Driveline Tips

Driveshafts:

    After installing a lift, don't be in such a hurry to have a custom driveshaft made up. Custom shafts are very expensive, and its always cheaper to shorten a shaft then to lengthen one. Find out what kind of U-joints your shaft uses, then go to a salvage yard and find a truck with a shaft which uses the same U-joints but is longer then you need. Look for the thickest and largest tube diameter which will work for your vehicle, since large tubes are stronger then small ones. Now just have your new shaft shortened and balanced. I have never paid over $35 to have a shaft shortened and balanced.

Axles:

    When upgrading axles for strength, spend some time looking for axles from a donor vehicle which don't have to be custom built or shortened. For example, for Jeep CJ widetracks, use Scout II rear axles. These are Dana 44s with larger brakes, and are only about 1" wider then a stock Model 20. That 1" is barely noticable, and in fact, makes the width of the rear axle the same as the front. (Ever notice how most 4x4 front axles are slightly wider then the rear?)

Hubs:

    For late CJs with the 5 bolt locking hubs, there are 2 easy upgrades. The first is to swap the wheel hub with one from an earlier CJ or Scout which used 6 bolt locking hubs.

    The second choice is to use parts from a Ford F-150 pickup or Bronco. These used the same 5 on 5 1/2 bolt pattern as CJs, but use the stronger internal spline hubs. Grab the appropriate Ford parts (I'm not sure exactly which parts you need, so grab what you can while at the salvage yard). Bolt the Ford outer axle parts to your CJ axle assembly. Now you have 1/2 ton hubs at a price far cheaper then the Warn conversion kit.