converting D30 to manual hubs

[Junkyard Jim]

Anyone ever tried to fit Ranger manual hubs on a Cherokee front axle before? I'd like to get rid of the vac front axle, yet still have it freewheel so I can add a locker for offroading and be able to drive it on the road.

[Jeepmauler]

The worlds leading expert on hotrodding out a D30 is Wandering willies here on the board.You could cut to the chase and PM him.Matt's the man!

[Lil' Rich]

I suggest upgrading to a d44. Don't waist any money or time on a piddly little 30.
I've got a 44 for sale, housing, welded knuckles,
axles all for $300.
With the gears you want $400.
The strength you'll get over a 30,

PRICELESS:D

[Jeepasaurusrex]

I seen in a mag the other day they are selling a conversion kit to put hubs on the front of a TJ/YJ/XJ etc. Think the kit was made by Superwinch? Take a look at that, may save some headaches.

[carnuck]

Originally posted by Lil' Rich
I suggest upgrading to a d44. Don't waist any money or time on a piddly little 30.
I've got a 44 for sale, housing, welded knuckles,
axles all for $300.
With the gears you want $400.
The strength you'll get over a 30,

PRICELESS:D
So the 44 was set up for the front of an XJ?

[Jeeptony]

I'd be interested in that 44 too, if its setup for a XJ.

[seajeeper]

What kind of locker? I run a lock right in the front of the TJ with no problems. Don't need hubs to do it unless you're going to run a spool, although you may need to balance your driveshaft....

But to kinda answer your question, Warn makes a kit to put manual hubs on (as does Superwinch). I think it uses the Bronco II size hubs, and they may be the same as the Ranger hubs.

[gcolby]

Originally posted by Jeepasaurusrex
I seen in a mag the other day they are selling a conversion kit to put hubs on the front of a TJ/YJ/XJ etc. Think the kit was made by Superwinch? Take a look at that, may save some headaches.

Bunch of people make kits for doing this including Warn. But it is still only a 30 when you are done. Could build up a 44 pretty much for what you would sink in to the 30

[carnuck]

I'm just looking to use cheap used parts to make it work the way I want.

[TrashJeeper]

Im selling my hub conversion, probably more than you want to spend but the option is there.

[Mall Crawler]

How much?
Originally posted by TrashJeeper
I'll be selling my hub conversion in the next couple weeks, probably more than you want to spend but the option is there.

[TrashJeeper]

I'm thinkin 350 minus one stub. Thats with rotors as well.

[Csnyder]

Originally posted by TrashJeeper
I'm thinkin 350 minus one stub. Thats with rotors as well.

Is it the 5x4.5" kit, or 5x5.5"? I know someone who'd be interested...

EDIT: nevermind, just saw your For Sale post. http://www.jeepthrills.org/images/smilies/dunce.gif

- Chris

[carnuck]

I picked up a spool for HP D30 (price was right!), and I didn't want to run vacuum axles with it. (previous owner did and spun out, wrecking his rig when he tromped on it)

[wanderingwillys]

Originally posted by jeepmauler
The worlds leading expert on hotrodding out a D30 is Wandering willies here on the board.You could cut to the chase and PM him.Matt's the man!

Mauler - I'm blushin :o - King turd polisher huh! :redneck:

Jim in addition to the info I put in the response to your pm; consider this - the 5 on 4.5 warn kit gives pretty much what you are asking for - there would like not be much of a market for the kit (and its price tag) if you can easily swap parts around that are:

A. common and off the shelf
B. installable without any fabrication or machine work
C. reliable

I would shoot for warn internal hubs (D44 premiums) in your planning - this means either taking the time to build the link mounts and coil pads on a 44 (79 F150 (RR) would be the housing of choice) or some how fitting CJ or full size D44 inner "C's" on a D30 - and the use 44 knuckles...

Unless you want to open a big can of worms stick with the OEM disconnect and a cable actuator (or go full bore a build a nice 44)

Matt

[carnuck]

Maybe I'll just do the D44 front conversion and run hubs.

[Fozzy]

A bit off the topic, but would a cable actuator interfer/ prevent a locker form beign put in a D30?

[carnuck]

not interfere, but it would keep one wheel permanently locked in front (ever tried that?)

[wanderingwillys]

Originally posted by carnuck
not interfere, but it would keep one wheel permanently locked in front (ever tried that?)

A locker is designed to differentiate unless you have torque transmitted through the driveshaft - unless you weld the spiders a locker will be transparent with the rig in 2wd and the disconnect engaged or disengaged (the disconnect allows differentiation between the inner axle and the pass side axle when open)

The only time you will have torque steer is when you are in 4wd and have the disconnect open... The load on the driveshaft will cause the locker to engage and spin the driver side axle shaft and only the inner axle - transmitting power only to the driver side on the front axle...

Matt

[carnuck]

Maybe I'm confused, but I thought a spool just locked both axles like a Lincoln locked rig? It would be a bitch steering on pavement if that's the case.

[wanderingwillys]

Originally posted by carnuck
Maybe I'm confused, but I thought a spool just locked both axles like a Lincoln locked rig? It would be a bitch steering on pavement if that's the case.

With a non CAD (central axle disconnect) you would have both u-joints turning in phase to each other with a spool - they cannot move a different speeds - add a collar and two piece inner axle on the passenger side and now when rounding a corner the outside tire can go faster than the inside tire in 2wd since the front driveshaft can spin freely in the t-case...

