One-Ton Axle Advice Requested
01-06-2021, 11:48 AM
#11
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
A2sp atlas 3.0 is all you will need and a 6l80e has plenty of gears and 1st is low as needed for a LS jeep on 40's weighing 7k anywhere.
As far as kits and which engine trans to use do yourself a huge favor and call John :
Overland Performance
John Schumacher
13427 PACES Pointe Drive.
GONZALES, LA 70737
(225) 304-6288
Axles..Big names or best bang for the $ call ECGS and order a D60/shaved 14b
As far as the upcoming Mall crawler Hemi JL save yourself a lot of pain..
full time 4x4 and D44's...a joke for a trail rig and forget trying to get a Atlas into it..will be years away at best.
As far as kits and which engine trans to use do yourself a huge favor and call John :
Overland Performance
John Schumacher
13427 PACES Pointe Drive.
GONZALES, LA 70737
(225) 304-6288
Axles..Big names or best bang for the $ call ECGS and order a D60/shaved 14b
As far as the upcoming Mall crawler Hemi JL save yourself a lot of pain..
full time 4x4 and D44's...a joke for a trail rig and forget trying to get a Atlas into it..will be years away at best.
01-06-2021, 11:50 AM
#12
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
I did the SD60/ 14 bolt swap right at 2 years ago now. I have ~38k miles on them. A friend did all of the welding, and I did most of the rest of the swap myself. Used all Artec parts (brackets, trusses, tone rings, etc...). I drive it almost every day, everywhere. Cruise works, speedo works, traction control works... just like stock. Running 5.13 gears and 40s. I estimated the total cost around $6500, and I sold my modified 44s for $4000. I really had more cash in wheels and tires than my axles. I am running 8x170 by the way, with 1.5" billet adapters on the GM rear to match front track width and bolt pattern.
Tuning the 6L80/90 is way cheaper and easier than the new 8spd transmissions from my experience (and I've tuned a lot of vehicles - including several LS swapped Jeeps). Stay pre-2017 on the TCM so you don't have to have it unlocked to tune it, and try to get the engine/trans/ controllers/ and harness all out of the same vehicle to avoid a lot of headaches.
Tuning the 6L80/90 is way cheaper and easier than the new 8spd transmissions from my experience (and I've tuned a lot of vehicles - including several LS swapped Jeeps). Stay pre-2017 on the TCM so you don't have to have it unlocked to tune it, and try to get the engine/trans/ controllers/ and harness all out of the same vehicle to avoid a lot of headaches.
01-07-2021, 05:46 AM
#13
JK Enthusiast
I'm not sure what you mean by binding issues. I have 5.13 gears and ARB lockers front and rear. No issues with traction control, ABS, cruise, stability, nothing. Artec (and several other companies now) offer all of the parts to make the swap pretty painless if you know how to weld. I am using Artec's 60 tooth tone rings on the 14B hubs in the rear to match the Ford D60 hubs in the front, Dodge truck front ABS sensors that plug directly into the JK harness, and stock JK sensors in the rear. I also use 1.5" wheel spacers/ adapters in the rear to match the track width and bolt pattern of the front axle. Like I said, I have almost 40K miles on this combo.
You could also just get the front and rear axle from the same Ford truck, but you may have to figure out fuel tank clearance due to the offset pinion of the Sterling rear axle. I have seen it go both ways.
As far as an 11:1 low ratio in the transfer case, that is just insane. I'm still running the Rubicon Rocktrac t-case with a 4:1 low, and that is PLENTY of gear for anything I have ever encountered. It would be different if you were building a competition only crawler, but from what I gather, this is basically a street Jeep that will see some off road time. The added torque from the V8 swap, 5.13 gears, and anything in the 4-5:1 range t-case will get you anywhere you want to go.
Remember: Keep It Stupid Simple, or Simple Stupid, however you want to look at it. If you are out in the middle of nowhere wheeling and you happen to break something, the more complex the build is, the more complex the diagnosis and fix is.
You could also just get the front and rear axle from the same Ford truck, but you may have to figure out fuel tank clearance due to the offset pinion of the Sterling rear axle. I have seen it go both ways.
