4wd

[Robert_Stephens]

I run TJ alloy axles up front, which means my front DS is always turning. No issues with power loss and mpg have come up yet (over 2 years), and I drive a 600 mile roadtrip every 3 months (from Panama City, Panama to San Jose, Costa Rica).

Are you in Costa Rica now? Do you ever travel the Yucatan to Majahual (my home when not on assignment), in Quintana Roo state, Yucatan, right on the water there? Also, what year is your TJ and yes, I too run with my hubs in on VEX for thousands of miles with no errors or decrease in fuel economy.

Great post. A fellow expat unless of course you were born down that way and if so either way--viva la Caribbean mi amigo.....

Robert

 

[jfrabat]

Are you in Costa Rica now? Do you ever travel the Yucatan to Majahual (my home when not on assignment), in Quintana Roo state, Yucatan, right on the water there? Also, what year is your TJ and yes, I too run with my hubs in on VEX for thousands of miles with no errors or decrease in fuel economy.

Great post. A fellow expat unless of course you were born down that way and if so either way--viva la Caribbean mi amigo.....

Robert

I have been to Yucatan (Merida, Chetumal, Cancun, etc.), but I have only been there once (in the early 90's). To drive there would be at least 2 days wort of driving, and as you know, Guatemala and El Salvador are not the safest places right now... So no, unfortunately, I dont drive there. Basically just Panama and Costa Rica.

I actually have a YJ, but I put TJ axles to get rid of the vacuum disconnect (and to go to 30 splines instead of 27). I am originally from Panama, but I have been living outside of Panama for almost 5 years now... So I am an expat as well.

 

[Robert_Stephens]

I have been to Yucatan (Merida, Chetumal, Cancun, etc.), but I have only been there once (in the early 90's). To drive there would be at least 2 days wort of driving, and as you know, Guatemala and El Salvador are not the safest places right now... So no, unfortunately, I dont drive there. Basically just Panama and Costa Rica.

I actually have a YJ, but I put TJ axles to get rid of the vacuum disconnect (and to go to 30 splines instead of 27). I am originally from Panama, but I have been living outside of Panama for almost 5 years now... So I am an expat as well.

Where are you exactly? I am a field Archaeologist-Artist for NASA and live in Majahual, Quintana Roo, Yucatan, MX. When I drove up or down CA (Central America) I go through Belize. The only problems I have are trying to cross into and out of Colombia, and for the last 17 years, sadly, I do not/cannot. I go by ship around either to Quitos Ecuador, or Caracas, VZ, and go into the jungle commons from there.

If you go straight up the coast, you should have no problem. Explain further unless I am omitting something.

Thank you,

Robert

 

[jfrabat]

I am always eiter in San jose, Costa Rica, or Panama, Panama. As for driving to and from Colombia, it's impossible unless you ship the car. There is no road between Panama and Colombia (and Panamenians dont want one for fear of all the paramilitary forces in Colombia will just drive into Panama, as we there is no army to fight back). I have been to both Ecuador and Colombia, but never wheeled there.

 

[Robert_Stephens]

I am always eiter in San jose, Costa Rica, or Panama, Panama. As for driving to and from Colombia, it's impossible unless you ship the car. There is no road between Panama and Colombia (and Panamenians dont want one for fear of all the paramilitary forces in Colombia will just drive into Panama, as we there is no army to fight back). I have been to both Ecuador and Colombia, but never wheeled there.

I am very well aware of the Darien Gap and wish to somehow do a run through there with some other hard core folks--just to see if it can be done somehow.

The issue in Colombia is the FARC. The amount of tolls they demand, the illegal conditions at the regional government level, and the banditos once inside (can't shoot everybody with the gauge).

I used to go down, cross the Canal and head south on the Pan American Highway to Corredor Sur to Santa Fe. Then, take any of the auto-freight ferrys to Buenaventura, and take the gravel dirt trail once off the dock down from there south. Now, with the FARC, they want so much graff and phony paperwork its not worth the effort.

