Filed under "bette

Filed under "better late than never:"

-14 bolt full floater rear axle with Detroit locker

-Dana 60 front axle w/ARB air locker 

-5.38 gearing 

Longer front drive shaft, new steering gearbox, new shocks & springs, shackle flip kit in the rear, new hubs and everything else to build and install the axles, five new rims since everything is 8 lug now, an unbelievable amount of expensive hardware, on and on and on. But it's done! 

I got some pretty strict rules about breaking in the gears / differential. Take it very easy for 500 mi. Drive it a little bit and let it cool all the way down. Then change out the fluid.

Amazing how different the vehicle feels and drives. I expected it to be tighter, but it's way tighter and just very different. I sort of white knuckled it from the shop in Auburn (Rock Hound off-road) home to Folsom/EDH. 

So I need to drive it a little more, but the steering did scare me a little bit. It almost felt like there was a lag between turning the steering wheel and the wheels actually turning. It may be some factor of the gearbox and everything being brand new. But I might take it by Les Schwab or similar to have them confirm that everything with the steering is in good order. 

Then, I'll be ready to humiliate all you Jeep owners on the trail. Just kidding, I'll probably still be my usual mall crawling wuss self.