Specs: (as I see them now)
VW 1.8T/01M auto (180hp)
2 seater (obviously)
HP front/LP rear steering D60s
5.38s, shaved, chromos/superjoints, welded (until I decide on the right choice of locker)
Minimal trussing, single ended rams
1.75 X .120 wall DOM
ORIs
39s/KMCs from Cherokee
<3500lb
I would really like to have a roller that needs some details ironed out and money spent on ORIs and axle parts by roughly this time next year. Time will tell if that's a reasonable goal or not. No parts will be taken from the XJ aside from wheels/tires so I can keep wheeling in the meantime.
Since both transaxle outputs will be offset to the passenger side, I am building offset 60s with the HP in the front and LP in the rear. Every other option I considered was either more expensive by a huge factor or were questionable from a durability perspective. 2.125 x .188 sleeve is being used to switch the diff sides, literally cutting the tube off one side after careful measuring and welding onto the other side.
I started on the HP axle and ran into issue keeping the tube straight out at the end. I made many errors on this first attempt I won't bore you with. I had the machine shop at work turn me up some pucks and bought the 1.5" tie rod DOM on Black Friday sale. This gave me a measurable way to know where I was at. It takes more ability than I have to bend a D60 that's off by 1/4".
Long story short, I cut the sleeve out of the HP after lots of frustration and moved over to the LP. From the learning from the failed HP debacle, I did a much better job keeping this one straight. It is off by <.100". I am going to try to improve that when my rosebud torch tip arrives, but have already decided this is within an acceptable tolerance for a 30mph steering axle.
While I waited for the new piece of tube to come for the sleeve on the HP, I started on the shave kit for the LP. I'd say about 3hrs total of work. Advertised 1" of clearance improvement, pretty close. Considering running some beads of hardfacing rod across the bottom.
I chiseled off the skull immediately after this picture.
Here it is, my driver drop LP shaved steering housing.