reality the only things I really have left that are Rubicon specific are the Dana 44 axles, lockers, and the transfer case. Sometimes I think I might have been better off just buying a base model and building it, but oh well!
The transfer case alone is worth the rubicon
Very true!
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