Top 25 Most Asked Jeep Tech Questions

A This is the definition of the axiom, there's no free lunch. All that awesome torque multiplication and off-idle chugability that keeps you going forward through gnarly rocks can quickly overcome even the stock four-wheel disc brake setup on a modern Rubicon.

For starters, it's probably a good idea to swap to stickier brake pads. The stock pads are geared more towards longevity than brute stopping power. Check EBC Brakes (ebcbrakes.com) for some stock replacement pads that will really put the hurtin' on forward momentum.

However, I'm sure the pads aren't going to solve all your problems. Some of the guys at Jp have had moderate success with hydroboost setups, which do away with the vacuum booster and replace it with a hydraulic booster powered off of the power steering pump. Or, replacing the stock master cylinder with an aftermarket unit with a larger 11/8-inch bore master cylinder and a dual-diaphragm booster with an adjustable pushrod such as the one pictured from Dave's Customs Unlimited (davescustomsunlimited.com) will get you good results with the stock calipers.

A While we wouldn't recommend it for the novice wrench, if you can do a brake job or fix a broken front axle shaft in the field, we'd wager you could tackle a slip yoke eliminator install.

Really, the hardest part is getting the case halves separated. Most slip yoke eliminator kits include detailed directions, but here's a quick and dirty rundown just to give you an idea. Start by removing the front and rear driveshafts followed by the front and rear output yokes and the speedo cable or wires. Drain the fluid and then remove the bolts holding the tailshaft housing on. You'll need to take off some snap rings from the rear output shaft, then you can remove the output housing and remove the case half bolts. Then, gently yet firmly pry the case halves apart.

Grab the output and input shafts and move them to the bench, complete with the chain. Leave the low-range gearset and shifter in the case. Remove a couple snap rings and transfer the components from the old mainshaft over to the replacement shaft. Then, stick it all back together and bolt it up. You've got to make sure the oil pump feed tube doesn't come off of the pump when you're putting everything back together.

A Listen people. The Dana 35 is a turd. It just is. We just can't polish it up any more than that. If you want to make it last off-road, then don't put a locker in it. With a locker, we've really seen them break behind a 2.5L running 31x10.50s. Leaving it with an open differential is one of the only things you can do that will stretch its life off-road.

In reality, by the time you get done adding an aftermarket set of 30-spline shafts, a new 30-spline carrier, a truss, and gearing it, you're perilously close to the cost of a good aftermarket 9-inch or Dana 44.

A In reality, we doubt you really bent your axle. That's not to say it's not straight. But every JK Dana 30 and Dana 44 front axle we've come across has seemed to have noticeable negative camber. We don't know if the factory sets the up that way for some reason or if it's just from the heat of welding on the coil buckets.

But you're not quite out of the woods. While the internals of the JK axle are very good, the front axletubes are as notoriously weak as the previous Wrangler axles. For the permanent solution to bending, Dynatrac (dynatrac.com) has heavy-duty replacement front axlehousings. Or, you could visit Off Road Evolution (offroadevolution.com) to check out the company's affordable axletube sleeves and gussets that you can weld to your JK axle to bolster its strength. However, this isn't going to help if your axle is already bent.