Lease Ride Upgrade - Jeep Truck

[rosco11]

Lots of patience needed, not much room to work.. primer is all done!

[iamntxhunter]

I commend you for being patient and taking the time to do everything right or at least the best you can which seems to be pretty **** good.

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[rosco11]

I commend you for being patient and taking the time to do everything right or at least the best you can which seems to be pretty **** good.

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Man I appreciate you saying that! It's been a super cool project..still working on it!

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[rosco11]

For the Comanche we removed the bench seat and replaced with buckets. I needed to find a center console. Decided to go with the later model Cherokee 1997+ center console, obviously because it has cup holders and the earlier models didn't! Thanks to my brother for finding it!

[iamntxhunter]

When do you think you will be able to roll in it?

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[offthemap]

Here's another good website to find OEM stuff. It's marketed for XJ's but as you know a lot of it will swap into an MJ, too.

https://teamcherokee.com/cherokee-1997-2001/

[offthemap]

The original support brackets are made of plastic and will break, here's an upgrade to a metal bracket:

https://dirtboundoffroad.com/products/center-console-bracket-jeep-cherokee-xj-97-01?variant=30322735513696&currency=USD&utm_campaign=gs-2019-10-12&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=CjwKCAjwnIr1BRAWEiwA6GpwNR0k_EnEAHVZuMN3kz7rRJJyEGqc28DaCbYDFoVh52gHN3eg4-Yw7RoCCf4QAvD_BwE

[Gummi Bear]

Man you can't go wrong with that Novak t-case shifter. Solid choice.

Is that front axle a D30HP or D30LP (high pinion / low pinion)? Assuming it's the high pinion because the D30LP didn't come in until 2000-2001 I think. The LP is the absolute worst of the worst. Either way you'll have to re-gear it to match the rear and you said you already have that planned.

Basically, does any D30 suck? Yes, but it is more than capable depending on your driving style & terrain. Is it worth it to swap to TJ rubi d44 or even a JKU d44? Yes, well...maybe because those TJ axles are pretty expensive so it has to be "right deal, right price" situation and the JKU isn't THAT much of an upgrade for spending $1k on a used axle that's 4-5" wider than the D30HP and TJ D44. If you were going to do a swap you might as well go do a D60 1-ton but then you'd have different bolt patterns for your front & rear wheels, the diff is way bigger so you lose a lot of clearance at the pumpkin and it's still 8-10" wider than the D30HP and TJ D44 which means more time, money & hassle.

I'm in this same boat right now and can't decide which direction to go. My XJ is 70% deer lease / 15% rocks / 15% cruiser. I'm leaning toward just bolstering my D30HP (unless a TJ rubi D44 falls into my lap) because this thing is never gonna be a dedicated rock bouncer. Plus the guy I bought it from already upgraded to chromoly shafts, 4.88 gears, Eaton e-locker & new hubs so if I went the 1-ton route I'd have to start all over. ..and I'm not nearly as good at fabrication as you appear to be!

If you stick with the D30HP, you might as well get a thicker diff cover to swap while you're re-gearing it and also might think about doing axle sleeves from Nitro Gear or Iron Rock. https://www.nitro-gear.com/Dana-30-4...4tj-sleeve.htm

After that if you stiffen up the C's with gussets from Artec and maybe add a truss that Dana 30 will be solid enough for what you'll be doing with it. I don't think you have to get too wild with a truss if it's truly going to be a deer lease buggy. HOWEVER, I'm addicted to over-building things so I've gotta mention that if you wanted to go all out Iron Rock has an "all-in-one" solution truss system that includes gussets, stiffer UCA mounts, relocates the coil spring bucket, relocates the sway bar bracket, etc., but at ~$375 that's a tough pill to swallow. https://www.ironrockoffroad.com/prod...ss-xjtjzj.html

Putting a truss on a D30 is pretty unnecessary. I've wheeled and built rigs for the better part of 30 years in rocks, mud and desert.

