looking to have an AMC 20 welded

[rbunch4468]

I am looking for a welding shop on North Shore MA or in Southern NH that would be familiar with welding the axle tube to the AMC20 diff. I use this Jeep almost exclusively for street and light trail use. I have spun the diff. I was able to 'realign' it by putting it into reverse and bumping the clutch. I am looking for something that will remedy this without having to pull the axle. I know the off roaders remedy would be to 'throw it away and put in a D44'. I'm not ready to do that yet.

What should I expect to pay to have the diff welded to the axle tubes?

Thanks,

Rick

[Frank]

Are you sure the tube spun or did it snap off at the diff. I would expect a shop to charge 75 to 100 buks if all they have to do is weld. The big issue is how to make it level and front to back, even with the other tube. How do you plan to get it there ? You dont have to get rid of a D-20 at all , just the two piece axles. Put in a set of flange axles and you have a tough axle overall. What year CJ is it ? I have a set 30/44 out of a 74 thats a direct bolt in for most years. Good luck FjR68

[rbunch4468]

Thanks for the response, Frank...

This is an '83 CJ5, with 258 c.i. six. The Jeep is still drivable. The diff was pointed up toward the body floor...not so much to make it undrivable, just enough to feel driveline vibrations on acceleration. This driveline has a cardan shaft. The diff was adjusted a couple of degrees below the TCase output prior to this happening. I was able to 'bump' the diff angle back down by putting it into reverse and using the clutch carefully. I am thinking the housing just spun slightly on the axle tubes.

[ZAEDOCK]

Pretty much anyone here with a decent welder could do it. I recommend preheating the center section first though.

Any competent shop should be able to handle it too.

[Frank]

It really sound like your U-bolts are loose . If the pinion was tilted up from where you had it set. If a tube spun only one would have done that and you would see a shock bent or no clearance for it or something like that. I cant believe you spun both axle tubes ! Check or replace the U-bolts and look at the center pins on the leaves . If you break a pin there is nothing to hold it in place ! Check , check check ! Dont sound like a tube. FjR68

[rbunch4468]

Frank...you have a good point. If the axle has rotated due to sheared pins at the spring perches, it would do the same thing. I am going to inspect a little further. I may have jumped to the wrong conclusion. I will make some alignment marks today at the spring perches, and axle tubes, also at the diff housing and axle tubes. I'll hopefully be able to determine what's moving. Thanks for the suggestion. Maybe one of these days, I'll get this thing up to a level where I could join BSJ on some trips.

[ZAEDOCK]

CJ 20's are VERY weak and notorious for centers and tubes spinning as you descibed. It's not the tubes that spin - it's the center chuck rotating on them.

If you sheared a leaf spring pin, the axle would slide fore/aft, not rotate. The ubolts would have to be practically off for the axle to spin in that manner.

[rbunch4468]

I put paint alignment marks on both sides inboard at at the diff-to-tube joints, and outboard at the sprngperch-to-tube joints. After my brief test drive, of course nothing moved (yet). Stay tuned...

[Frank]

Drive it like its a rental ! You should be able to duplicate it in the drive way with a hard acceleration or dump the clutch thing. Not to hard as we dont want to bind the u-joint and snap it . FjR68

[nostaw]

You can pick up the rear end, support the frame with jack stands, then lift the pinion with a floor jack... Something should move. And to be clear, don't life the yoke, just the pumpkin snout. Tires should be in the air.

JW

[Frank]

Anything yet ????????? FjR68

[rbunch4468]

Sorry guys...I've been working long hours at my real job this week...no time to play. Thanks for checking on me, though. Hopefully, this weekend I can try some things out. My son has been driving back/forth to school this week in the CJ without further issues. I'll give it a workout on Saturday to see what happens. The last thing that I want to tell my son is to pop the clutch to see if he can get the diff to spin...LOL!

[rbunch4468]

So far, I managed a drive around my neighborhood. I chirped the back wheels at every stop sign like a crazed teenager...kinda felt good! Anyway, no movement in the axle joints yet. I have to go to my son's basketball game, then this afternoon I will put it on jackstands and jack the diff nose to see what happens. If I lift it off of the jack stands with the diff...I guess the mystery continues...

[Frank]

Well Joe was sayin that the center pins would allow forward and back movement , and Jon suggested the jack and if the tube is loose youd be able to jack the pumpkin and see the axle tube rotate. Other than that , stop doin drugs. Haha FjR68

[rbunch4468]

Okay...I was able to 'slip' the axle tube connections at the spring perch due to some crappy welding (that I did last year). I am not a welder, but can usually make things stick. I need to disassemble the springs, remove the axle & perches, and get a good weld on there. For now, I tacked it in place as good as I could. I was able to jack up the diff snout without it slipping again...but I still want to pull it and get a good weld. While its out, I may try to preheat and weld the axle tubes to the diff. Like I said, I'm no welder, but I'm gonna have to try it. Usually what happens is that I'll do a project, and by the time I'm done, I'm starting to get a more reasonable weld...no stack o' dimes, but no stack o' turds either. But then I don't weld for a while, and lose whatever small skill set that I had accumulated.