05 Flame Red TJ Build

[Mike_H]

Well Done sir. I knew you had it in you. When are you heading to the gear shop?

As an aside...MAN that thing is clean. The brackets, spring perches, everything. I'm so Jelly of you guys living in areas that steel doesn't rust like crazy...as a point of comparison...My Dana 44. Look how much more pitted the steel is. It's sound, but not clean like yours. And, believe it or not, I have a relatively "clean" TJ for Michigan. Like, I get comments ALL THE TIME about how nice mine is. Y'all saw the issues I'm dealing with. This place is great 9 out of 12 months of the year...

 

[b0xcar]

Great work! Sure is nice to finally see that Dana 44 in the rear. How far off are you on the rest (Regear/rear selectable locker)?

 

[JMT]

Great work! Sure is nice to finally see that Dana 44 in the rear. How far off are you on the rest (Regear/rear selectable locker)?

Couple weeks. I’m locked in the rear permanently with the current 373 gear set. The PO had the spider gears welded. I’ll drive it tomorrow and get an appointment on Monday over in Austin. Thanks bro!

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Decided to go for the axle swap today. It was a late decision. Thanks to some great crew members here like @bobthetj03, @Mike_H, @Jerry Bransford and the encouragement of my local wheelers @b0xcar , @KCsTJ and my wife, I got most of it done. She’s under the rig with a few things to wrap up tomorrow. I would have finished, but a drive with my wife seemed appealing and some evening responsibilities followed up. It is so good to have it there at last.

Here she is naked.
View attachment 73108
Dana 35 on the ground. A little muddy. I should have cleaned this up beforehand, but then I wouldn’t have gotten this done.
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The Dana 44, waiting in the wings! Doesn’t she look purty?!
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Had to do the stupid relocation bracket, again. It is easier to do in the ground!
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There she is. This is a whole new world!
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Side shot, and some of the help toward the end. I’ll polish up tomorrow and report back.
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Outstanding, nice job JMT!

 

[JMT]

Well Done sir. I knew you had it in you. When are you heading to the gear shop?

As an aside...MAN that thing is clean. The brackets, spring perches, everything. I'm so Jelly of you guys living in areas that steel doesn't rust like crazy...as a point of comparison...My Dana 44. Look how much more pitted the steel is. It's sound, but not clean like yours. And, believe it or not, I have a relatively "clean" TJ for Michigan. Like, I get comments ALL THE TIME about how nice mine is. Y'all saw the issues I'm dealing with. This place is great 9 out of 12 months of the year...

View attachment 73115

Yeah, and it hurts me just to watch what you guys have to go through. But it gives me great admiration for you!

 

[Farmergreg]

Decided to go for the axle swap today. It was a late decision. Thanks to some great crew members here like @bobthetj03, @Mike_H, @Jerry Bransford and the encouragement of my local wheelers @b0xcar , @KCsTJ and my wife, I got most of it done. She’s under the rig with a few things to wrap up tomorrow. I would have finished, but a drive with my wife seemed appealing and some evening responsibilities followed up. It is so good to have it there at last.

Here she is naked.
View attachment 73108

Was I the only one have a hard time following the above paragraph....had some help from the wife....She's under the rig.....Here she is naked:risas3:

Nice work @JMT

 

[JMT]

Was I the only one have a hard time following the above paragraph....had some help from the wife....She's under the rig.....Here she is naked:risas3:

Nice work @JMT

Why is it that men’s machines take on a feminine status? FWIW, the rig is nothing compared to my wife!

 

[bobthetj03]

Hellofa upgrade! And disc brakes to boot!

 

[JMT]

Hellofa upgrade! And disc brakes to boot!

Tomorrow the pic of your DS on my rig! Worked like a charm. Thank you.

 

[JMT]

Got up early and filled the diff with 80W-90, tighten up the brake line and a few other things. Away from home most of the day. Got back home around 3pm and went to work. The DS looks good thanks to @bobthetj03!

Finished adjusting the Parking Brake, gravity bled the brakes with Dot 3, connected the track bar at the frame and put the tires back on so I could put it on the ground and torque everything down to spec as @Mike_H informed me. Touched up the shocks with paint while I was there.

Have you ever sat on your rig in a Dana 44? There’s something awesome about it, especially coming from a Dana 35. It even makes the rig look better just knowing it’s under there. LOL

Took it for a spin . I was very nervous since the pinion gear has a badly chipped tooth and another smaller chipped tooth. Also because the spider gears are welded so it’s a spool. Everything worked well, parking brake, disc brakes, and the turning wasn’t bad except if you turn tight. I think I can run this way for a couple of weeks.

 

[AOR]

It’s time to go to work on the Dana 44. My hopes of the guy who sold it to me helping me regear are over. When I bought it it had welded spider gears so the guy gave me another LSD carrier and sent me on my way. I intended to switch the carriers and run it with 3.73 gears. When I got inside I found a chipped pinion tooth and another slightly damaged. So I bought Revolution gears with hopes of a DIY with this other guy. That’s over. Tonight I put it all back together and torqued everything to spec and am now waiting on a DS from @bobthetj03 who is graciously sending me a shorter OEM shaf. When it gets here I reckon I’ll take a few hours to remove the Dana 35 and install the Dana 44. I’ll be locked, so I’ll chirp for a few days till I can get it to Austin for the regear to 4.56. I’ve decided to go with an Eaton E-Locker, so I’ll be contacting @AOR soon for that. He’s always treated me stellar. If all goes well I’ll be automatically locked up front and selectable rear.