Imagine it this way - jack the front end off the ground with the truck in 2wd - now spin the driveshaft by hand - it turns fine - now chock up the passenger tire and spin the driveshaft - still spins but you are now turning the spider gears if open or the disconnect if the diff is locked - (obviously if you restrain the driver tire the driveshaft does not spin but you are not binding in the t-case)

When driving on the road the front driveshaft will spin at the speed of the driver tire x the gear ratio - no faster and no slower...

Passenger tire can do what ever it pleases while the disconnect is open... make sense

Matt

[Fozzy]

Sounds like you know what you're talking about, wih I did.:( If I installed a cable acuator, would a locker in the same axle be a bad idea for a daily driver?

[wanderingwillys]

Originally posted by Fozzy
Sounds like you know what you're talking about, wish I did.:( If I installed a cable acuator, would a locker in the same axle be a bad idea for a daily driver?

If you want to use it in 4wd on the street an ARB or OX or the new electratac (sp?) would be the way to go (plus all are good strong full case replacements (but also cost $$$)

As far as simple I would put a detroit (or quickloc/easylocker/what ever its called these days if you're on a tight budget) up front and do the cable control (posilock kit is ~170$ IIRC) or home brew something cable controlled - with the disconnect undone and the rig in 2wd you will not even know there is a locker in there.

Just play around in the snow and ice in 4wd some before trying to get up the pass at 45mph - a locker just takes some getting used to before you can predict what it will do and you can change any driving habits that would make it misbehave...

Matt

Edit: better yet; beg or borrow a dual autolocker rig for a few minutes to drive around to feel the differance- I would offer mine but spools don't feel like much - (kinda like the e-brake is stuck on sometimes) :finger:

[Fozzy]

Thanks Matt, now I just gotta get the dough to do it.

[GPN Family]

this link should help this thread it is out of the pirate tech department.

hybrid 30/44 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Hybrid_Axle/HybridAxle.htm)

[wanderingwillys]

Originally posted by GPN Family
this link should help this thread it is out of the pirate tech department.

hybrid 30/44 (http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Hybrid_Axle/HybridAxle.htm)

Bill put together some good stuff for that article - and I used it to make a basic game plan for how I was going to do mine differently - but it covers very nicely how to swap custom inners and CJ D30 inner "C's" (which can accept D44 outer knuckles) onto a later model XJ,MJ,ZJ,YJ,TJ D30 front end... (plus it tells how to swap 5 lug outers onto the chev/waggy knuckles)

The only drawback to his method is you need custom length inners - that can get pricey unless you step up to alloys and some form of "super joint" (oh wait it is pricey no matter what)

My way is not any cheaper unless you run OEM axles XJ inners and waggy stubs in my case with a spicer 760 series ujoint... But at least all the axle parts are off the shelf... :hmmm: Bust a shaft out in BFE and you can likely get an OEM replacement but not a custom one....

Any way you slice it - lots of work and eveyone tells you that you are slow in the head for building a 30 (part of me did it just to make people do a double take when they look under the XJ) :finger:

Matt

[michelob]

Originally posted by wanderingwillys
If you want to use it in 4wd on the street an ARB or OX or the new electratac (sp?) would be the way to go (plus all are good strong full case replacements (but also cost $$$)

As far as simple I would put a detroit (or quickloc/easylocker/what ever its called these days if you're on a tight budget) up front and do the cable control (posilock kit is ~170$ IIRC) or home brew something cable controlled - with the disconnect undone and the rig in 2wd you will not even know there is a locker in there.

Just play around in the snow and ice in 4wd some before trying to get up the pass at 45mph - a locker just takes some getting used to before you can predict what it will do and you can change any driving habits that would make it misbehave...

Matt

Edit: better yet; beg or borrow a dual autolocker rig for a few minutes to drive around to feel the differance- I would offer mine but spools don't feel like much - (kinda like the e-brake is stuck on sometimes) :finger:


how could i home brew a cable actuator for my xj. basically im new to jeep xj's. i use to own zuks. anyhow i welded the front and was wandering what to do about that vacum thing. p.s. its a trailer rig, no pavement time.

[wanderingwillys]

The easiest way is to take off the vacuum bell on the OEM shift motor and rig a cable control (the long locking cable controls from NAPA work pretty well ~23$) to the shift collar

Use a pair of screw secured cable stops on the cable after drilling a hole in the collar for the cable to pass through.

It also helps to find a spring to make the deal (shift fork/collar) snap back into the open position.

Finally seal up the entrance where you took the vacuum bell off to feed the cable into the shift motor usually folks find a fitting that will snap or thread into place so the end of the cable control can be secured and sealed...

Otherwise that is that...

Matt

[michelob]

how does that vacumm motor on the axle work? and how does vacum do it?

[wanderingwillys]

Basically insdie the little UFO looking thing is a diaphram that has a connector to the shift fork. Normally the diaphram sits such that the shift fork locates the collar in the open position - when a vacuum is applied to the diaphram - the diaphram flops to the other side of the UFO thing and the shift fork is pulled; dragging the splined collar; linking the two axles...

As long as a vacuum source is applies to a working and undamaged shift motor the two axles will be locked (there needs to be little or no load when applying the collar - ie: wheels straight ahead and little or no gas pedal)

All you are doing is replacing the actuator source from vacuum to mechanical (cable)

HTH

Matt

[RailroadJeep]

Any way you slice it - lots of work and eveyone tells you that you are slow in the head for building a 30 (part of me did it just to make people do a double take when they look under the XJ) :finger:

Matt

Crap Matt, looking at anything on your XJ still makes me look twice! :D

Chris

[michelob]

thank you:D