"Bolt On Wrangler" Build of The Baja Banshee

[inVERt'D]

I am one of the best at ball busting. It was just a little disheartning that the first comment I get was in short "your idea and your skills suck...develope some skill and do something cool"

I don't know you or your skills (except what you've told us), so why would I put them down? If you want to take it personal, take it as a compliment that I suggested you could learn to weld and make something cool (as opposed to some booty-fab abortion). But that would be putting too much on it as well. It's just me putting in my .02 about what makes building a Jeep fun and how I'd prefer to spend my time and money.

[aw12345]

I don't know you or your skills (except what you've told us), so why would I put them down? If you want to take it personal, take it as a compliment that I suggested you could learn to weld and make something cool (as opposed to some booty-fab abortion). But that would be putting too much on it as well. It's just me putting in my .02 about what makes building a Jeep fun and how I'd prefer to spend my time and money.

By the way David hows the red rednecked Jeep doing? We need to hook up again one of these days for some Jeeping

[inVERt'D]

Been back wheeling Upper Jackstand for about a year now. Had other things going on, but I'm back on it heavy now. Got a pile of parts I've made and half-finished that are now coming together. I think you might approve of some of it, even if I am using Ballistic joints.

By the way, thanks for the kind words earlier. High compliments from a redneck as talented and accomplished as you. Would love to hook up for some wheeling, but I expect it's going to be another month at least. It's the little things. Right now I'm waiting for paint to dry on the inside of my lower link crossmember. When you see it, you'll understand (that I'm nuts).

Perhaps more relevant to this thread, I had my bro's 4-door JK Rubibus for awhile, and was impressed with what it could do. Had a lot of fun on those little 32s with lockers. If I could have changed on thing, it would have been the automagic transmission. The shift points sucked for the highway, and even with the 4:1, 4:10s and small tires, the gearing seemed high for crawling. A manual would have been much better.

[RAT]

Been back wheeling Upper Jackstand for about a year now.

Too damn funny. Upper Jackstand huh? I think I was there for a while too!

If I could have changed on thing, it would have been the automagic transmission. The shift points sucked for the highway, and even with the 4:1, 4:10s and small tires, the gearing seemed high for crawling. A manual would have been much better.

No doubt you have to work on the shift points of the slushbox when you regear. Mine does well on the highway but still needs some tweaking for the run up the hill to BB. But crawling it does real nice.

[aw12345]

The problem with the 4 speed auto is that they used a car transmission with to high a overdrive ratio for a Jeep.
Even stock on the highway the LJ's and JK's tend to hunt between 3th and 4th gear

[mkjeepers]

The problem with the 4 speed auto is that they used a car transmission with to high a overdrive ratio for a Jeep.
Even stock on the highway the LJ's and JK's tend to hunt between 3th and 4th gear

Hunt??...they're so far apart they don't even know each other. On mine there was a 1000rpm difference between 3rd & overdrive. The 2012 is about 300rpm.

[inVERt'D]

Hunt??...they're so far apart they don't even know each other. On mine there was a 1000rpm difference between 3rd & overdrive. The 2012 is about 300rpm.

"Hunt" is a pretty good word for what I experienced.

[aw12345]

Mike's reply is actually pretty funny. this thread ran of the rails awhile ago lol

[inVERt'D]

Mike's reply is actually pretty funny.

Yeah, I see it now.

this thread ran of the rails awhile ago lol

Yeah, the OP seems to have jumped train. Come back, OP! Aunt Bee cooked up your favorite possum pudding! Hey Andy Griffith died a couple of days ago. I liked him. At least I liked Andy Taylor. Now him and Don Knotts are patrolling the big Mayberry in the sky. I liked Don Knotts too. See what you did, Art!

Okay, back to topic. Speaking of $3,000 bolt-on axles, I picked up a '97 Cherokee HP 30 yesterday. Got it cheaper than Pick-A-Part on 1/2 price day. It's missing a brake caliper. Quadratec, help!! You know I tried for a JK 44 HP front housing, but dude sold it to a friend-of-a-friend. Sheesh! I would have been his friend for a $125 JK housing. Anyway this axle will bolt right up, but my little LP 30 is still working just fine, and the stock HP really isn't a huge upgrade as it is. I will have to regear it (has 3.07s). Would like to sleeve it (inside) truss it, and possibly run some Dana 44 axles in it. If I did that, I'd have to get a 30 spline D30 Aussie Locker, which would be about $300. I'd have to sell my old one. The existing brackets would work, and they're in much better shape than those on my LP, but it's tempting to put some sturdier ones on there. Why didn't I just buy a Ford HP 44 housing?

[aw12345]

Yeah, I see it now.



Yeah, the OP seems to have jumped train. Come back, OP! Aunt Bee cooked up your favorite possum pudding! Hey Andy Griffith died a couple of days ago. I liked him. At least I liked Andy Taylor. Now him and Don Knotts are patrolling the big Mayberry in the sky. I liked Don Knotts too. See what you did, Art!

Okay, back to topic. Speaking of $3,000 bolt-on axles, I picked up a '97 Cherokee HP 30 yesterday. Got it cheaper than Pick-A-Part on 1/2 price day. It's missing a brake caliper. Quadratec, help!! You know I tried for a JK 44 HP front housing, but dude sold it to a friend-of-a-friend. Sheesh! I would have been his friend for a $125 JK housing. Anyway this axle will bolt right up, but my little LP 30 is still working just fine, and the stock HP really isn't a huge upgrade as it is. I will have to regear it (has 3.07s). Would like to sleeve it (inside) truss it, and possibly run some Dana 44 axles in it. If I did that, I'd have to get a 30 spline D30 Aussie Locker, which would be about $300. I'd have to sell my old one. The existing brackets would work, and they're in much better shape than those on my LP, but it's tempting to put some sturdier ones on there. Why didn't I just buy a Ford HP 44 housing?

David the short answer is, because you like redneck fab, you just would not have it any other way.

[GP4Play]

Hey David, I thought you had a couple of old Scouts. Don't they have 44's?

[inVERt'D]

David the short answer is, because you like redneck fab, you just would not have it any other way.

You're right, but I could do redneck things to a HP 44.

Hey David, I thought you had a couple of old Scouts. Don't they have 44's?

One of em had front and rear D44s, but I sold them. Needed the cash. The front LP D44 wouldn't have been worth the trouble of converting, IMO. The other Scout has a D30 front and D44 rear. I'll either get that running or start parting it out in the next few weeks. I have titles for both the Scouts, btw, and they're SMOG exempt.

[StrizzyChris]

It sounds like you have a good plan for the build. But I would ask the guys on here that run 40's at the Hammers why they don't run them on the street. You might think about buying a 2 wheel drive one and putting in new axles and transfer case.

I would LOVE an Atlas...but thats a bit down the road financially. A 2WD?:confused:

[curtis]

The thing is if your going to run 40" tires and dynatrac axles. Why buy stock axles and transfercase when your going to throw them away.

[StrizzyChris]

I guess the same reason everyone else does...it came with them from the factory. Unless you are thinking that I am buying a new jeep? I already own this and am now moding it