06 H3
a.k.a. "The Jackal"
- Messages
- 9,355
- Location
- Meridian, ID
While the trip has not started yet we have been doing a TON of prep. I figure I will add pictures and have a little blog update here.
So after the Rubicon last year we had such a blast we decided we needed another multi day trip next summer. With the Dusy and Fordyce as multi day trips we figured we would try the Dusy since it was supposedly the next toughest and then fordyce since it was the toughest of them all. After all 3 are completed we can plan Hummer trips with bebe. Rubicon would be a great hummer group trip!
After the rubicon I blew a low pinion D44, lots of weird things happened with that axle. blew another one and then I got the high pinion D44 and have had much more luck with it so far. We realized this trip we need a stouter drivetrain since its a longer and much more remote trail. The rubicon we ran in 2 full days. We took our time, we took as many hard lines as we could and we realized it could be done in less or more time. By taking as many bypasses as you can you can do it in a day. For the Dusy we realized we needed more prep. The rubicon has much more traffic, a shorter trail and lower elevation. The dusy is double the length, way less traffic and over 10k feet elevation. It has been argued by many that the trail is tougher, some say easier, some say the same. One thing that all people agree on is that driver fatigue plays a role after 4 long days of driving people break due to fatigue.
We have 4 vehicles so far and the proper prep will be listed.
Squeaky, the oddball of the bunch. Since breaking the lo pin 44 I swapped out a HP44 and call it good. The rear 10 bolt shaft broke at hammers so I put an eaton in. Since I did the swap I have only a little over 100 miles on the swap and 2 local wheeling trips. I havent driven it much due to travel for work and on the weekends I have been spending my time in a driveway under a welding helmet helping prep the other rigs instead of wheeling. Squeaky is basically finished, the #1 I think to do is drive the new setup and get comfortable with it and make sure it is up to par so the quicker I finish my brother's jeep the quicker I can start testing mine. Offroad it was nice, no breakage from drinkwater and Gorman.
Drinkwater
Gorman damage
Since I finished the Hummer it was time to tackle the Jeep. My brother was having some bizarre issues with his rear axle. It was fine for 2-3 years and then it started getting extremely hot, to the point where you couldn't touch the diff cover. It got so hot the bearings burnt up and the R&P failed on the street. We brought it to a pro to do the gears since I didnt have time and then the same thing happened again a month later. Its very weird since it was fine for years before. So he got a new school 14 bolt from an 02 Suburban 2500. It has factory discs and a parking brake. Artec makes a truss kit for it so its all weld on and play no guessing. His front Hi pinion D44 has been flawless but since he is running 40s he figured sell it off and go 60. We then got an 05 super duty high pinion D60 and artec sells a truss for that as well. His build has really come along.
-supercharged 3.8
-dual cases 1:1, 2.72:1 and 7.3:1
-Dana 60 front, 14 bolt rear with lockers and 5.38s
-king shocks
-116in wheelbase
-lots of armor
Best of all all of this stuff he picked up cheap over the years since there is an abundant amount of slightly used high quality parts selling on JK forums.
The 14 bolt is currently under, it still needs the gears and locker installed. Hes going with a detroit and 5.38s. On the D44s he had he was with 5.13s to get a slightly bigger pinion but with the massive ring gears he can afford to go to 5.38s without issues. Other then that it just needs the ABS lines hooked back up and the tone rings pressed on and the brakelines/parking brake. Only issue we have had is that the bigger shock body that the King shocks have are very close to the track bar bracket, I will trim down and modify the trackbar bracket for some added room.
The D60 is all cut down, it was a PAIN. We probably cut 20lbs worth of factory brackets off of it. Now the truss is going on. After that we can put the axle under and start building the steering for it. The axle we will gear and lock after its already on the road since it has locking hubs and we can turn the front off.
For his build, like mine, ABS will be retained. His old D44 that is fully built, trussed, locked, geared, and gusseted will be modified to go under my buddy's TJ.
Here is my brothers old D44, we were cleaning it and prepping it for the TJ, the lifetime table has helped build many axles but it finally bit the dust!
Also had some time to get my old 10 bolt down to Panzer and get it the rear spring over done.
Now for my buddy's TJ, he is waiting on some news that will determine if he will be using the D44 or not. Once he figures that out we can continue his build.
Last but not least we have an XJ going with us. Its a clean XJ that is new to wheeling, He already put a 5in lift on it, bumpers, etc. He is picking up an 8.8 with 4.10s and a limited slip at the junkyard. then will clean it up bring it to me and I will weld up the XJ brackets. He will also take the D30 from my buddy with the TJ since his is already geared to 4.10s and locked. Other then that he just needs me to get the XJ unibody stiffeners welded on.
So in a nutshell thats why I havent been wheeling! 1 axle swap for me, 2 for my brother, 2 for the XJ and 1 for the TJ. Some gear installs, some locker installs, some fabrication involved. The 1 tons are my brother's last axle's he will need, since you cant go much bigger then that, my rear axle is the last one I will need, the D44 front and 8.8 should be the last axles for a light TJ on 37s. Once we get our "final axles" under and built we hope we can go wheeling whenever instead of the problems we (mostly me) have endured since we have started pushing ourselves to tougher and tougher trails. I will keep this updated as we get closer to the dusy and once I start wheeling some trails I will put together some runs in so cal.
