What axles / gears should I buy / rebuild?

I plan on starting my search for a frame and axles to rebuild over the winter and I have a couple questions. I will mainly use this Jeep for trail riding, hunting and running around town. We don't have any rocks in Northern Mi, so I don't need to worry about climbing vertical rock walls. I may however need to climb over a few logs and up a few sand hills to pick up bambi during hunting season, so I want something durable w/lockers. I also plan on running 34" x 10.5 Swamper LTBs. Here are my questions: I have stock axles (30 in front and 20 in rear). Are these sufficient? What would you recommend for gear ratio with this tire size and terrain? I'm assuming I should upgrade to 1 piece axles. Which type of locker would you recommend? Obviously, I would prefer a less expensive locker, but I don't want junk. I guess it comes down to this: What set-up would you use in my situation? Thanks!

 

The 20 is a good axle once its weak points have been fixed. Replace the stock axle shafts with the one piece kits and gusset the tubes and weld them to the housing. If you are wanting it dependable put a Detroit full carrier locker in.

The 30 is sufficent for what you are going to do with it. Drop a lock-rite in and have fun.

Regear to compensate for the increased tire size. 4.10 or 4.56 if you want a little lower speed and more control. Remember axle gears will directly effect highway speed at any RPM. Only you can decide what is best for you.

 

:iagree:

These Jeeps could be had from the factory with 4.10s; I'd at least go 4.10s, maybe lower (higher numerically). No problem with 4.10s or 4.27s on the street. With taller-than-stock tires, you would be fine with 4.56 or 4.88 IMO.

 

Good point on the winter driving (and Drummond Island). The Jeep will live up north (Kalkaska area) from Sept to Dec, so I should have thrown 'snow' into my terrain description. The limited slip sounds like a good idea. I hate to admit it, but one of the main reasons I'm planning on the 34s is that they look so darn coolR) ! I've also come to my own conclusion (opinion), that tall skinnies will be better in deep snow than fatties based on the forum here and other things I've read. Also, the trails in my area get severly rutted, so the extra ground clearance will be helpful (and they look so cool!R) ! I'm planning on a 1" body lift (happening right now as I replace the rotted body mounts) and a 2.5 - 3.0" suspension lift (over the winter). I will trim the fenders as needed to fit. Also, I'm not too worried about freeway driving. Most of the around town stuff will be city streets.

It sounds like I will be ok if I go with 4:10s or 4:27s (is that both axles?), change to solid shafts, add some gussets and limited slip in back and full locker (?) in front and I should be good to go! Thanks and more opinions / recommendations are welcome!

 

The axles must match!

Don't cross the beams! It would be bad.

Narrow tires are usually better in snow - more pressure per square inch, so they tend not to snowshoe on top of deep snow, instead pushing the snow aside.

I'd forget the body lift. Doesn't gain you anything other than a higher center of gravity, and you shouldn't have any clearance problems, especially if you are willing to trim. You may not need to trim with narrow 34s.

Also, drivng with lockers front and rear can be ... uh, surprising? with a short wb vehicle. I've never owned a Jeep with lockers, but I'd suggest you get some more input about lockers and snow and ice before you decide. Can you afford selectable lockers?

 

It's tough to find factory 4.10 CJ axles cheap- I would get a D30/D44 out of an intermediate with 3.73s. You can get the pair for under the price of a set of one peice shafts. I have done this several times for friends, and it works out pretty well with tires under 35".

 

I'll be different
since no crawling, I'd change the gears in the axles and leave the 20 like it is
I'd put a locker in the front only and go have fun
keeps you streetable in the winter
20 gets a lot of bad press
keep the axle nuts tight, check them often, and run it !

 

I'd love to say the gear swap is the way to go, but you end up with over $350 in parts alone to change gearing and another $200-$300 to pay sonmeone to set them up.

That is why we started to go to the intermediate CJ axle swap- it is the most cost effective if you aren't running huge tires.

 

How about 4.27 gears with air lockers, and a 6.32 t-18.

That'd give you a little higher ratio for around town and the granny t-18 would give you the oomph you'd need for low speed off road.

I am a big fan of front and rear air lockers for off road.

Personally I like the dana 44/30 combo.

minor lift - enough to get some 31.50 tires.

You'd be surprised how well those skinny tires work as long as you have gears and traction.

 

In black jeep I run a scout dana 44 rear with a limited slip. I have a wide track 30 in the front with a lunch box locker. 4.27 gears both diffs. I wheel it hard up here (da U.P.) and plow snow with it in the winter. It has held up well to both. I somehow managed to accumulate a bunch of Dana 30 axles so I am sticking with the 30 till the axles are gone. My second choice there would be a scout 44 to match the rear. Black jeep is my budget build. I run both 33" TSL swampers and 33" procomps on it. Don't be afraid of the lockers in the snow. Just have to learn to drive them. It will swap ends in a heartbeat if your not careful.

Green jeep I went with detroit lockers front and rear. 4.56 gears and 35" pro comps. I may put the swampers on it now and again put it is now too purty to wheel too hard. I haven't driven it with the 4.56 gears in it yet.

Previous build I have also used the 4.27 gears, 401/turbo 400/dana 20. Ran that into a rear 44 with a posi and a front 30 with a true track. 33" all terrain tires. The true track was very scary in good traction with a lot of throttle! This was a daily driver and fine on the highway.

To keep it cheap I would look for some used gears, 4.27 or 4.56. Pair of lunch box lockers or detroits if you can find them cheap enough. Put some solid axles in the rear. Air lockers and a T-18 would be sweet if the budget allows.

we gots some rocks in the U.P.

 

If you have 3.54 axle gears now, which I presume you do, your main problem is your crawl ratio. With a T-150, you have 2.99*2.03*3.54 = 21. With a wide ratio T-18 replacing the T-150, you'd have 45:1, which is pretty decent.

I don't have any experience with the M20, but there's a lot of testimony to its weakness. If Jim says it's ok if you attend to the axle nuts, that counts for a lot. I'd be inclined to put in a Ford T-18 and keep the stock axles, at least until I broke something or had some experience with the rig. You'll spend several hundred dollars on either the T-18 or the axles, and I think the T-18 is the better investment.

If you have a Trac-Loc in the rear axle already, I'd suggest new clutches.