A: Tom, thanks for your response. Watching many improper winching techniques on countless trail rides led to the article and I'm glad it hit home. Hopefully some of the inexperienced will heed the article's lessons and practice using such a powerful (and potentially dangerous) tool before it's needed for a difficult and stressful vehicle recovery. For those looking for more detailed instruction, the basic recovery courses you offer could prove to be real lifesavers. Thanks for writing.
Grinding Gears
Q: I own an '80 CJ-7. The engine is the stock 258 with a Weber carburetor. The drive action is handled by an NP435 and the stock Dana 300. Power is transferred to the Maxxis Buckshot mudders through the stock differentials, which are also running 3.73 gears. I am running a 4-inch lift. Over the weekend, my friends and I were doing some light wheeling and all of a sudden my transfer case started making all kinds of racket when I came out of a small mudhole. The case works in two-wheel drive without a problem, but put it in four-wheel drive (High or Low) with or without the hubs locked in and it starts making the grinding racket. I am sure by the time you respond I will already be neck deep in the transfer case looking for the problem. Not that I know what I'm looking for, but I think it will jump right out when I see it. If you have any idea what I've broken, please let me know and I will be thankful to receive any advice or direction you can give me. Waiting to wheel.
Tom Carlisle
via e-mail
A: Tom, you say that the transfer case makes a grinding racket, but is it still operational? Were you able to drive home? If so, the problem may lie in the rear output shaft, which is a known weak point in the Dana 300, exacerbated by extreme driveshaft angles. However, it could also be a blown bearing or cracked or broken teeth on the rear gearset, both of which would hinder operation. Excessive endplay at the front and rear outputs can also elicit noise from the transfer case. My guess is that the steeper driveshaft angle created by your 4-inch lift along with the heavy shock loading are the cause of the damage to the rear output shaft. If this is the case you can upgrade to a heavier-duty output shaft to ward off future problems. Both Advance Adapters [(800) 350-2223, www.advanceadapters.com] and JB Conversions [(337) 625-2379, www.jbconversions.com] offer kits to upgrade the Dana 300.
The Perfect Trail Rig
Q: First off, thanks for a great mag. I have a question regarding an article that was in the Oct. '07 issue. You put a TrailReady winch bumper on a '99 Jeep WJ. Can I get some specs on the vehicle? Obviously it's a '99 Grand, but what is the suspension lift? Tires? Tire size? Any other modifications that have been done? The finished WJ looks to be the type of vehicle that I am very interested in building as my next trail rig and something that the wife and baby can wheel with me in. Thanks for your help.
Gordon Naruta Jr.
Eustis, FL
A: Gordon, in addition to the TrailReady bumper, which was painted to match the vehicle color, the '99 Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ shown in the Oct. '07 issue is equipped with a 4-inch TeraFlex lift, Bilstein 5100-series shocks, 1.5-inch wheel spacers, and 285/75R16 Pro Comp Xterrain tires.