Wrenching

I was originally going to entitle this section, "Cheap Bastard Tech" but I was worried that some of the authors of this area's content would be offended by the title. This part of the TECH section is a salute to the 4x4 freaks who epitomize the phrase, "it's not what you bought, it's what you built." Each article presented here deals with four-banana modifications designed for the sole purpose of improving a vehicle's functionality.

	Dana 30 Seal Installer Shayne McGuire shows us how to build a simple tool to ease the process of installing the differential seals in a Dana 30 axle.
	Winch Rope Having spent a fair amount of time sailing and following some of the technology advancements in synthetic ropes available for the marine industry, I started to look at rope options. I figure that if these ropes can stand up to the stresses of racing around the world and through the southern ocean, they have to be able to stand up to the abuse of wheeling.
	Do It Yourself Snorkel Project Want to reduce dust and water intake problems? Consider building a snorkel for your 4x4. It doesn't have to be expensive. All it takes is some nerve with a Sawzall and the information presented in this article.
	Dana 70 into a Jeep Grand Cherokee Kraqa shows us that there are always bigger axle options for your 4x4 if you're just willing to put some time into researching what's out there and not afraid of blazing the trail for other backyard 4x4 builders.
	Jeep Cherokee (XJ) DIY Front Tow Hook Bracket After seeing a request for a Cherokee (XJ) how-to article on building your own front tow hook bracket, Dan Brama has stepped up to the plate and written not only a how-to article, but he has also drawn a template!
	Chrysler Jeep Alternator Upgrade I went on a mission to find a replacement hi-amp OEM alternator. I read about people looking at 120 amp models and one mention of a 136 amp model but nobody, as far as I know, ever confirmed that any of these would even work on paper. Guess what, for a mere USD$30, I was able to upgrade to a 136 amp alternator with very, very little effort! You say this can't be true. Well folks, it is and I am about to show you how.
	Building Your Own U-bolt Spring Plates New to 4x4 fabrication? Here's an easy project to get you started: building your own u-bolt spring plates. C.J. Ford takes you through the steps in building your own spring plates, including considerations for off-setting the axle for fender trimming.
	Hi-Steer Conversion A hi-steer conversion is intimidating for a lot of people because there are many ways to do it wrong and it requires some quality machining work which many fourwheelers cannot do themselves. I'm one of them. Nevertheless, I had to switch Project YJ to a hi-steer setup. In this article, I'll tell you what a hi-steer setup is, and why it's a good thing to have.
	Jeep YJ 2.5L to 4.0L Swap Here is my story on swapping a 1993 Jeep YJ (Wrangler) 4.0L and TF999 automatic transmission into my 1990 Jeep YJ that had a 2.5L with a 5-speed transmission. Enjoy!
	Jeep Cherokee 8.8 Axle Swap The Ford Explorer 8.8 is a very popular swap candidate for Chrysler Jeeps that are cursed with the Dana 35 axle. With minimal work and for a reasonable price, you can end up with an axle that is stronger than a Dana 44 and has the superior stopping power of disc brakes. Best of all, all replacement parts of off-the-shelf stock; no custom axle shafts or brake calipers are used.
2003
Toyota Fender Hacking Wanna fit bigger meats under your Toyota? Then have a look at Whizzy's write-up on how he trimmed his 4Runner's fenders.
2002
How to Choose a Gas for GMAW Welding There is a lot more to MIG or GMAW welding than choosing a welder and wire size. The type of gas you use makes a huge difference in your weld quality. We asked Dave Comer of Air Liquide to give us a run down on the various gases available for wire-feed welding applications.
Building a Full Floating Ford 9"Axle There's no doubt about it, a full-floater axle gives you the dual benefits of easy trail repairs and longer-lasting axle shafts. The problem is, I like the Ford 9" axle...and it never came from the factory in a full-floater configuration. So I did the only thing a rock monkey could do, I built my own...
The Redneck Ram - Hydraulic Steering for the Rest of Us Mike Knorr tries out West Texas Off Road's Redneck Steering Ram. Their hydraulic steering assist gives you the power to control those over-sized tires while retaining the street legal status of a factory steering system.