Here she is about midway through tonight putting her back together
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Looking good so far. Sorry for the late reply. Performance of this site has been horrific. Trying to logon sometimes takes hours to get to a page where anything can be done. Locker leaving tomorrow Sir.

Allen

 

[JMT]

Looking good so far. Sorry for the late reply. Performance of this site has been horrific. Trying to logon sometimes takes hours to get to a page where anything can be done. Locker leaving tomorrow Sir.

Allen

Thank you Allen! You’re awesome. Great explanation of my need for a 3.73 and down e-locker with my thick 4.56 gears

 

[Jay P]

Got up early and filled the diff with 80W-90, tighten up the brake line and a few other things. Away from home most of the day. Got back home around 3pm and went to work. The DS looks good thanks to @bobthetj03!
View attachment 73390
Finished adjusting the Parking Brake, gravity bled the brakes with Dot 3, connected the track bar at the frame and put the tires back on so I could put it on the ground and torque everything down to spec as @Mike_H informed me. Touched up the shocks with paint while I was there.
View attachment 73392
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Have you ever sat on your rig in a Dana 44? There’s something awesome about it, especially coming from a Dana 35. It even makes the rig look better just knowing it’s under there. LOL
View attachment 73391
Took it for a spin . I was very nervous since the pinion gear has a badly chipped tooth and another smaller chipped tooth. Also because the spider gears are welded so it’s a spool. Everything worked well, parking brake, disc brakes, and the turning wasn’t bad except if you turn tight. I think I can run this way for a couple of weeks.

When I was done with mine my wife said “it looks the same”


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[JMT]

When I was done with mine my wife said “it looks the same”
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My wife said, “You should always keep this Jeep.” I don’t know why she said that, but she can be bipolar at times.

 

[Jay P]

My wife said, “You should always keep this Jeep.” I don’t know why she said that, but she can be bipolar at times.

Mine too, we had a crazy snow storm today and I took it out and played for a couple of hours. I have limited slip in the rear for now and Powertrax no-Slip in front. I was like a little kid and I even towed a few people up the snowy hill that couldn’t make it. Plows couldn’t keep up. I currently have a collection of parked cars around my house that the owners had to walk up the hill. Poor little cars. My whole point is that when I got back with a toddlers grin on my face she told her sister that she was on the phone with that “boys are weird”. They’ve always said that to each other. The Jeep has definitely leveled up in my book.


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[JMT]

Mine too, we had a crazy snow storm today and I took it out and played for a couple of hours. I have limited slip in the rear for now and Powertrax no-Slip in front. I was like a little kid and I even towed a few people up the snowy hill that couldn’t make it. Plows couldn’t keep up. I currently have a collection of parked cars around my house that the owners had to walk up the hill. Poor little cars. My whole point is that when I got back with a toddlers grin on my face she told her sister that she was on the phone with that “boys are weird”. They’ve always said that to each other. The Jeep has definitely leveled up in my book.


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So, tell me, how did the Jeep do with that PowerTrax No Slip up front in the snow? It sounds like it did great. I am about to move up to Spokane WA from TX, so more snow is going to be a reality. I have been worried that the No Slip would not get enough traction to release when turning and so I would just plow straight ahead and be in precarious situation. What do you think?

 

[Jay P]

So, tell me, how did the Jeep do with that PowerTrax No Slip up front in the snow? It sounds like it did great. I am about to move up to Spokane WA from TX, so more snow is going to be a reality. I have been worried that the No Slip would not get enough traction to release when turning and so I would just plow straight ahead and be in precarious situation. What do you think?

I can honestly tell you from first hand experience today in 4 hi all day, both my son and I drove it, he drove it to work first early this morning in a blizzard. I called him and asked if it was hard to turn. He said not at all. I had to see for my self and it’s honestly a non issue and I mean none what so ever!


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[JMT]

I can honestly tell you from first hand experience today in 4 hi all day, both my son and I drove it, he drove it to work first early this morning in a blizzard. I called him and asked if it was hard to turn. He said not at all. I had to see for my self and it’s honestly a non issue and I mean none what so ever!


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Wow, like that is not the consensus out there on the inter webs. But I’m very glad to get that report. I am hopeful that I will not have to remove mine and put an e-locker in it, although I love the idea of an e-locker. Thanks for the input, very helpful. It sounds like you could just about do anything in your Jeep in the snow

 

[Jay P]

Wow, like that is not the consensus out there on the inter webs. But I’m very glad to get that report. I am hopeful that I will not have to remove mine and put an e-locker in it, although I love the idea of an e-locker. Thanks for the input, very helpful. It sounds like you could just about do anything in your Jeep in the snow

I was worried and skeptical but no longer. Ease your mind.


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[lowranger]

The 44 in your Jeep is a thing of beauty..... Good job!