Nuts, I'm Confused
Free isn't Free
Question: I have an '89 Jeep Cherokee Limited, and my dad and I installed a Rough Country 3-inch lift kit in a weekend (with three cans of PB Blaster for the rusted bolts). After the kit was installed I noticed that there were blocks for under the rear leaf springs and spacers for under the coils. They were shipped accidentally with my other lift. It's one of those 2-inch economy lifts. I was curious if I could install the blocks and spacers on top of the 3-inch lift that I already have on. Are there serious side effects? Or would it just be better to save up and get another lift someday? I wouldn't be considering this other than the fact that I got them for free.
Jared D.
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Answer: An old friend once told me just because it's free doesn't mean it's good. Unless it's chocolate cake. Yum... cake. Now where was I? Oh yes, lift blocks. Jared, I think you should stick with what you have right now. Adding the lift blocks and spacers to your 3-inch lift will result in about a 4 1/2 to 5 inches of lift.
The Rough Country 4 1/2-inch lift includes front coil springs, front lower control arms, transfer case drop kit, sway bar links, brake line relocating brackets, (four) RC Hydro 8000 series shocks, and rear add-a-leaves and shackles. Plus Rough Country recommends its link arm relocation brackets for the 4 1/2- or 6-inch lift to help realign suspension geometry. So you would need all this stuff except the front coils and rear add-a-leaves.
Plus if you go to the spacers, then you'll want bigger tires to fill the space, and that would probably require lower gearing. See what I'm getting at? Free lift blocks don't mean free; they just mean more parts you need to buy. I vote for driving it as is, save money, and get a complete kit when you're ready for bigger tires.
Yours is a good question I get a lot: "Just because I have this part, should I use it?" Lots of guys are worse off then you, Jared. Oftentimes these free parts can cost more in the long run to just make them all work together, and that's a lesson that is hard to swallow. Sometimes using your free parts won't really get you ahead, especially if your truck works good right now. For that reason you are this month's Nut's, I'm Confused winner. I'll be sending you an Expanse e33T knife from Leatherman (800.847.8665, www.leatherman.com). Made of 154CM stainless steel with a drop-point blade, the knife features a Carabineer clip that doubles as a bottle-opener, a 1/4-inch flat-head screwdriver, a Phillips screwdriver, and a 25-year warranty. This handy tool is the perfect addition to your wheeling supplies.
Juicy Steering
Question: I have been looking to go full hydro on my trail rig but find that sending my steering pump off to be adapted for my application is prohibitively expensive, not to mention the cost of the work! Why not use a steering pump out of a diesel as opposed to a custom piece? Since diesel engines don't produce vacuum, power to the brake cylinder is provided by the fluid pressure from the steering pump. Since these pumps are already set up with hoses, would it not be easier to use the steering box out of a diesel from a pull yard?
Mike S.
Via 4wheeloffroad.com
Answer: The system on most diesel trucks that you are considering is a hydro-boost system, and it does indeed use the power steering pump to run the brake booster and the steering. The system works by sending pressurized fluid to the brake booster and then to the steering box. The only major difference is there are two return lines to the power steering pump, one from the hydro boost and one from the steering box.
However, this doesn't mean it's ready to hook up to a hydraulic steering system in stock form. A pump modified for a hydraulic steering system is usually hopped up for additional volume and pressure. This then runs an orbital valve that controls the hydraulic ram; no steering box is used. Some large pumps that come from medium-duty trucks are modified to make heavy-duty desert racing pumps, but even those are turned up from stock.
Portal Sled
Question: Why don't you adapt a portal hub such as that from AxleTech, or from a surplus Hummer, to replace the existing knuckles on the Red Sled? This should give you lift without a kit, thereby retaining factory geometry while increasing clearance (without a lift kit the diff goes back up between the framerails) and, more importantly, reducing torque load on the halfshafts and centersection. This could be the next big thing instead of solid axle swaps. Not to mention that you also get lower gearing without the expense of buying and installing a new ring-and-pinion.
Andrew
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Answer: Actually, Andrew, I thought about doing just that. My first thoughts were to use H1 Hummer portal boxes. They are designed for independent front suspension and can usually be found used for a couple hundred dollars each. However because they have two gears inside they reverse the direction of the tire rotation and you would need to flip the differential or build a custom differential that turns backwards so the portal reverse the rotation to go forward. I don't think this would be extremely difficult, and I'm surprised no one has done it yet.
Since then, portals from AxleTech (877.877.9717, www. motorsports.axletech.com) have hit the market. I know the company is investigating adapters to install its portals on IFS trucks, and because of their four-gear design they will not require a custom differential. Either the AxleTech or H1 portal boxes will add unsprung weight, but not nearly as much as a solid front axle.
The Red Sled has since been dismantled, and its parts will end up in various other projects. For now I'm not working on an IFS truck, but I'd love to see someone try either of these options and let us know how it worked out.
Which YJ?
Question: I have a '94 YJ with the 2.5L and a five-speed. The frame is bad, and I found another with a good frame, bad transmission, and a 4.0L. I was wondering if I can use my five-speed with the 4.0L. It did have a five-speed in it also. Any help would be great.
Dave
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Answer: Your '94 most likely has an Aisin Warner AX5 while the Jeep with the 4.0L (if it's mid-'88 or newer) probably came with an Aisin Warner AX15. The AX5 will not simply replace the AX15, and it is much weaker than the AX15 (even though the previous owner seems to have broken the AX15). There was also a Peugeot manual transmission used in '87-to-mid-'89 YJs, and they are pretty much considered junk.
My advice is to sell or trade your Jeep for a good AX15 transmission for in the 4.0L rig. You'll get more power and less rust, but only after you swap in any other good parts of your Jeep that the 4.0L Wrangler might need, like tires, wheels, and seats. Also check the gear ratio in your Jeep's axles. Some four-cylinder Jeeps had lower gears than their six-cylinder brothers, and you might want to swap over the other axles; but then again the axles, brake lines, and other parts may be more rusty than it's worth dealing with.
Hey little Kids! (And Big Kids)
Even though it's actually summertime as we write this, the December issue will be here before you realize it, and for that issue we are doing a special Nuts, I'm Confused Kids Edition Prize. The fine folks at Losi (www.losi.com) are supplying us with a one-tenth scale RC desert truck, and I'll be giving it away to the best question in the December issue. We are looking for readers' questions that when answered will be enlightening to multiple readers, and if it's a kid's or teenager's question then even better for this special prize. So give it your best shot. Either send the question to Nuts & Bolts, 4-Wheel & Off-Road, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., L.A., CA 90048; or email it to nuts@4wheeloffroad.com with "I want a Losi mini truck!" in the subject line. You only have about 30 days to get them to me, so sit down today and do your homework.