better axles and steering ??

hi, i recently bought 55 m38a1from the local fire department. its in good shape with very low miles,problem is that the engine blew and they tried to put in a v8 and killed the fire wall so im gona repair that and stick with a nice crate engine.any way im gonna swap in power steering and am also thinkin of a stronger front axle. what is your opinion to do.will the stockers work or should i look for some scout axles, or will like chevy pick up axles work?im not gonna be rock crawlin or beating on it to hard but want it to be strong.where im at is that if im gonna swap axels i need to do that first before i buy a bunch of steering parts.and just wonder what to look for? also if i was gonna use a chevy tranny and tcase like a sm465 and 208 where can i find a drive shaft to fit as it would only be 6inches long? the trany and case that are in it work fine but ill prolly break them with the new engine. thanks for any info and sorry for all the ???? but iv never built a jeep before lots of big chevys and 1 chopper but no jeeps,jared

 

or should i just use the old sterrring and axles and wait for it to bust???

 

good thats the answer id like to hear im just new at this thanks abunch !!now ill order those tierods.oh ill get some pics of my truck and jeep and my bike up later if i can find them,thanks again,jared btw what is imho

 

In My Humble Opinion......(I think)

 

I think the NP-208 is too wide for the frame rails in a small jeep. the way to go would be the sm-465 or 420 with a D-18 behind the small chebby..


BUBBA

 

Speedbuggy runs a 350 /T90/dana 18 combo on stock axels I think . Maybe he will chime in

 

Hello Jared - the approach I would recommend is to figure out the least you need to get rolling, and then drive/wheel it. Building something strong is a slippery slope; just like speed, strength costs money; how strong do you want it to be?

It's clear, the more power you have to start with, the worse your breakage problems will be. IMO (in my opinion), unless you want to race in the bogs or on the dunes, you only need a moderate amount of power on the trail. So much depends on technique, gearing and traction, that V8 power actually may be a disadvantage for an inexperienced driver.

Two flavors of V6 engine are very popular; the Jeep/Buick even and odd-fire V6s (up to 4.1L?), and the Chevy 4.3L V6. The Chevy is harder because the distributor is at the back, but that wouldn't bother you becasue you're going to repair the firewall anyway. Read the page about engines here: http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/engines_general.htm
The Novak "knowledge gateway" contains lots of terrific material, and should answer a lot of your questions.

You asked specifically about axles - pickup truck components don't fit very well usually - the axles will put your tires way out beyond the fenders, and the frame rails are too narrow for transfer cases from full-sized vehicles (generally).

Look at www.jeeptech.com about axles. There's not one site that discusses axles thoroughly - it'll take a while to research all your options. The stock Jeep axles are fine for moderate sized tires and engines. One of the advantages of your stock axles is the gear ratio, which will probably be 5.38:1.

The next step up is a narrow-track Dana 30 from a '72-81 CJ for the front, and a flanged offset Dana 44 from a '68(?)-71 CJ on the rear. The Scout front axle is a well-known upgrade; it's a Dana 44 and has about the right width (wider than stock though). They come with zero caster, so you need to change that. The Wagoneer axles are a popular swap; Dana 44 front and rear. They will stick way out, and typically come with highway gears, so you'll want to regear.

hth Tim