268 replies to this topic

[Zoomad]

I'll leave this one here.  I'm working on the trip report, but let's just say it was a blast to wheel in Moab. 

 

This is one camper that can crawl..

[Oilbrnr]

Hey, look, easy access to work on that D44.

[Zoomad]

Hey, look, easy access to work on that D44.

 

Funny you should say that... A mere 10 or so minutes later on a much less difficult rock this happened.

 

[Oilbrnr]

Dude! No! I hope this was at the end of the trip...

[Zoomad]

Dude! No! I hope this was at the end of the trip...

Kinda. Last trail day on flat iron Mesa. We were 1/3rd of the way into the trail when I broke it. Wasn't anything hard like the climb in the first pic. Just got bound up on a rock and snapped it. Contrary to what our buddy Larry thinks, I was not hard on the skinny pedal at that moment. 40 year old parts don't help so chrome-moly shafts are on the to do list.

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

Ugh! Any issues making it home?

[ntsqd]

I'm in the same boat with the Bronc-up, 40+ y.o. front axle parts. Its a big chunk of change, but I plan to replace with RCV shafts. It is not just that they're better parts, it more that they have a far, far better warranty. Break $700 Chro-Mo's and you get to buy them again. Break $1200 RCV's and they replace them. At least, that is my understanding.

[Zoomad]

Ugh! Any issues making it home?

Nope. Pretty easy to unlock the hubs and push the t-case lever to 2hi and forget about it.  That trail did have a couple of different spots to bail out onto a dirt road to get back to the highway or else it would have been a LONG day.  We did have to get winched over one shelf but after that we made it to the road in 2wd without issue.  There were four more trucks that bailed out with us for various reasons at that point too.  Just boogied back to camp and made some lunch out of leftover Fajita's we had in the fridge.  

 

I'm in the same boat with the Bronc-up, 40+ y.o. front axle parts. Its a big chunk of change, but I plan to replace with RCV shafts. It is not just that they're better parts, it more that they have a far, far better warranty. Break $700 Chro-Mo's and you get to buy them again. Break $1200 RCV's and they replace them. At least, that is my understanding.

 

I'm still looking at options.  RCV's are nice, but way out of the budget right now.  Even less with the coming 8.1/4500 swap. Right now it's going to get another stock shaft to make it usable and see what the budget allows from there. I want to make at least one last run before winter so that for sure means another stocker.   

 

As much as I know I don't need a D60 up front, it's looking awful good right now.  If only one showed up cheap that might make the decision for me.  

[Oilbrnr]

 

As much as I know I don't need a D60 up front, it's looking awful good right now.  If only one showed up cheap that might make the decision for me.  

 

Larry has three of them stashed inside that Corvair Van...

[ntsqd]

Downside to the front D60 is all of its added unsprung mass that works against the pavement miles ride quality. Gets spendy real fast, but I can see a good argument for 60 outers on a 44.

 

I did the 8 lug front conversion on my '91 1/2t Sub when I put a 14bff under the rear of it. That was totally worth it for the bigger brakes. Too bad you can't gain some steering joint size in that process.