After about a month of tinker with the new axles I had all the Dodge Brackets off, and came to realize that I was gonna need to order a new set of 37s because the ones i had had been burnt and dry rotted beyond saving. This was also the time i finally picked out and ordered my lift kit, A rough country 6 inch longarm no welding required. I also ordered a rubicon express axle bracket kit, which just so happened to come with a truss that it wasnt supposed to come with...
![yummy :cjerk:](./images/smilies/circlejerk.gif)
Next big expenditure......
![:squint:](./images/smilies/squint.gif)
Slowly but surely, with the help of Sam and Alec and quite a few others, and a more than a few beers
![:beer:](./images/smilies/beer.gif)
Fast forward to last Friday, and the the Won Ton swap really began!!!! Jacked up the LJ and dropped the drive shafts and started unbolting shit. Nips and Joyce hung around for most all of it for much needed help, moral support and transportation to and from beer and sustenance. Dropped the factory hardware, slid out the 44 first and then it got real..... time to cut the factory lower control arm brackets... no turning back here boys. then we bolted up the new long arm mounts and slid the 70 into its new home, all the brackets lined up basically perfectly with almost no fuss.... except the originial shock bolts that nips and joyce broke off.......
![:lol2:](./images/smilies/uglyhammer.gif)
day or two Later came the front... dropped the old axle and hardware like before, and cut the old control arm mounts..... Then the front axle swapped in just as well as the rear to my surprise. But there she was sitting on won tons for the first time, I teared up a little, lot of time and even m,ore money put into this thing at this point.... more of each than planned.
But now for steering and brakes.... I knew this part would be interesting because im dealing with one ton sized components and im trying to make them work with a TJ. As for the brakes, the banjo bolts for the TJ calipers and One ton calipers happen to be the same so i was able to just bolt the brake lines that came with the kit right up in the front, but had to do a bit a scorcery and mishmashing of old and new brake lines to get everything together, but sorted it all out in a couple hours. Bled the brakes and they seem to be solid (more so than before the swap) but wont really know until until i can actually drive the thing. Parking brakes remain non-existent at this point because the stock jeep, or new one ton parking brakes were not comaptible, but a place called Madison Power Systems out of Detroit says they can make the cables for me for about 70$ a cable, so that should be solved pretty soon, but who needs a parking brake with manual transmission anyway, besides cory....
Steering.... For financial reasons i decided to stick with the shitty y stock one ton steering for the time being, which was all fine and dandy until my fear was confirmed and the drag link tie rod end on the one ton steering was wayyyyy to big for the tj pitman arms..... but by shear curiosity i stumbled upon another strange perfect fit from the dodge 3/4 ton pickup and my puny LJ... The shaft from the steering gear is the same on each.....and drop on a stock ram pitman arm happens to be the same as the drop pitman arm that came with my kit... SCORE!!!! so it steers now.
I also installed the posilock cable actuator for that DAMNED center axle disconnect that Chrsyler just had to have..... Cross that off the list.
Slip yolk Eliminator.... Done!
So at this point all I need is my new driveshafts, Parking brake cables, and finish the rear shocks...... then its a test trip to potts baby! Cant wait to see all my money snap in half and go down the shitter
![:lol2:](./images/smilies/uglyhammer.gif)
![:lol2:](./images/smilies/uglyhammer.gif)
![:lol2:](./images/smilies/uglyhammer.gif)
I was pretty bad about taking pictures so ther will be some to come....