What is the popular opinion about slip yoke eliminators? Do you folks have favorite manufacturer's, or good or bad things to say about them? I am considering one for my YJ, it is at 4" of lift with 35" tires, and it is time to do it. Thanks for your advice.
Jerry
One of the single best mods I've done to my YJ. I have the "hack and Tap" version from Rubicon Express. This is not the best way to do it, however at the time I was on a tight budget and it was WAY cheaper. The only thing you do is remove the tail cone, cut the end of the shaft off, and drill and tap a hole to bolt the cv retainer. Mine has been working great for over six years now. Like I said this is not the best option, cutting the shaft "in place" heats it up tremendously. I'm sure the heat weakens the shaft. The full replacement from JKS or Rubicon Express is the best way if you have the funds. And by the way, if you choose to do the full replacement, be sure to get the 2wd lo shift fork and add to the t-case. It's a great option.
Daren
Thanks for the tip, Bill, I will take it under advisement.
Jerry
Hi Bill, If I lived closer I'd show you that "real Jeeps" are built not bought. Your big motor and bolted on yokes still don't impress me. Follow me up lower two at Tellico (doubt you could) and then I'll be impressed.
Daren
Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps Real Jeeps
Man, you MUST get tired of saying that!!!!!!!!!!!! Tookie - 88YJ,"Money Hungry"
4" lift, 33" TSLs, Lock-Rights PosiLock, 4.10s
Jeeps Real Jeeps
Quite helpful, thanks so much. :-/
Jeeps Real Jeeps
F46
Unfortunately many "Real Jeeps" have 2:1 ratios, whereas YJs & TJs have
2.72:1 ratios. Also, it's fairly well acepted by now that the NP231 has been every bit as durable was the older D18/20 and D300 gear-driven boxes, leaks less and is easier to modify. Major weak po>Real Jeeps Real Jeeps
What about Civilian Jeeps?
Funny thing. I looked for a CJ for almost a year, before I finally bought my YJ. I came to the conclusion that the people selling CJs are convinced, down to the last one, that the flakes of rust are actually gold, and eventually the whole vehicle was going to turn into solid gold. I couldn't see paying classic car prices for something I was going into the woods and bounce off of trees. So, Bill, when you are broken down or stuck with your "Real Jeep", and one of these newer rigs is going by, are you going to wait for another "Real Jeep" to help you? We are all here because we love our Jeeps, and they are all "real" Jeeps, with the possible exception of the Liberty :-), and I bet we are going to see some pretty tough and capable Liberty buildups pretty soon. Sorry about the rant. Tookie, "88 YJ, Real Jeep Tookie - 88YJ,"Money Hungry"
4" lift, 33" TSLs, Lock-Rights PosiLock, 4.10s
Bill doesn't go in the woods, all he's ever done is make sand roostertails...
You mean he makes cocktails on the beach? When should we all arrive? All we need is Travis' pig roaster... :-)
Seeing as I JUST did this mod, I have fresh on my mind some tips for you. First, the kit I chose. I bought the Advanced Adapters SYE and Tom Wood DS from mad4wd.com. The guy there was extremely pleasant and helpful. We talked about the conversion for a good 15 minutes before I ordered it. He told me what tools I would need, and just talked with me about what was involved in the install. He also told me to feel free to call him if I had any trouble during the install. I was very happy with his manner; that is the kind of customer service and treatment that deserves repeat business.
I chose the AA kit because of the higher strength claim. I chose the AA over the JB because the AA DOES NOT require the use of a press when being used to convert a TJ (AA kit does not use needle bearings, nor does the stock shaft in a TJ. YJs, though, do have needle bearings, and they would need to be pressed off the old shaft during the install). I don't have a press, so that was key. I didn't like the idea of the RE hackntap kit, because even if it's just as strong ...when done perfectly... I didn't feel 100% confident that I'd be able to maintain a perfectly straight cut and perfectly drill and tap that hole, balanced, when doing an install.
The stuff arrived a couple weeks ago. I went to my friend's place, and began the install in his garage. First, one of the stupid nuts welded inside the frame that holds the bolts for the t-case skid plate had broken loose of the weld. Lovely. I just hacksawed through the spacer and the bolt (I had a 1" drop kit on the t-case at the time). I don't cut or weld, so I later took the jeep to a shop to get this nut problem fixed (after finishing the install).
Of course, make sure you jack up that tranny to support it, and set it on a jack stand.
Get a GOOD, large, strong set of snap ring pliers. You need to make sure to get one of the outer diameter snap ring pliers with little paddles on the end (not pins)...look like needle-nose pliers that had the ends put in a vice. You also need to get a set of inner diameter snap ring pliers. The snap rings suck, just be ready for that.
When you get the t-case split in half, and you take that magnet out of the bottom to clean the metal shavings off of it, be EXTREMELY careful not to drop it. I was laying under my jeep, no more than 8 or 10 inches from the ground, and the magnet slipped out of my towel. SHATTER! Damn. Just be careful. It's hard to find a magnet of the right size to replace this one. I ended up having to wait until Monday and get one from a local 4wd shop.
