I love it! It's a big-ass Jeep, and it performs like I've always
wanted it to. I also learned a hell of a lot in the process. I can
safely say that EB axles make for a good swap candidate for YJ or TJ,
but I'll add one caveat: if you're going to do it, do a springover (YJ)
or lift springs at the same time like I did.
Don't like the springover thing? Then make some measurements and be
REAL sure that there aren't any problems with the front diff and
driveshaft touching anything. Otherwise, this really is a good swap.
You can run the axles uncut, and with standard-offset wheels the width
is perfect. Plus you can keep your NP231 or NP207 transfer case, since
the front diff's on the same side as the D30. That's the major problem
with the Scout axle swap.s
Another advantage of the early Bronco axles over the Scout axles is
there's no fancy welding, knuckle-turning, diff-housing grinding, or
any other funky stuff required to make it work. On the other hand, the
small u-joints in the front are a potential weakness, but the driver
side shaft is easily upgraded, and the passenger side shaft can be
upgraded with a little work.
Paint
Two cans of Hammerite from the local General Paint went onto
everything I could find. Hammerite is a brush-on primerless metal
paint, and it was the perfect stuff for a job like this. In the
Pacific North West, you need to protect your goods.
Wheels and Tires
One issue with an axle swap of this sort is wheel bolt pattern. The
Wrangler axles use a 5 on 4.5" wheel bolt pattern, but the Bronco
axles use a 5 on 5.5" wheel bolt pattern. I ended up purchasing a
set of 35" General Grabber MTs on cheap white spoke wheels (let's
not get TOO carried away).
Gears
The 4.10 gears with 35" tires and a carbuereted 258 engine
leaves something to be desired in the power department. It is better
than the 3.07's with 31" tires, though. It crawls pretty well,
but it ain't great on the highway - I still almost never see fifth
gear. A set of 4.56s would probably be ideal, but were never a stock
option for EBs. Obviously, the only solution is an MPI conversion next
year sometime ;-).
Master Cylinder
The stock YJ master cylinder appears to be up to the task of
stopping the Chevy discs and Bronco drums, but it could use a little
more oomph. I may look at swapping in an F150 M/C later on, but I'm
living with it for now.
Conclusion
The only thing I might have done differently would be to use axles
from a '76 or '77 Bronco, since then you'd get the front disc brakes.
| Pearl of wisdom: Axle
swaps are expensive. . |
Sure I saved a chunk of money doing it myself, but be aware that it
isn't a cheap venture, and that it WILL cost you more than you think.
No amount of planning will entirely prevent Murphy's Law and lots of
little hidden costs from creeping up and biting you when you least
expect them.
Contributors
I'd like to thank Larry Soo (aka lars, the Jeep God), Rob Bryce, Ed
Mah, Grant Klavatalks, Rick Boiros, John Nutter, Mike Garner, Chris
Kutish, and Terry Howe for their help, patience, and advice during
this whole thing.
