Baystate Jeepers

Is there anyone in the Boston area that knows how to weld, that wants to help me out? I want to prep my axle for 35's and want to add gussets to it, but dont want to pay a shop $300+. Can anyone help a fellow Jeeper?

Mexican_Guard wrote:Is there anyone in the Boston area that knows how to weld, that wants to help me out? I want to prep my axle for 35's and want to add gussets to it, but dont want to pay a shop $300+. Can anyone help a fellow Jeeper?

JK + Gussets = new ball joints, a few hours for each side (your welding onto cast knuckles. so heating & slow cool down time is needed), certain amounts of disassembly of existing suspension components, removing front axle shafts & unit bearings.

You're at $200 in parts, unless you re-use the stock ball joints. These don't last through the heat, stockers will have plastic bushings inside and the grease will need to be all cleaned out.

Before welding is done, you're at $300 in shop labor.

It can be done at home, I'm just pointing out that the shop cost will be more than $300.

They cant be cast knuckles ? Maybe , forged or poured. I have heard about the bending issue and cast would probably break first. The gusset kits Iv seen should be able to be welded in without high enough heat to melt the insert in the ball joints. Pre-heating and controlling the induced heat of the welder is the way to go. Mig or tig should pull that off. I M O ! FjR68

This thread should help...

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/dana ... ce-755315/

I love it when Im right ! Not often but when I am , WhoooHooo. I know that you have to preheat a thicker material than what your adding and Ive done tie rod flips and my own axle truss without any issues. Thats why I suggested to preheat. FjR68

This didn't sit right with me, knowing what I know and I read the link.
And I looked at the install pictures...

I went a little further, because I encounter this ALMOST every work day, and it is hard to combat internet misinformation.

The trick is to read the users' other posts, in different threads, to see how long those ball joints lasted (or their awesome Rough Country lift kit).
The inner C is cast, it has a parting line from the poured cast. The OEM ball joints fail under normal use at 40k miles. I feel like an idiot even trying to defend any debate about whether or not the teflon ball joint will survive being heated and welded around and heated while it cools.
It's not like we haven't done this mod before or read the instructions, or sell aftermarket axles with actual forged inner C's on them.

Next week, we'll cure death wobble by replacing the steering stabilizer.

mrfreakinwhite wrote: Next week, we'll cure death wobble by replacing the steering stabilizer.

Mike.. you rock.. LOL

Mexican_Guard wrote:I want to prep my axle for 35's and want to add gussets to it, but dont want to pay a shop $300+.

There's a welding shop in Roxbury right off Mass Ave that can do it. The one time I tried to use them for something small they were on site at a job and returned my call the next day.

http://welderswelding.com/welding_contact_us.htm

Don't know your skill level or experience with this kind of stuff, but it's a pain but doable. You'll have to drain your gear oil, strip the axle down (pull the axle shafts, knuckles, ball joints) and bring it there or somewhere else. If you go to all that trouble, then you might as well sleeve the axle, add lower control arm skids, reinforce the upper control arm mount on the long tube and upgrade the ball joints. Be prepared to use the $300 as a downpayment

del_TJ wrote:

Mexican_Guard wrote:I want to prep my axle for 35's and want to add gussets to it, but dont want to pay a shop $300+.

There's a welding shop in Roxbury right off Mass Ave that can do it. The one time I tried to use them for something small they were on site at a job and returned my call the next day.

http://welderswelding.com/welding_contact_us.htm

Don't know your skill level or experience with this kind of stuff, but it's a pain but doable. You'll have to drain your gear oil, strip the axle down (pull the axle shafts, knuckles, ball joints) and bring it there or somewhere else. If you go to all that trouble, then you might as well sleeve the axle, add lower control arm skids, reinforce the upper control arm mount on the long tube and upgrade the ball joints. Be prepared to use the $300 as a downpayment

Your tire is here.

Thanks for the echo.

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Back the the reason the JK axles get gusseted so frequently.
It's not the same as the frequently bent tubes, that's a whole nutha story.
The cast inner C deflects and spreads preventing the ball joints from securing the knuckle. Forged inner Cs are an upgrade.
For the facebookers, our most recent gusset job from two weeks ago:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 566&type=3

That right there is probably the quickest response Ive ever seen , even though we were talkin about a front axle FjR68