I purchased this 1989 Jeep Wrangler YJ October 10, 1995 with 35,000 original miles. I completed modifications July 20, 1996 but left the stock 3.08 gears in both diff’s. The jeep did good but it wasn’t tough enough to go where I wanted it to go and was really high geared. I started saving money each month and put it in the bank for approximately five years. I knew that I wanted one ton axles and ARB air lockers front and rear. When I got enough money saved I started the quest of getting the axles built and when this was completed Sam’s Offroad installed them and did the springover. It is almost unbelievable how easy this YJ goes over obstacles now. I can idle over terrain now that I used to have to fight or go around. The 38" tires at 3 psi conform to the shape of the obstacle and literally crawl over them. The 488 gears are a good combination with just the right amount of speed to torque ratio. I left the stock Jeep 1310 "U" joints at the transfer case on both the front and rear driveshaft. This is sort of a fuse. If something is going to break I want it to be the "U" joint not the transmission or transfer case. I didn’t want to make everything so strong that the possibility of breaking gears in the transmission or transfer case could happen because they are expensive to remove, repair and replace. I carry spare driveshafts and "U" joints because they relatively easy to change on the trail and are inexpensive compared to transmission and transfer cases. I would like to thank all the people who helped me make this Monster Jeep a reality. Sincerely Norm Townsend
SOME OF MY MODS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
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