Robert

 

[jfrabat]

I am very well aware of the Darien Gap and wish to somehow do a run through there with some other hard core folks--just to see if it can be done somehow.

It HAS been done before; they did it in Land Rovers many years ago (once in the 60's and then in the 70's)...

 

[Robert_Stephens]

It HAS been done before; they did it in Land Rovers many years ago (once in the 60's and then in the 70's)...

I know. Mark Smith did it also back in the 70s with CJ-5s. I want to do it with VEX and other Jeep guys and go down the eastern edge. Some of the Yucatan is like that and some of the conditions in Patagonia and the Amazon basin is like this as well. Fun stuff.

Robert

 

[superj]

Wow, we are supposed to got tdy to colombia in may. I didn't know it was so bad. That explains the gov passport instead of our normal travel passports

 

[Go topless 87]

So if I slide the collar over to engage the front Axel all the time it'll be like a solid Axel and won't it tend to skip the tires across the road when I turn?

 

[Robert_Stephens]

So if I slide the collar over to engage the front Axel all the time it'll be like a solid Axel and won't it tend to skip the tires across the road when I turn?

That would be like a spool, and you do not want to do that at all on pavement. Something will blow if you do.

Robert

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

So if I slide the collar over to engage the front Axel all the time it'll be like a solid Axel and won't it tend to skip the tires across the road when I turn?

Yes you can slide the collar to engaged and keep it there by installing the disconnect upside down. It will NOT act like a spool as you still have your open differential, it will merely behave like a 1-piece axleshaft similar to TJ's and many XJ's.

 

[Robert_Stephens]

Yes you can slide the collar to engaged and keep it there by installing the disconnect upside down. It will NOT act like a spool as you still have your open differential, it will merely behave like a 1-piece axleshaft similar to TJ's and many XJ's.

You are correct and I was in error. I was thinking of my CJ and the ARBs.

Thanks,

Robert

 

[Go topless 87]

So to all the people who told me to slide the collar and have the front locked all the time if it's gonna hurt it how else do I fix it. Lol.

 

[Go topless 87]

Gotcha I didn't read all the threads before I wrote that. Thanks a bunch.

 

[jfrabat]

It would act just like a a TJ or any YJ with a solid axle (like mine). The only difference is that the front DS will spin when driving, but since the TC will be disengaged, you will not have problems. If you feel some vibrations at highway speeds it's possible they are coming from the front DS rotating (IIRC, the YJ did not have the front DS balanced).

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

(IIRC, the YJ did not have the front DS balanced).

I hear folks say this a lot, but my '95 YJ front shaft had balance weights from the factory. I can't imagine them not balancing them since they're designed to be run at highway speeds in 4hi.

 

[black87yj]

to put in tj axles you need to get a different seal thats the same diameter of the tj shaft. the short side goes in with no changes but the disconnect side is way bigger so the old seal wont work. i just took all that disconnect crap off and put the collar where it is engaged all the time and put 2 big tywraps on each side to hold it in place and its been working fine for 7 or 8 months now and only cost 50cents. no seal replacement either. my buddy has had his like that for 2 years with no problem.

Agreed ! the yj and a few xjs are the only ones who used this system and putting the fork over to engage the two axles full time does no damage. it acts just like the yj axel. UNLESS you wheel the crap out of it , because then its a weak link in your axle. a cheap quik fix at the very least.

 

[black87yj]

So if I slide the collar over to engage the front Axel all the time it'll be like a solid Axel and won't it tend to skip the tires across the road when I turn?

no, you still have an open diff dana 30 front right ? only skipping with spools and locked lockers, twitchy with lunchboxes...........

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

UNLESS you wheel the crap out of it , because then its a weak link in your axle. a cheap quik fix at the very least.

Can you explain how it's a weak link?

 

[Robert_Stephens]

ditto above--just want to learn about the modern Jeeps, so, yes, what is the weak link as described.

Thanks,

Robert