Front Range Off-Road

[Carl]

I didn't plan this... It just kinda ended up this way... You know how it goes... You start wheeling and everyone tells you the model 30 is not going to work. Then some guy talks you into swapping a toy front axle because stock it can handle 35" tires on a CJ-5 and it is almost the same width as a widetrack AMC 20. (this was a long time ago) And so the Jeep was wheeled with those axles and the stock inline 6 cyl for a many years on an 86" wheelbase. After a while, I got very tired of the carb flooding out and the front end reaching for the sky everytime I tried to climb up anything. I found a 93' mustang that was crashed with a good motor and at the same time I stretched the WB to 100 inches. This was right after the 30 spline longs came out, so I got those and a high pinion ARB front diff. I also got a free toy rear end from a friend and I put the 4 cyl ARB 3rd in it (my old front diff). So thats how it happend... And I have been wheeling it for years this way. Rubicon and Fordyce when I lived up north, now the hammers after I moved down south. So many trips, I can't count em. The first major breakage has been the front housing bending after I slammed into too big a whoop at high speed. I guess that is my reason for investing in a Diamond housing. The toy diffs have been working for me for a long time. I do plan on changing the rear out for a 9" some day. I know that 4 cyl diff in the rear is going to blow up one of these days...


102" WB
SOA on CJ-7 rear leafs
Front Toy axle (Diamond soon with 6 shooter knuckles) 4.10s ARB HP
Rear Toy axle 4 cyl diff ARB
stock 93' mustang 5.0
Ford T-18 w/granny
Dana 300 with 4:1 gears
37" MTRs

Stock birfs and 35's SUA first time at the hammers:


as it is now:

[Carl]

With a high pinion diff, I had some clearance issues with driveline grinding into the exhaust on accel with pass side stuffed. I've since moved the exhaust up, but now with the diff moving inwards to the center (5" longer short side axle) , I will have issues with the bellhousing. So I am going to try and make a pinion snubber bump to prevent contact. Unfortunatly, this is going to really limit uptravel. Going to try some slotted bumps instead of solids too. trying to measure it all out, but there sure is some guess work going on... you can see the pinion bump resting on top of the diff in the 2nd pic

[Carl]

Just a note, I äm posting this stuff up here only because I think someone may find it to be something different. I am in no way proud at all of my limited fab skills with sawzall and grinder.

I chose to try the 1.5 fwd spacing on Brians U+bolt plates. I am also trying to set it up so that in case I change my mind for some reason, Ican put the axle back to the center. Thatäs why the shocks are off set in the last pic.

Looks like the pinion snubber will be an experiment. Very hard for me to guess where to put the bump at. not sure exactly what angle the diff will be at when stuffed and under throttle. Iäm sure it will change when the spring wraps. and I hope the bumps line up and the rubber doesnät hit the bolts. Cool thing I found out is that my spring pack is the same thickness as a 2x4

[Brian E]

Nice writeup and pics Carl, looking good!
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Front Range Offroad Fab -for your Toyota needs

Diamond Axle -constant innovation in axles

[Carl]

all done. I'm glad I went with the 5" wider axle. took it out today for a drive. everything seems to work well except for a little mystery squeel / squeek type noise at times from something.