So after the Rubicon last year we had such a blast we decided we needed another multi day trip next summer. With the Dusy and Fordyce as multi day trips we figured we would try the Dusy since it was supposedly the next toughest and then fordyce since it was the toughest of them all. After all 3 are completed we can plan Hummer trips with bebe. Rubicon would be a great hummer group trip!
After the rubicon I blew a low pinion D44, lots of weird things happened with that axle. blew another one and then I got the high pinion D44 and have had much more luck with it so far. We realized this trip we need a stouter drivetrain since its a longer and much more remote trail. The rubicon we ran in 2 full days. We took our time, we took as many hard lines as we could and we realized it could be done in less or more time. By taking as many bypasses as you can you can do it in a day. For the Dusy we realized we needed more prep. The rubicon has much more traffic, a shorter trail and lower elevation. The dusy is double the length, way less traffic and over 10k feet elevation. It has been argued by many that the trail is tougher, some say easier, some say the same. One thing that all people agree on is that driver fatigue plays a role after 4 long days of driving people break due to fatigue.
We have 4 vehicles so far and the proper prep will be listed.
Squeaky, the oddball of the bunch. Since breaking the lo pin 44 I swapped out a HP44 and call it good. The rear 10 bolt shaft broke at hammers so I put an eaton in. Since I did the swap I have only a little over 100 miles on the swap and 2 local wheeling trips. I havent driven it much due to travel for work and on the weekends I have been spending my time in a driveway under a welding helmet helping prep the other rigs instead of wheeling. Squeaky is basically finished, the #1 I think to do is drive the new setup and get comfortable with it and make sure it is up to par so the quicker I finish my brother's jeep the quicker I can start testing mine. Offroad it was nice, no breakage from drinkwater and Gorman.
Drinkwater
Gorman damage
Since I finished the Hummer it was time to tackle the Jeep. My brother was having some bizarre issues with his rear axle. It was fine for 2-3 years and then it started getting extremely hot, to the point where you couldn't touch the diff cover. It got so hot the bearings burnt up and the R&P failed on the street. We brought it to a pro to do the gears since I didnt have time and then the same thing happened again a month later. Its very weird since it was fine for years before. So he got a new school 14 bolt from an 02 Suburban 2500. It has factory discs and a parking brake. Artec makes a truss kit for it so its all weld on and play no guessing. His front Hi pinion D44 has been flawless but since he is running 40s he figured sell it off and go 60. We then got an 05 super duty high pinion D60 and artec sells a truss for that as well. His build has really come along.-supercharged 3.8
-dual cases 1:1, 2.72:1 and 7.3:1
-Dana 60 front, 14 bolt rear with lockers and 5.38s
-king shocks
-116in wheelbase
-lots of armor
Best of all all of this stuff he picked up cheap over the years since there is an abundant amount of slightly used high quality parts selling on JK forums.
The 14 bolt is currently under, it still needs the gears and locker installed. Hes going with a detroit and 5.38s. On the D44s he had he was with 5.13s to get a slightly bigger pinion but with the massive ring gears he can afford to go to 5.38s without issues. Other then that it just needs the ABS lines hooked back up and the tone rings pressed on and the brakelines/parking brake. Only issue we have had is that the bigger shock body that the King shocks have are very close to the track bar bracket, I will trim down and modify the trackbar bracket for some added room.
The D60 is all cut down, it was a PAIN. We probably cut 20lbs worth of factory brackets off of it. Now the truss is going on. After that we can put the axle under and start building the steering for it. The axle we will gear and lock after its already on the road since it has locking hubs and we can turn the front off.
For his build, like mine, ABS will be retained. His old D44 that is fully built, trussed, locked, geared, and gusseted will be modified to go under my buddy's TJ.Here is my brothers old D44, we were cleaning it and prepping it for the TJ, the lifetime table has helped build many axles but it finally bit the dust!
Also had some time to get my old 10 bolt down to Panzer and get it the rear spring over done.
Now for my buddy's TJ, he is waiting on some news that will determine if he will be using the D44 or not. Once he figures that out we can continue his build.Last but not least we have an XJ going with us. Its a clean XJ that is new to wheeling, He already put a 5in lift on it, bumpers, etc. He is picking up an 8.8 with 4.10s and a limited slip at the junkyard. then will clean it up bring it to me and I will weld up the XJ brackets. He will also take the D30 from my buddy with the TJ since his is already geared to 4.10s and locked. Other then that he just needs me to get the XJ unibody stiffeners welded on.
So in a nutshell thats why I havent been wheeling! 1 axle swap for me, 2 for my brother, 2 for the XJ and 1 for the TJ. Some gear installs, some locker installs, some fabrication involved. The 1 tons are my brother's last axle's he will need, since you cant go much bigger then that, my rear axle is the last one I will need, the D44 front and 8.8 should be the last axles for a light TJ on 37s. Once we get our "final axles" under and built we hope we can go wheeling whenever instead of the problems we (mostly me) have endured since we have started pushing ourselves to tougher and tougher trails. I will keep this updated as we get closer to the dusy and once I start wheeling some trails I will put together some runs in so cal.
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