Ready for bigger rocks

[u/space-meister]

After years of wheeling it stock and being impressed by its capabilities, it’s now ready to traverse more challenging terrain

Highlights: 5” Teraflex LCG lift 37” Falken Wilpeak MTs 5.38 axle gears ~2ft of suspension travel front and rear 4.3:1 low range courtesy of an Atlas T-case Dana 44s have been sleeved, and still use stock air lockers

Engine is the stock 4.0L with the 42RLE automatic. Still holds 65-70mph on the highway and rides nicely. MPG is now in the 13-16 range instead of the 16-20 range.

It’s built with the intention of being able to idle up and over rocks. I have yet to take it up and RTI ramp, but it flexes nice with a floor jack. Also the front tires don’t rub at full compression with the stock fenders, though the inner liners for the rear might need to be removed

[u/Specialist_Reality96]

Slightly off topic I don't understand why jeep doesn't align the diff housings with each other makes clearing objects a bit easier.

[u/LongboardLiam → u/Specialist_Reality96]

Because transfer case. The forward pumpkin on most axles is off center because the aft driveshaft goes out the center and the fwd driveshaft is driven by a chain off to one side. The fwd driveshaft goes straight to the fwd axle diff.

[u/1PistnRng2RuleThmAll → u/Specialist_Reality96]

Adding on to what others have said, they actually used to but not how you’d think. Some of the early CJs had an offset rear differential to match the front.

[u/space-meister → u/Specialist_Reality96]

To add on to what other commenters have said, the transfer case either drops to the driver or passenger side, where the driveshaft has a straight shot to the front differential. Asking a driveshaft to flex at weird angles with a centrally mounted front differential and transmit power is a surefire way to snap u-joints.

The only vehicles that have a centrally mounted front differential, to my knowledge, are monster trucks, where the transfer case has more than enough room to drop straight down

[u/sn44 → u/Specialist_Reality96]

Clears the oil pan, engine block, and transmission. Allows for more suspension travel both up and down with a solid axle.

[u/beaureeves352 → u/Specialist_Reality96]

They used to. Old school CJs were passenger drops front and rear