Quality shop time and another axle down.

[RandyCarol]

From what I understand the rubi T-case either doesn’t work or is not desired with the LS3/6l80E swap. The JK 44 rear axle seems to be pretty stout, the only issue I read about is bent flanges and a couple of the aftermarket shafts will warrantee for that. Sounds like a cool build

[Frank]

Dude I just noticed that the pumkin as you called it , is on the wrong side ! First axle I see Dont worry I didnt say anything. FjR68

[Richl35]

From what I understand the rubi T-case either doesn’t work or is not desired with the LS3/6l80E swap. The JK 44 rear axle seems to be pretty stout, the only issue I read about is bent flanges and a couple of the aftermarket shafts will warrantee for that. Sounds like a cool build

I have had the Rubi case now for a couple years and the 4.1 is a real advantage I feel but still have the stock 2.72 case kicking around. Motech says they can now use the Rubi case but I will need to give that a little thought. The 241 OR Rubi case is actually weaker than the 241 J so that has something to do with it I think and the 1st gear of the 6L80E is pretty low so it kind of offsets the 2.72 ratio. I have a summer to decide anyways. I worked SOOOO many hours between September and now that I didn't have the chance to do the LS3 swap yet. I'm afraid that if I start it now I won't have my Jeep this summer and that's not going to happen. It is a tease looking at it sitting on the stand

I have given myself 2 weeks to get the rear axle done, the front installed and the roll cage in.. Add in ordering a set of Adams 1350 driveshafts and it's going to be busy couple weeks!

[Richl35]

Dude I just noticed that the pumkin as you called it , is on the wrong side ! FjR68

Frank.... Pumkin is just my term of endearment for it! haha...

[RandyCarol]

From what I understand the rubi T-case either doesn’t work or is not desired with the LS3/6l80E swap. The JK 44 rear axle seems to be pretty stout, the only issue I read about is bent flanges and a couple of the aftermarket shafts will warrantee for that. Sounds like a cool build

I have had the Rubi case now for a couple years and the 4.1 is a real advantage I feel but still have the stock 2.72 case kicking around. Motech says they can now use the Rubi case but I will need to give that a little thought. The 241 OR Rubi case is actually weaker than the 241 J so that has something to do with it I think and the 1st gear of the 6L80E is pretty low so it kind of offsets the 2.72 ratio. I have a summer to decide anyways. I worked SOOOO many hours between September and now that I didn't have the chance to do the LS3 swap yet. I'm afraid that if I start it now I won't have my Jeep this summer and that's not going to happen. It is a tease looking at it sitting on the stand

I have given myself 2 weeks to get the rear axle done, the front installed and the roll cage in.. Add in ordering a set of Adams 1350 driveshafts and it's going to be busy couple weeks!

Years ago I had a Suzuki Samurai I converted to automatic, it had dual transfer cases with 4:1 in one of them and in low-low range it would shift so fast I swear it was in 3rd gear before the tires made one full revolution and you could not get wheel speed when you needed it. It was amazing how low it was geared, it was a novelity and had no real application for the type of wheeling around here. Kinda apples to oranges to you and the rubi case, but my point is there is such thing as “too low” and it’s something to research and consider.

[Richl35]

From what I understand the rubi T-case either doesn’t work or is not desired with the LS3/6l80E swap. The JK 44 rear axle seems to be pretty stout, the only issue I read about is bent flanges and a couple of the aftermarket shafts will warrantee for that. Sounds like a cool build

I have had the Rubi case now for a couple years and the 4.1 is a real advantage I feel but still have the stock 2.72 case kicking around. Motech says they can now use the Rubi case but I will need to give that a little thought. The 241 OR Rubi case is actually weaker than the 241 J so that has something to do with it I think and the 1st gear of the 6L80E is pretty low so it kind of offsets the 2.72 ratio. I have a summer to decide anyways. I worked SOOOO many hours between September and now that I didn't have the chance to do the LS3 swap yet. I'm afraid that if I start it now I won't have my Jeep this summer and that's not going to happen. It is a tease looking at it sitting on the stand

I have given myself 2 weeks to get the rear axle done, the front installed and the roll cage in.. Add in ordering a set of Adams 1350 driveshafts and it's going to be busy couple weeks!

