Invest2m4

You should call around. I'd be willing to bet you could get that front axle retubed with 1/2" wall tubes for a reasonable price. Assuming you are installing the truss and sleeves, it may cost a little more, but you can then also have the C's rotated for proper caster. If you are paying for the truss and sleeve install, then retubing is definitely better.

~$120 for the DOM tube. Easy to remove the tube from the pumpkin and chop the C's off. Then, locate a machine shop or drivetrain shop to do the rest. The machining of the tube and C's would probably run $150-$200. Unless you know someone and then probably free or some beer. Line it up, weld it together and done. No need to truss or sleeve. And, you fixed the caster issue. PR44 on the cheap.

I know Currie will do the whole job for around $700. The off-road shop local to me charges $700 for the truss and install.

Mark Doiron

You can click my signature to see my mods to my D30--pretty typical stuff similar to what you're asking about. And you can watch my YouTube videos to get an idea of how I use my Jeep (DigitalByDoiron). But, at 170K miles it wasn't the D30 that blew up. It was the D44 rear. And it wasn't some cool story like I was trying to get up a steep hill and gave it a bit too much gas. Nope, I was just driving down a local street--downhill even--when the rear diff started making a "woosh-woosh-woosh" noise. Just headed to Denny's for a little breakfast. And the result?



There were 120K miles on that gearset. And though I have front and rear lockers, I hardly ever use them. Can probably count on my two hands how many times I've needed to actually lock up either axle, and almost always it is the rear alone (front makes it difficult to steer).

anvil15

In principle, a sleeve adds some strength. However, to make installation practical, it will be a slip fit meaning that it doesn't add nearly as much as you might think--the main tubes must deflect before the sleeve comes into play. Also, any stress from where the brackets are welded to the main tubes will remain potential failure locations. A housing with heavier tubes is much better, with the Mopar performance housing being one, and aftermarket stuff also worth considering. You can regain some of the cost by selling the stock Rubicon housing, while realizing some savings from using its internal parts.