As far as an 11:1 low ratio in the transfer case, that is just insane. I'm still running the Rubicon Rocktrac t-case with a 4:1 low, and that is PLENTY of gear for anything I have ever encountered. It would be different if you were building a competition only crawler, but from what I gather, this is basically a street Jeep that will see some off road time. The added torque from the V8 swap, 5.13 gears, and anything in the 4-5:1 range t-case will get you anywhere you want to go.
Remember: Keep It Stupid Simple, or Simple Stupid, however you want to look at it. If you are out in the middle of nowhere wheeling and you happen to break something, the more complex the build is, the more complex the diagnosis and fix is.
Last edited by hivoltagedriver; 01-07-2021 at 05:59 AM.
01-07-2021, 06:23 AM
#14
JK Jedi
It does not take much to break stuff with the 11:1 ratio and don't use it if you are bound up, just get help from another wheeler with a tow strap or winch. I have exploded 4 output yokes on the transfer case, busted a front u-joint (Twisted the ends of the shaft as well) on the dana 60 axle and snapped the driver side 35 spline shaft on a dana 60. The only time you really need the low is for super slow extreme technical stuff and then when you are in that range you can not get any momentum. I do like having the options of 2.7 or 3.8 depending on the group I am running with and I tend to wheel really fast.
01-07-2021, 07:42 AM
#15
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
I'm not sure what you mean by binding issues. I have 5.13 gears and ARB lockers front and rear. No issues with traction control, ABS, cruise, stability, nothing. Artec (and several other companies now) offer all of the parts to make the swap pretty painless if you know how to weld. I am using Artec's 60 tooth tone rings on the 14B hubs in the rear to match the Ford D60 hubs in the front, Dodge truck front ABS sensors that plug directly into the JK harness, and stock JK sensors in the rear. I also use 1.5" wheel spacers/ adapters in the rear to match the track width and bolt pattern of the front axle. Like I said, I have almost 40K miles on this combo.
You could also just get the front and rear axle from the same Ford truck, but you may have to figure out fuel tank clearance due to the offset pinion of the Sterling rear axle. I have seen it go both ways.
As far as an 11:1 low ratio in the transfer case, that is just insane. I'm still running the Rubicon Rocktrac t-case with a 4:1 low, and that is PLENTY of gear for anything I have ever encountered. It would be different if you were building a competition only crawler, but from what I gather, this is basically a street Jeep that will see some off road time. The added torque from the V8 swap, 5.13 gears, and anything in the 4-5:1 range t-case will get you anywhere you want to go.
Remember: Keep It Stupid Simple, or Simple Stupid, however you want to look at it. If you are out in the middle of nowhere wheeling and you happen to break something, the more complex the build is, the more complex the diagnosis and fix is.
You could also just get the front and rear axle from the same Ford truck, but you may have to figure out fuel tank clearance due to the offset pinion of the Sterling rear axle. I have seen it go both ways.
As far as an 11:1 low ratio in the transfer case, that is just insane. I'm still running the Rubicon Rocktrac t-case with a 4:1 low, and that is PLENTY of gear for anything I have ever encountered. It would be different if you were building a competition only crawler, but from what I gather, this is basically a street Jeep that will see some off road time. The added torque from the V8 swap, 5.13 gears, and anything in the 4-5:1 range t-case will get you anywhere you want to go.
Remember: Keep It Stupid Simple, or Simple Stupid, however you want to look at it. If you are out in the middle of nowhere wheeling and you happen to break something, the more complex the build is, the more complex the diagnosis and fix is.
01-07-2021, 07:45 AM
#16
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
It does not take much to break stuff with the 11:1 ratio and don't use it if you are bound up, just get help from another wheeler with a tow strap or winch. I have exploded 4 output yokes on the transfer case, busted a front u-joint (Twisted the ends of the shaft as well) on the dana 60 axle and snapped the driver side 35 spline shaft on a dana 60. The only time you really need the low is for super slow extreme technical stuff and then when you are in that range you can not get any momentum. I do like having the options of 2.7 or 3.8 depending on the group I am running with and I tend to wheel really fast.