5 Since the addition of the new front and rear ends, we’ve had zero problems with them. We started by finding a GM 14-Bolt rear axle and GM Dana 60 front bare housing.
The 14-Bolt is already very strong and was a slam dunk to finish off using an ARB locker and Superior 5.13 axle gears.
The front required a lot more attention. Dynatrac first cut and turned the axle to get the correct caster and pinion angles. The Dana 60 was packed with an ARB locker and 5.13 gears to match the rear, and Superior 35-spline American-made chromoly axleshafts were added as well. After that, we replaced the king pins on the housing and tightened on Reid Racing knuckles to the ends. An Offroad Design crossover steering kit was employed to join both orange knuckles together, and is controlled by a PSC-built steering box.
With 47-inch tires, any steering assistance is welcomed, and we were able to add a hydraulic-assist steering ram to our steering box since PSC had drilled and tapped ports when they rebuilt it.
6 Engine cooling was an issue we had been living with for a while. With more than 400 horsepower being used to push 47-inch tires down the road, the engine was definitely creating a good amount of heat—more than a factory radiator could handle.
We added a Champion Cooling three-row aluminum radiator in the factory hole. The radiators are built out of aircraft-grade aluminum and TIG-welded together. Each radiator is a specific-fit application.
7 How do you make enemies with a tire shop crew? Bring them a 47-inch tire that needs to be mounted on a 20-inch rim. Before we added some anti-wrap bars, the right rear Pit Bull tire got badly sucked up into the fender and the tread was basically split all the way down the middle of the tire.
We definitely wish we would have added the bars before learning our lesson the hard way. The price of a new 47-inch Pit Bull Growler is more than three times what we spent on materials to make anti-wrap bars.
8 Just to get the fullsize Cherokee running, Jeeps R Us had stuck an old CJ fuel tank behind the axle. Unfortunately, “temporary” become more permanent since it fit fine and held fuel without issue. But it was never mounted correctly, and it’s high visibility in the rear made it an eyesore. We managed to wrangle a CJ Crawler tank out of Tony’s hands at Gen Right. The 20-gallon aluminum fuel tank features a 3/16-inch steel skidplate that would hold the weight of our giant Cherokee if necessary. The beauty of the Gen Right CJ tank (besides its literal beauty and strength) is that it takes a YJ Wrangler fuel module.