Will update with pictures tomorrow most likely:

So not much has changed except that I'm pretty much eating ramen noodles and easy mac saving to get the new gears and locker added to the rear, but there have been a few things.

Added a Rough Country 20" light bar that puts out a stupid amount of light, a spider webshade, and moved my hi lift to the tire carrier.

I had a small electrical "incident" with the jeep that convinced me I needed to rethink some things. I could build my own DBox (electrical background) but I deal enough with that at work, so I decided to wuss out and buy an SPOD. The JK version won't work for me because I run an overhead console. So I spoke with JR (great guy) and he was able to run it up to his boss who approved to mix and match a few kits together for me and got me a smoking deal. I won't say how much I paid for it, but I don't think I could've built one for much cheaper myself that met my standards like this one did. It should be here on Wednesday and installed by Saturday.

Thanks to my not-so-local Jeep shop out in California (aka Ade, thanks buddy), I got my hands on some used front D44 axle shafts. They aren't chromoly but I think I'll continue to run stock shafts unless I'm breaking them constantly. The reason is I'd rather the shafts be the weak point than the gears. It's cheaper to replace a shaft and I can do it myself on the trail if I had to. These shafts ran the Rubicon trail at least once and they will again by next year if everything goes according to plan.

The actual work for swapping the axle should be started within 2 weeks I hope. There's one or two more variables I need to lock down before hand but I'm optimistic. Currently planning my first real vacation in years in May to spend 3-4 days in Windrock TN wheeling on 72,000 acres and I have to be geared and locked before hand to run the trails I want to run comfortably.

 

2 things:

On nights my wife is cooking I will let you can come have dinner. If I am cooking it probably will be reman noodles.

I was a windrock back 2009. Even with 4 days you may not see all of the park.

 

thanks Mike, the prices for work in our area are outrageous. I was quoted $3,000 today just to regear the rear axle and add a locker. An additional $900 just to regear the front axle.

We know we won't see it all but hope to see as much as possible in the time we have.

 

Is that just for labor!? I swear there are no decently priced shops in PA, unless there is one hiding somewhere...

 

That was a ring and pinion in 4.88 (for the rear axle only), master install kit, and an eaton e locker. I only count about $1,200 in parts though.

$900 for the front axle was front gears and labor (locker already in the pumpkin)

 

Just now checking out your build thread, looks great man! If your bored and wanna come to nky come up through your jeep on our lift and install your axles and lockers in our shop! I've never installed lockers but have dozens of friends who have sure we can figure it out! Btw ramen noodles are all that's on the menu here too

 

Thanks, she's coming along. I might take you up on that offer, I need to see how many hours away that is though. How hard can it be?

(You haven't lived until you've used ramen for pasta, soup, noodles, lasagna, and croutons in a salad. )

 

I'm in Owen county ky 40359

 

Thanks for breaking it down, at least I know what to expect now.

 

No problem. I won't be paying that though. There's a shop next to my house that will do both axles' gears and the rear locker for $2500. Seems pretty fair to me.

Also To clarify, the front axle is not under the jeep. The $900 was to take an axle with no shafts in it and add gears. Not even put it under the jeep.