BE CAREFUL WITH THAT OIL PUMP. It is somewhat delicate. When putting the case back together, I didn't get things lined up just right, and when I tried to jiggle things into place, the hole in the pump where the pickup tube enters cracked. The pickup tube wouldn't stay in place anymore. I had to get a new one. Got it locally for 66 bucks. If you do end up damaging your pump and needing to replace it, it IS the part listed on some sites for around 50 bucks labled as a "Oil Pump Housing and Seal" for the NP231 transfer case.
Make sure, at all times during the reassembly process, that you can still turn the output shaft freely. I put my transmission into neutral, and during the process, to make sure nothing ever slipped out of place (my mainshaft did slip out of a bearing at one point, which led to my breaking of the oil pump), I just turned the mainshaft every once in awhile, making sure it wasn't jammed. I also had the t-case in
4low at that point, so I could also verify the chain was seated properly (not necessary, really...its obvious if the chain is seated or not), and watched as the front output shaft turned while I turned the rear output/main shaft.One more note: use the red RTV. That black shit is gross. I tried some of the black "sensor safe, high temp" style in a caulking gun form-factor. I got it everywhere. I used a bit too much, but the application method was part of the problem. If you do get a caulk-application style one, make sure to cut the opening in the applicator tip AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE so you don't have the problems I did. I ended up giving up on that RTV, and going to this red RTV that was in an easy-cheese style aerosol can. Just tip the applicator tip to the side, and spread with ease. That was MUCH nicer. Additionally, the red stuff is thicker, and doesn't get all goopy and everywhere. It took awhile cleaning that black crap off my hands and arms. UGH.
Finally, don't do this alone. I NEEDED (sure others might not, but I DID) ALL FOUR HANDS I had at my disposal (mine and my friend's) for reattaching the rear case half to the jeep. And the additional hands definitely helped for other things, though they weren't as absolutely necessary as they were when putting the case halves back together.
Oh yeah, in case I didn't mention, I did this install with the case still on the vehicle. There are varying opinions on whether it is easier to do the install with the case attached, or to first remove the case from the tranny. I took the on-the-vehicle route, because I have 4" of suspension lift and plenty of room to work under there, and I wanted to reduce the chance of messing anything more than absolutely necessary up during my install. I'm not a clutz (well, I am a little...I dropped that magnet and broke that oil pump), but I figure, don't go any deeper than necessary, and reduce the chance, however minimal, of f'ing up any other parts of my drivetrain. After all, I've never touched a transmission or t-case before, anyway. I also don't have a good work bench, so I wouldn't have had a good place to work on a fully removed t-case.
Well, I hope that helps. I know it was wordy, but I wanted to make sure I mentioned all the pitfalls I encountered, to ensure you can better avoid my mistakes, and have a good install experience. Even with the problems I had, I feel the install was relatively easy, and definitely worth it. I still saved money over paying someone else to do it, I learned first-hand what is in my t-case workings, and how it works, and I learned that the innards of the t-case are not actually that scary or intimidating as one might imagine.
Now, since you have a YJ, you may not get away without having to have a press, regardless of whether you choose the JB or AA kit. You'll have to deal with that when the time comes.
As for the drive shaft, I would definitely recommend the CV shaft. CV at the output of the t-case, and U-Joint at the Pinion. You need to point the pinion up at the CV joint, as others have already mentioned in this thread. I chose to get a set of adjustable lower control arms (~$225 locally). And, anyone reading this and thinking about working on their TJ, you will need to get these little bolt-on things that extend your shock perches back further, so that when you rotate the pinion and axle up, your shock won't get dented by your lower coil spring perch. This probably isn't as much, if any, of a concern for the YJ owners.
My TJ also has 4" of lift, and I had driven it that way for a little over a year with the stock rear driveshaft and slip yoke. It was starting vibrate in the last couple months, and I knew it was time.
Good luck with whatever you decide. And have fun. It can get messy down there if you're like me and this is the most difficult vehicle mod you've attempted, but if you're just patient and pay attention, and DON'T FORCE, you'll learn alot, and have fun working on your car at the same time.
/Bob
On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 15:10:59 -0500, "TJim" shared the following:
I can't tow it to y'all with my Jeep right now without waking up the dead. I got up at 5am this morning and removed the exhaust manifolds and the rest of the exhaust. I decided to try a set of 2.5" glasspacks, 28" long. Well... they fit right up and I got them clamped down really good. Got in, fired it up and WOW! Oh my gosh, that's WAY too loud. Picture: (CJ5 with 304)
-- Travis
Excellent post Bob. One thing...I'm not sure about your assertion:
My JB conversion kit did not require the use of a press either. I also found that with the T case completely out, it was much easier to work on, as I didn't need to remove the shift fork assemblies since I was working on it vertically. This is especially helpful when re-installing the oil pump and pickup tube. I removed the T case using my floor jack, a large piece of lumber and a couple of ratchet straps.
I did a little writeup on my conversion at
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