I bought a TJ because why????

[Scott Cee AKA 2drx4]

That was pretty ugly. I also welded the center section to the tubes at the same time, and didn't make that overly pretty either, but it's on there.

I did throw my lever hoist under the table and pull both ends of the axle down a bit to preload it before I welded it. No idea if I bent it, or bent it enough to matter. The lever hoist released without any violence, soooo.

Now to just grind it off and see how much porosity and voids I got.

[arse_sidewards]

Any signs of it warping after you did that? Certainly would be easier than a patch of any sort.

Who gives a shit. It's a semi float axle. It'll go down the road just fine with no problems other than tire life even if it's several inches out.

[Scott Cee AKA 2drx4]

Any signs of it warping after you did that? Certainly would be easier than a patch of any sort.

Who gives a shit. It's a semi float axle. It'll go down the road just fine with no problems other than tire life even if it's several inches out.

It wears the splines out on the shafts if it's too much.

I don't think I bent mine any, but I didn't build it up enough everywhere. I'm pretty tempted to be happy it's better than it was and just weld the brackets on.



Oh, the "transfer case" I ordered from eBay showed up. It's just the shift linkage. I messaged the seller and he swears he sent two boxes, one with the shift linkage and one that was the tcase. He provided tracking for an 80lb package that was sent to their global ship center, so unless he's a next level scammer I think he's not lying and eBay lost it. Anywho, I'll see what eBay says tomorrow, but I'm guessing I'm going to just have to live without it.

[HMF]

Oh, the "transfer case" I ordered from eBay showed up. It's just the shift linkage. I messaged the seller and he swears he sent two boxes, one with the shift linkage and one that was the tcase. He provided tracking for an 80lb package that was sent to their global ship center, so unless he's a next level scammer I think he's not lying and eBay lost it. Anywho, I'll see what eBay says tomorrow, but I'm guessing I'm going to just have to live without it.

I had this happen a while ago. I waited a few weeks after it was supposed to be delivered with no tracking updates. They refunded me saying it was “lost” and 3 months later it showed up at my door..
free tools

[Scott Cee AKA 2drx4]

I got the tubes all ground down from the "repair". It is not perfect at all but way better. I should have built more weld on them over a larger area.

Of course I then realized that I really should fix this spot on the top. It's where there was a label on the axle and it held enough moisture to eat the tube. This time I went full hawg on filling it. Didn't take pictures of it ground down.

[Scott Cee AKA 2drx4]

I got most of the brackets tacked on. Ruffstuff didn't supply any drawings or instructions, so I looked at what some of the other suppliers had to say. I might have put the LCA brackets on at the wrong angle because of that. I had to notch the coil brackets to fit them.

I set the pinion for 15.5 degrees up. That was my guess. I think the LCA brackets being like that will be fine but eh, I'm open to suggestions. I basically guessed on the UCA brackets too, because again there wasn't much to go on since they are not the same as any of the other ones I could find instructions for.

I do have a gripe with the combined UCA/track bar bracket. It's just wrong. I don't know how it was intended to work so there isn't a huge gap, I had to grind it so it was even this good.

Hopefully I can get the other brackets on and weld everything up soon.

[pointsnorth]

Are those lca brackets on upside down?


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[Scott Cee AKA 2drx4]

Are those lca brackets on upside down?


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Maybe. The ECGS kit that had decent instructions puts them this way. They fit worse the other way, and with no information from the actual manufacturer I figured I'd do it this way. I will probably stick the control arm in them and make sure they don't jam against it before I paint, or I will forget.


Edit, I think Ruffstuff probably cloned the ECGS kit originally, but their combined UCA/track bar bracket is on a different revision from what was originally offered.

Ugly welds and whatever, but everything is on there and I'm confident it will be fine for what I'm doing.

I did forget about the swaybar brackets. They do not fit worth a flying f. I'm probably going to cut them up and bunch and install them inboard from where they're normally supposed to be. Unless it's pointless to run a rear swaybar?

[Scoobienorth]

The rear sway bar I find is a toss up. It really depends on the spring rate and shocks that you have. Anything with stiffer springs, the rear bar isn’t noticeable at all. If the springs are softer or stock though and carrying speed offroad the rear bar is nice to have.

[Scott Cee AKA 2drx4]

It seems most of the consensus is to keep it. I'm going to drive it on the street 99.98% of the time, so I'll weld the brackets on.

[pointsnorth]

My 06 doesn’t even have a rear sway bar


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[Scott Cee AKA 2drx4]

Rear brake hose doesn't look like it will play well with long arms. What do people do? Dakota hose?

[arse_sidewards]

https://www.therangerstation.com/tech/p ... rd-ranger/

Sliding or folding tongue boat trailers also use a male-female "extension line" that you can use.

[Scott Cee AKA 2drx4]

https://www.therangerstation.com/tech/p ... rd-ranger/

Sliding or folding tongue boat trailers also use a male-female "extension line" that you can use.

Probably work good. I'll check price and availability versus the Dakota hose. I think the Dakota hose would be long enough to do it in one shot though, just have to check.

[Scott Cee AKA 2drx4]

I cut the sway bar brackets up a bit and welded them in a bit inboard from where they are normally, but it looks like it should work fine. If I even use it.