Building Front axle to handle 37s (1 Viewer)

[RattleCan]

Bought some 37inch TSL SX tires for my wheelin rig. As soon as they arrived I knew I may have bitten off more than my little axles can chew.

Here is a shot of the size difference between my 33s and 37s. The weight difference is huge.

The axle has been completely unmaintained and needed rebuilt the whole 10 years I’ve owned my 40. Constantly weeping gear oil on my tires. I’m surprised it hadn’t run dry.

The caster needed to be address with shims while everything was apart. I’m also gonna be making my drag link angle much less sharp and adding a working steering stabilizer. All things should make for a much less white knuckle driving experience.
Picture of before axle/drag link angle.

Shaved my balls to fit longs

ARB- and did a s***ty job por-15ing everything.

New hubs and chromoly hub gears

 

[EWheeler]

Love me some swampers. Have fun!

 

[RattleCan]

Moto Farkles bash plate and low range off-road axle ball gussets and steering stops. I welded everything over a period of 4-5 different days and am happy nothing warped.

Picture of new steering arm vs old. New arms are already mulled for ruff stuff 1 ton kit. Wasn’t planning on going to 6 shooters but my axle had the weak smaller pattern knuckles and studs so I was basically forced to upgrade.

Zip tie is definitely the easy way to install birfields onto axle shafts.

4 plus u bolt flip kit/ new spring pins/bushings and shackle bushings drilled out to 3/4 inch. Scotch brighted my balls and longfields installed.

 

[greenbeasty]

The following is an OPINION based on what I have experienced wheeling Tellico on 33 to 38 Swampers.
My stock front axle (74 FJ40) withstood all the serious pounding I could put on it, ( for 10 years) and never broke anything except a Warn hub. I had a LocRite limited slip in the front, and would use my Line Brake if I needed it to lock.
The guys I wheeled with LOVED their ARB's in the front, but were afraid to use them sometimes for fear of breaking the Birfield. Especially when backing up a bank with the steering turned, snapped every time. I was always happier pulling a cable every once in a while, rather than swapping a Birfield.
You have obviously upgraded your axles, so I hope you are good. The newer stuff is so much stronger than a 40 year old axle.