How To: Dana 30 Shift Motor Vacuum to Cable Conversion A diagram showing how to convert your Dana 30 vacuum shift motor to a cable-actuated shift motor.
Swap an NP435 & Dana 20 onto a 4.0L Looking for affordable low gears and increased reliability for your Jeep's drivetrain? If so, read Andrew Horvath's story of how he did the swap. It's not a bolt-in job but it is do-able.
Detroit SoftLocker Install - How To After I picked up my new Detroit locker I was a little short on cash to just drive into a differential shop and get them to install it. Getting a locker installed can cost a pretty penny so I made the choice to try and install the locker by myself.
2001
Hi-Pinion Dana 60 Front Axle Building a high pinion Dana 60 for the front of a CJ-7. It sounds like a good idea but the problem is that all the factory high pinion Dana 60's have the differential on the wrong side of the vehicle. So what's a cash-strapped rock monkey to do? Read this article and find out!
Do-It-Yourself Driveshaft Shortening There are some times of automotive work that most Shade Tree Howley Monkeys avoid. Driveshaft modifications are one such example and there's good reason for that. Driveshafts are fairly heavy, they can be quite long, and they turn at high speeds. Because of this, they require precise construction techniques and proper balancing. Having the proper tools and skills is crucial to successfully modifying a driveshaft. But like most things, there are exceptions to this rule.
Swapping TJ Flares onto a YJ The more I had seen great looking YJs with TJ fender flares in magazines and on various websites, the more I wanted to do it to my own '93 YJ. I decided to go ahead with the project for a number of reasons. In addition to the updated look, the swap increases tire clearance in the wheel wells and the cutting of the front and rear fenders allows for a little more flex without rubbing. Additionally, this modifications would keep the police off my case for tires that stick out too far. In Vancouver, some of the police can be somewhat over-zealous in giving out vehicle inspection notices. The most obvious infraction is having wide tires that stick out past the fenders. By using TJ flares, I was able to cover-up just about all of my 35" BFGs, even after my axle swap. This alone made the swap worthwhile.
2000
High Pinion Dana 44 Front On the surface, building a reverse rotation (RR) Dana 44 for the front of a CJ-7 sounds like a straightforward project. But the problem is that all the factory reverse rotation Dana 44s have the differential on the wrong side (ie: driver's side) of the vehicle. A completely custom axle is the only route. Of course if you have the money, you can skip reading this article and call any one of the custom axle builders and have one made for minimal headache. Since I'm a die hard do-it-yourselfer and very short on cash I decided to tackle this myself.
High Pinion Dana 60 Rear You want the ultimate high pinion rear end for your Jeep but you're cash poor. What do you do? Build your own! At least that's what I did. The project isn't easy and it's not for your average shade tree mechanic but it CAN be done. It just takes time, patience, and access to some crucial tools.
Home-Grown Samurai Rear Disc Conversion After dealing with poor braking performance and having gone through 3 sets of rear brake shoes in 6 months, we finally decided to do the rear disc brake conversion on our 1985 Suzuki Samurai.
8274 Upgrade Upgrade your 8274's motor to use Warn's new high-speed motor. This article has been updated on May 23, 2007, to reflect the latest Warn part numbers that will result in the lowest cost for doing this upgrade.
NP203 + NP205 Dual Transfer Cases Inspired by reports from people using lower gearing, including Marlin's gearsets for 'Cruisers, I too began to dream of going slower on the rocks. My FJ-45 pickup has a long wheelbase, which let me contemplate an option other than new gears: a dual-transfer-case setup.
1999
Jeep XJ/MJ Dual Transfer Cases That guerilla-tech genius, Rob Bryce, is back again, this time to tell us how he made his own dual transfer case setup for his Jeep Comanche.
Building a 4.5L Stroker Rob Bryce shows us how he built a 4.5L stroker motor for his Comanche.
Chris Waterman's Jeep Bronco It wasn't enough that Chris swapped a pair of Early Bronco axles under his YJ. Now he's decided to push it over the edge of schizophrenia by installing a Ford 5.0 motor, a Ford tranny, and TWO Ford transfer cases.