Goin' Postal
I've got a '70 DJ-5 and am having a surprisingly tough time finding a Dana 30 front axle, but what I did find was a '52 Willys pickup in my local junkyard. It has the front Dana 25 and the spring perches are almost exactly the same width as my DJ. I think it might be off by like 1/4- to 1/2-inch. I know the Dana 25 has a few weaknesses, but I'm not planning on doing any crazy rock crawling, just some fire trails. Can you see any major problems with this setup?Josh Biggsvia e-mail
If you're cool with the increased width (the pickup axle is something like 10 inches wider than the Jeep axle) and you're able to cut and weld the spring perches to match your Jeep's, then go for it.
If you're only looking to do some light cruising off-road, another thought would be to look for an early Dana 25 or Dana 27 closed-knuckle, drum-brake axle from a flatfender, CJ-5, or CJ-6 Jeep built from '41-'71. These will have the same spring perch width and overall WMS-WMS measurement as your Jeep. Your biggest hurdle with either will be getting the steering linkage hooked up, but I believe if you go with the narrower Dana 25 or Dana 27 you'll be able to use your 2WD steering linkage. As for the strength of the Dana 25 or Dana 27, I ran the stock '71 Dana 27 in my CJ-6 over the Rubicon with 31-inch tires and didn't have a lick of trouble.
Baby Steps
I know that you are going to make fun of me, because that is what you do to people who don't know what they are doing when it comes to off-road driving. I have been going to Moab for years now and have driven the easy trails as described in the book by Charles A. Wells. I have no interest in actual rock-crawling, but I have wanted to take in more scenery the next time I go and do the moderately-rated trails. I have this fear of getting stuck out there and spending the night in my 1999 stock XJ, never mind the enormous tow bill. My XJ is due for tires now and I'm wondering if it will need to be lifted? What other improvements, if any, should I make before attempting the moderately-rated trails?Pete WinklerKansas City, Missouri
We all gotta start somewhere. I really have no stomach for making fun of somebody just because they don't want to do hardcore trails. I'll leave that to the more childish web forums.
As for your questions, I took Jp's '99 XJ Sport out to Moab when it was stock and had a lot of fun with it. I had the little P225/75R15 tires on it with stock suspension and was able to do Hell's Revenge and a few of the other mild trails out there with no problems. I did drag the rear trailer hitch a bit, but that's to be expected given the steep climbs and drops of the terrain.
Whether or not you'll need to lift it really depends on what tire size you want to run. If you're honestly happy with the mild stuff, but want a little more clearance under the bumpers, transfer case, and for slightly larger tires, the Rubicon Express 2-inch budget lift (PN RE6165) comes with everything you need to lift your Jeep for under $300. That gets you front 1.75-inch spring spacers, rear blocks and U-bolts, longer braided steel brake lines, and four shocks. I ran the company's PN RE6160 kit on my '99. It's the same as the PN RE6165 only it uses add-a-leafs instead of the lift blocks. The add-a-leafs made the ride a little stiffer and it complicates the install a bit, so I think the blocks would probably be good for you. You won't need steering or driveshaft corrections for the 2-inch lift and it will let you go up to a P235/75R15 or 30x9.50R15 on the stock rims with no problems.
As for your fear of getting stuck, one of the best additions you can make to your rig in the name of self-reliance is a good winch. There are many good aftermarket front winch mount bumpers available for the XJ and nowadays there are at least half a dozen companies making 8,000lb winches in the $500-under price range.
One inherent weak spot on all XJs and TJs is the stock steering tie rod/drag link assembly. They usually bend on the passenger side (where the factory bend already is). I'd replace it with a Rugged Ridge Super Heavy-Duty Steering Linkage Kit, PN 1805082, since it can stand up to more abuse than the factory parts and it's not that expensive.
I'd also recommend a good limited slip for your rear Chrysler 8.25 rear axle. There are several out there, but I've had the best results with the Detroit Truetrac by Eaton. It has great manners on the street, but offers tremendous traction off-road.
As for which modifications to do first, I'd go with the winch first and then do the others in the following order as funds permit; Currie steering, lift, tires, then limited slip. I'd say with the setup I've outlined for you there would be very few places or situations that would leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Not a Question
Rear disc brakes from a Crown Victoria from around '92-'96 will bolt right up to the axle tube of an '87 Dana 44 from a Jeep Cherokee. I think they will also fit a Dana 35 non-C-lip housing.
I did this conversion on my '89 Jeep Comanche. The backing plate bolt holes lined right up, although the backing plate thickness is a little different than the drum brake backing plate. You can mill a few thousands off or shim the rear axle bearings. The difference was about 0.050-inch, which is not a lot, but I think it needed to be dealt with.
The rear disc brakes have the cable-activated drum brakes in the hat of the rotor.Joel HetheringtonCalgary, Alberta
Thanks for a great, cheap tech tip, Joel.
Hop Head
I had a question about the electrical system of the 4.0L. I know about the distributor and wires and stuff, but mine doesn't have that. It's an '03 and it's got a rail that goes to the spark plugs. Is that the ignition coil or is it somewhere else? Also just wondering if there were any performance parts for it? I can't seem to find them. Any information would be appreciated.Jered Wrightvia e-mail
Beginning in '00, Jeep went to a coil-on-plug ignition for the 4.0L. Those little boxes on the rail above your spark plugs are the actual ignition coils. If you look, you'll notice your Jeep doesn't have a distributor, rather it's got a small plug where the distributor would normally be. The ignition coils are fired via the ECU from signals taken off the crank position sensor on the flywheel/flexplate or where the distributor normally would be.
There really aren't any ignition hop-ups for your '03 and honestly, it really doesn't need any. You can use a Hypertech or similar programmer to hop up the spark output and bump up the timing, but you'll see better performance gains from bolt-on parts like a cold-air intake, header, after-cat exhaust, and a 62mm throttle body.