If you're running 35" or smaller tires on a D30, upgrading to a FULL CARRIER locker and some CrMo shafts with good joints will be reliable assuming you don't drive like a maniac. If you want to be a throttle junkie, definitely go with 1 ton, or a 609.

If you're jumping your rig or have a really heavy foot, definitely upgrade to a heavier axle. If you're more of a finesse driver, you'll be fine with the D30 for a long time.

[rosco11]

When do you think you will be able to roll in it?

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I'm hoping to have it started and drivable in 1 month.. still a few major things to do first

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[rosco11]

The original support brackets are made of plastic and will break, here's an upgrade to a metal bracket:

https://dirtboundoffroad.com/product...RoCCf4QAvD_BwE

Thanks off the map! I've actually used both of those sites already and probably will get more along the way! I appreciate the heads up and advice.. keep it coming

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[rosco11]

Putting a truss on a D30 is pretty unnecessary. I've wheeled and built rigs for the better part of 30 years in rocks, mud and desert.



If you're running 35" or smaller tires on a D30, upgrading to a FULL CARRIER locker and some CrMo shafts with good joints will be reliable assuming you don't drive like a maniac. If you want to be a throttle junkie, definitely go with 1 ton, or a 609.



If you're jumping your rig or have a really heavy foot, definitely upgrade to a heavier axle. If you're more of a finesse driver, you'll be fine with the D30 for a long time.

I appreciate the advice Mr Gummi! My style is definitely finesse. We've done some pretty impressive climbing around the ranch with just stock 4x4s and simple lift. After years of learning we all have great tires out there. A few of the TJs and the Cj7 have some upgrades/lockers, Crmo axles etc.. within our group. My vision is to have a very capable off road truck but restored to a decent level and rust free. I also want to be able to drive at least short road trips on pavement when I need that too

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[Gummi Bear]

One thing that you'll have issues with pretty shortly after getting up and running, is a power steering pump.

Look for an old Saginaw "canned ham" pump to put on your Jeep. Much better flow rate and pressure than the stocker, plus a larger reservoir. It is never a bad idea to add a cooler to the system as well to shed a little heat and also add a little more volume.

If you can swing it, send your steering box out to PSC for an internals upgrade (they can also rebuild pumps, they're amazing). They're the best in the business, and based in Fort Worth. https://www.pscmotorsports.com

Bigger tires, in a more stressful, slow moving environment will cook your power steering system. I've burned up a few pumps, and blown up a couple of boxes. You can add a steering assist cylinder if you think you need it (I generally don't think they're needed until 36" or larger, and mandatory on 40" and up)

[Gummi Bear]

One thing that you'll have issues with pretty shortly after getting up and running, is a power steering pump.

Look for an old Saginaw "canned ham" pump to put on your Jeep. Much better flow rate and pressure than the stocker, plus a larger reservoir. It is never a bad idea to add a cooler to the system as well to shed a little heat and also add a little more volume.

If you can swing it, send your steering box out to PSC for an internals upgrade (they can also rebuild pumps, they're amazing). They're the best in the business, and based in Fort Worth. https://www.pscmotorsports.com

Bigger tires, in a more stressful, slow moving environment will cook your power steering system. I've burned up a few pumps, and blown up a couple of boxes. You can add a steering assist cylinder if you think you need it (I generally don't think they're needed until 36" or larger, and mandatory on 40" and up)

[rosco11]

We got the Comanche console installed! Because it originally didn't have a console we were missing 2 of the 3 mounting points. I ordered the upgrade metal mount from JCR off-road for the rear and then we created and welded the front mount from some stock flat 1/8" steel. Drilled holes for the mounting screws and used Uclips to screw into. As everyone says that JCR mount is really well done. We had to bend and fit it to make it level and expand the mounting holes for the bolts we wanted to use. We drilled through the trans tunnel and inserted bolts up from the bottom, washers and nuts on top and then covered the bottom with silicone under the truck. Bam! new center console!

[iamntxhunter]

Looking good[emoji106]

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