Anyone have a secret to getting tree bark off the paint without removing the paint? I got in an argument with a tree and want to keep as much of the pain as I can.
After the fun at WP and spending a little time attempting to think, I'm still thinking that I need to focus on "get home" over "get on top". That means I need to focus on mitigating breakage. Considering that I have a slightly frowning tierod already, I think this needs to be my first priority.
Everyone seems concerned with the d30/35 axles. New is out of the question (buying a new jeep would be cheaper). I looked around and while I can find ford 8.8, d40/44/60, and a wad of Chevy axles I'm not sure what I'm looking at. But I did find a number of incomplete or "needs body" projects (cj5, cj, and tj) that had axle and other miscellaneous upgrades. None of them were roadworthy, but is there any reason I couldn't use them for parts? What should I be looking at when considering axles and part vehicles?
That out of the way, is the problem with the d30/35 just robustness? I've been told that a 4.88 gear is out due to how whimpy the d30/35 4.88 gear sets are. I feel that I either got lucky driving away from Rausch last time or conservative driving with spare shafts is all I need. I do understand that lockers change torque/force on the shafts as does tire size (I'll be sticking with 33s). If I decide to lock then I have to revisit the axle question. Am I understanding this problem correctly?
Onto lockers: WP this weekend was a blast for me and my friend. We both enjoyed the "chess match" we seemed to get into every time forward motion stopped. I drove out of every obstacle with nearly every stoppage being due to traction loss on both axles while at least one wheel was in firm contact with the ground. Taking a trick from Mr Wing(man), I'm leaning toward no lockers. I like the idea of Aussie, but is there a way to completely disengage them?
And based on the number of times I whacked soft mud, I get the need for skids/diff cover.
So this makes my list:
1. Beef up steering
2. Figure out gear/axle/locker delima
3. PROTECT THE JEEP FROM THE DRIVER a.k.a. skids and covers
4. Seats