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- Mar 3, 2000
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Both axles are from a 1979 Chevrolet K2500. $450 a piece or $800 for the pair.
The front is an 8 lug Dana 44, flat top knuckles drilled and tapped for avalanche engineering hi steer arms, steering linkage is 1.5" 1/4" wall DOM tubing with Rubicon Express 3/4" rod ends. Rod ends are still tight/highway worthy (even though not DOT legal). Half shafts are factory Dana-Spicer parts with Napa's Brute Force u-joints. Motive Gear 4.88 gears. My experience on 38's and 39.5's revealed the u-joints to be the weak link in the front axle. I Always carried a set of spare half shafts and a couple u-joints hose clamped to the cage. The carrier is welded and I did a good job on it with a good Snap On MIG, good penetration and minimal spatter, clean Lincoln Lock. The hubs are factory, with the welded diff and no hydro-ram steering assist. I did put new calipers and a set of new pads on. I haven't ground the calipers down to fit 15" wheels though. If I remember right, the driver's upper ball joint has play. It's set up full width sprung over with leaf springs outboard the frame rails, FJ40 factory leaves reversed with Chevrolet spring plates.
The rear is an 8 lug full float Corporate 14 bolt. It has the huge drum brakes. When I put it in, I cut the parking brake cables as I was in a hurry and doing the build as cheap as possible. Shoes are good, 8/32 or better on thickness. The driver's side spindle has a bit of wear on the sealing surface, I've replaced the hub seal twice maybe. It seals up for a while then starts to leak. Stayed on top of it and the shoes have remained good. Driver's side wheel cylinder bleeder is seized and will brake off. It has a Detroit Locker and Motive Gear 4.88's. Rear suspension setup is a 4 link. Triangulated uppers, straight lowers. 1.75" 1/4" wall DOM tubing. Uppers have RE 7/8" rod ends. Lowers have 3" Johnny Joints on one side and I used Cherokee XJ factory lower control arm bushings on the opposite end. Factory TJ rear coils on RE coil buckets. I bent the driver's lower arm, not by much and when I got it on the alignment rack, rear toe and tracking wasn't changed.
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