Years ago I had a Suzuki Samurai I converted to automatic, it had dual transfer cases with 4:1 in one of them and in low-low range it would shift so fast I swear it was in 3rd gear before the tires made one full revolution and you could not get wheel speed when you needed it. It was amazing how low it was geared, it was a novelity and had no real application for the type of wheeling around here. Kinda apples to oranges to you and the rubi case, but my point is there is such thing as “too low” and it’s something to research and consider.

Wow.. Wonder what your final drive was. 240:1 possibly? A lack of wheel speed sounds to be a slight understatement!

I know with the Rubi case I don't use a lot of 1st gear (manual 6 sp in my JK) but when I do it's usually for a good reason. It is something to give some thought to. A little more local experience wheeling will help me make some of those decisions. I've only owned this Jeep 2 years so I am not the most learned student behind the wheel off-road in it yet but we will get there.

[Richl35]

Another project completed.. Just 10 or 12 more to go...

The Poison Spyder rear bumper and body mounted tire carrier. The crossmember you have to weld in for the bumper had a slight defect in it that I had to cut and weld to remedy. Really not a big deal but after a call to PS to see if it was in fact a flaw or my own doing it was determined to be the issue of a bend radius that was too large and Poison Spyder's fault. The general manager there made up for my troubles by shipping me a Sport Cage!
I had ordered and was waiting for the EVO cage to ship but you can't beat the price of "Sorry for your troubles"! Cage being fitted this weekend I hope...
Along with the install I modified my exhaust as the bumper gets tucked under quite a bit from stock and was hitting the tailpipe by a couple inches so we shortened that up and I moved my rear sway bar back an inch to add a little shock body clearance since I pushed the axle back an inch.

[RandyCarol]

Looks great, I was going to go with that bumper, it was my first choice but I backed into enough trees before I ordered that I wanted a bumper that stuck out a bit to for protection. Your tire carrier will protect your back end, my spare is strapped to the floor.

Noticed your rear shocks, you running the rock stars to lift them up a bit to keep away from the rocks?

[Richl35]

Looks great, I was going to go with that bumper, it was my first choice but I backed into enough trees before I ordered that I wanted a bumper that stuck out a bit to for protection. Your tire carrier will protect your back end, my spare is strapped to the floor.

Noticed your rear shocks, you running the rock stars to lift them up a bit to keep away from the rocks?

When I finish the rear axle next week (I hope) I am using Artec lower mounts which are a 1/4" thick. My plan is to add a little skidplate under the shock body. They do take a serious beating though so if they get banged up I'm not real worried (I say now).

[Mikmaq]

Your build is looking savage!

[Richl35]

Your build is looking savage!

"Savage!" Thanks!..

My wife posted a couple pictures on one of her Jeep Facebook groups and someone linked the Sir Mix-A-Lot video for I like big butts... Haha.. She does have some rump to her!

[Richl35]

Was able to finish up the axle finally and threw on a new soft top. Now waiting for driveshafts to arrive and the cage to be powdercoated.....

[Mikmaq]

Your build upgrades are looking awesome!

[Richl35]

Got going on the rear axle finally...

Eric at Offroad Elements came up with a standard JK Dana 44 housing for me so I didn't have to build the housing in my Jeep (Thanks Eric ) allowing me to keep driving during the build.



I sent the housing out for sandblasting and it came back like this..



Now that I have a nice clean housing to build I took some measurements, determined what pinion angle I needed to build to and started stripping the brackets off.




Randy Carol had asked me about my rear shocks and how I was planning to protect them. I purchased all Artec axle components and a set of Teraflex shock mount/skids. After a little thought I cut them up and I married them together.




So that's where I am right now minus a pic of the Artec truss I welded up for the axle. Next time I will get the brackets spot welded in place, double and triple check measurements, and start welding everything up.

[RandyCarol]

Looking good, those skids should protect those shocks fine. I just raised my rears and added skids too, can’t have too much skid