So it has been a lot longer than I wanted it to be since I last updated this but a lot has happened.
So as I am getting closer and closer to getting the X SAS'd (Tomorrow I'm picking up the last piece before the resale value on the X disappears) so I started to take the front apart, about 3-4 weeks ago at this point, to not only stop the rust that has started on my winch mount but to allow start figuring out how the front leaf hangers are going to mount. Yes I did decide on leafs, this is mainly due to what I can responsibly send on the swap, as well as what tools I have access to at my house to properly build this suspension.
It seems like this plate is a great spot for mud to build up without easy access to the winch plate.
The bare front of the x
I spent some time doing some CAD(cardboard aided design) and came up with something that should sit almost at the same height with the frame rail and protect the body of the X
Another angle. I do plan on having a runner that shoots to the frame from the front end of the corner slider.
So jump forward a week or two and my ring and pinion showed up as well as the rebuild kit, and my parts from barnes to mount the suspension (which I will go over later in this post). Lets just say the lesson with setting up these gears was 1.I need an impact 2. Buy a bearing puller before you touch the carrier 2.5 Buy a press before you touch the carrier 3.Don't get mad at the carrier. So first off I tried to used the spacing that was in the axle before. Which in this case didn't even allow for the assembly to spin. So I first tried removing some pinion shims which gave this crappy pattern.
So I went to O'reilly's to rent a puller for the carrier and come to find out they don't rent bearing splitter pullers, or the proper clamshell type. The owner of this branch recommended to use a 3 jaw puller. Which was one of my first big mistakes, listening to someone at an auto parts store. So after trying to use that I snapped the bearing cage and the puller wouldn't bite anywhere else. At this point I was pretty pissed off which was a bit of a mistake because I ended up going to town on the bearings with a grinder, 30 minutes later I had gotten both of the bearings off.
So then I made some shim adjustments and installed my new bearings on by heating them up in the oven and then using my 9lb purse to press them on. The pattern still wasn't quite right though.
So I had to bite the bullet and buy a bearing splitter puller to properly take the bearings off without ruining them. I bought the harbor freight splitter kit, got home, neither of them fit. So the next day I went back and picked up the larger bearing splitter. Now the bearings only took a few minutes to take off, so obviously I spent 30+ hours doing that! :x
After a few days of spending 3-4 hours on it a day I finally got the pattern right. I can't seem to find the photos, but the big chat approved.
Next I repainted the winch plate and mounted it up. I think some tube will be attached to this in the near future?
Repainted the fairlead to hide the X-bull logo and mounted that and the winch back up.
Next I had to find a way to mount the license plate for a bit because my mom didn't enjoy being left without a street legal vehicle, so I was back to driving the X.
So back to what I got from barnes I got a set of 5/8" u bolts, 5 inch 3/8" thick shackles, shackle hangers, and spring hangers with a plate welded to the top to help mount it outboard of the frame(more on this in a bit) I also put a 220 outlet in my garage so the stick welder I have kicks ass now, Im using 7018 rod at about 120-125 amps and using plenty of passes.
I cleaned the axle and diff cover up and painted them, its starting to look like something!
This is the bracing I was talking about with the spring hangers. It is braced with all 1/4" plate and will be finished welded all the way around the mounting surface.
So for now this is all I have done for now, but tomorrow I am picking up a set of old man emu 2.5" lift medium duty yj leafs that are claimed to have only have 100 miles on them. We will see if they really are in that great of shape. So friday is now day zero for the SAS, the ifs should be cut out by the end of friday night. Saturday I am hoping to have the axle holding the weight of the vehicle and then sunday will be figuring out steering as well as what I need to get the brakes going. The goal is to be able to drive the X with the 44 under it by tuesday. Then at some point next week I will need to modify one of the transmission crossmembers to allow the front driveshaft to droop down without contacting the crossmember. I am hoping the drive shaft that is in the X, which surprisingly already has 4" of slip for some reason, will be able to work for at least alumni run after which I will most likely have a double cardigan joint added at the T-case to allow for full axle droop.