The CheapJeep

[Doug Krebs]

When I first met him it was his only means of transportation, but I never saw it wheel.

I remember winching it through a rock garden at Llano. Then trying to pull it back to the road and kept getting stuck. I went to sleep wrapped in my tent underneath the blazer. When I was sleeping Wolverton had pulled it all the way back to the road.

[jerryg79]

The red rocket pulled it to get exhaust put on one time. I think he drove it home after that.

[colman]

what's your wb @ now?

[CheapJeep]

With the front BTF kit, redrilled rear perches, rear spring hangers pushed back, and BTF stretch kit WB is at around 101-102".

I'm planning on swapping the front Rubicon Express soa YJ leaf's out for a set of stock waggy's to get it lower and to push the axle forward a little. For the rear I'll be making some new shock towers and adding an anti-wrap bar. The anti-wrap will probably wait until I get 1 tons but that should be pretty soon. I've already come across several deals that are what I'm looking for, just figuring out the best one and awaiting contact info. I have the 350 completely disassembled and the block is ready to be shipped off to be bored and honed. I've decided to stick with a carb setup for the time being for sake of ease.

I'll be pulling the th350 trans and 203 case, as well as whatever else I decide to keep from the k5 frame tomorrow. I've finally made a decision on my t-case setup after much deliberation and research. I really don't want to drop a ton of money on a new case or used case with rebuild and gearing kits... I came across BillaVista's 203/jeep dana20 doubler article on pirate and decided to do the same. I have access to a machine/custom fab shop through my dad that has all the skills and equipment to make the adapter and input/output shafts. Unless someone has a spare jeep dana 20 case lying around (I know there used to be one over at 218) that I could borrow, I'll have to wait until after TCC when I start the swap to pull mine. I'm still doing more research on Advance Adapter's hd output shaft and Teralow 3.15:1 kit for the d20. The main concern that anyone has voiced with the 203/20 or 203/300 swap is the rear driveshaft length. With my wheelbase already at 101-102", the ability to place my motor/trans mounts (for the new drivetrain) further forward, and the fact that I'm lowering the front and pushing the axle forward with waggy leafs, I should be just fine.

I did all the numbers and if I were to go with a dana300 twin sticked and 4:1'd with the adapter I'd be within a couple hundred dollars of a stak or atlas. I could make a 203/205 happen for fairly cheap but the size and weight would leave me with hardly any floorboard and hangdown too low because I can't clock it enough to squeeze between the narrow 74 frame rails. With the 203/d20 it's still going to be a little on the heavy side and require me to cut and redo some of the floor but it ain't no thang. I should be able to reuse my old Tom Woods rear driveshaft after I do the swap too since it was way too short after the stretch kit.

[eight]

If you can make the adapter yourself or cheap, why not just do it with a 300? Sure if you don't want to wait for a deal you'll have to pay 200 or so for the 300, but aren't the low gears and output for the 300 cheaper than for the 20? Then you get real twin sticks and lower low gears.

[CheapJeep]

You got it right for the most part. I don't want to spend extra money and time finding and rebuilding a d300. My d20's ready to go, I just replaced the seals not too long ago. The twin sticks are the same price from what I saw on ebay but then again I could do my own thing with that as well. Not set on a low gear kit yet due to the cost, but I'm sure they are about the same as the d300 kit, couldn't imagine why they'd be different cost wise? Really the main thing is the convenience factor, I already have the 20 and don't have to do anything to it if I don't feel like it. If I bought a 300 it'd most likely need some money to get it in working order. Both are old school cast iron and can hold up to some thrashing so that's not an issue. Upgrading to an hd output shaft is the only thing that I feel might need to be checked out but that's about it.

[colman]

i got my 4:1 gears new shipped for 400 or 450

[73bronco]

dana 20's are around $800-1200 for the low gear sets

[DRAGOONRANCH]

holy cow pie batman, can you even get a 4:1 for that price?!?!

[CheapJeep]

That's the basic price range from what I found for the d20. Sam's offroad has them for around 6 bills which is close to the d300 kit. The whole idea of going with the doubler is so I don't have to dump a ton of money on a low gear kit and other things. Like I said before, if I were to build a 300 twin sticked, 4:1, and bolt it straight up to the th350 I could spend the same on a stak or atlas. For now I'm not going to spend any money on low gearing kits and whatnot. If I like the 203/d20 setup but find that I need some more gearing I might invest in a kit at a later time. I just can't justify spending a ton of money on a low gearing kit or an atlas/stak any time soon.

[colman]

i found a guy on pirate and got a deal on mine, good luck with the doubler

[AggieTJ2007]

ask me where I got mine and I am sure I can get you another for a very good price and you won't have to rebuild it

[CheapJeep]

pm'd you.

[agjohn02]

not trying to start crap, just trying to help actually. how is all this going to be paid for? reason i ask is this, im on my second major build and i know how quickly the budget goes out the window. take just my initial engine swap on the scout for instance. i got a great deal on the engine, trans and t-case, then spent that much more getting it in and running. that was with fabbing all my own stuff. now the way ive got it figured, you're planning on building pretty much the same thing scott and i are building at the moment. you are trying to cut corners in the t-case but obviously not in the engine and you have more of a platform to start on, but the most expensive part is what you are planning. i just dont see a lot of room for cost savings. i know for a fact that my project is no where near a college student's budget. i am keeping detailed records and know exactly how much this thing has already cost and still have trouble projecting the exact end cost. lots of little things, you know. are you getting help with funding or just underestimating the cost?

[Doug Krebs]

not trying to start crap, just trying to help actually. how is all this going to be paid for? reason i ask is this, im on my second major build and i know how quickly the budget goes out the window. take just my initial engine swap on the scout for instance. i got a great deal on the engine, trans and t-case, then spent that much more getting it in and running. that was with fabbing all my own stuff. now the way ive got it figured, you're planning on building pretty much the same thing scott and i are building at the moment. you are trying to cut corners in the t-case but obviously not in the engine and you have more of a platform to start on, but the most expensive part is what you are planning. i just dont see a lot of room for cost savings. i know for a fact that my project is no where near a college student's budget. i am keeping detailed records and know exactly how much this thing has already cost and still have trouble projecting the exact end cost. lots of little things, you know. are you getting help with funding or just underestimating the cost?

I think you are just trying to start ****!