As humans, it would be ridiculous for us to think that everything will happen as we’ve planned it; as overland travelers, even more so. It would also be silly for us to not go with the flow of change, surprise, and disappointment. Rather, we will accept it for what it is and alter our plan to best fit our needs. Some of the best experiences come from the things we did not plan for or expect! Thus, it should not be a surprise that before we have even left our trip has been delayed.
Our priority is our Jeep! It will be our lifeline and home. We have spent almost two years researching our vehicle options, hashing and rehashing the pro’s and con’s of taking our own vehicle to make sure we are making the decision that is best for us. As it turns out, our decision to take our own Jeep is not the popular decision, but it is the right choice for us. We want to make sure that it is the best it can be for Africa and beyond. One of the hold ups for us has been axles. The axles that come stock on our Jeep may not be the best choice considering the roads we will consistently see, that we will be pulling a trailer and that we are adding some extra weight with the swap out of our engine to a diesel. Who knew that axles would the be the one item that would hold us up for months!
Our original departure plan was for our Jeep to be shipping off to Africa this week. The new departure plan is slated for early March. This will give us some additional time to work out some other details that we would have figured out on the fly, as well as some extra time with family and friends.
Jared will soon be speaking to the details of change to the Jeep to satisfy all you gear heads out there!
Thanks for the update. Josh really wants to hear about your Jeep. the changes and the axle issues. He wants a Jeep Wrangler of his own one day. Jen, he’s decided a Jeep is a better option than a motorcycle! Thanks for you input!
Look forward to hearing about it all.
We’re looking at Teraflex 60s for our JK unlimited to go with our Teraflex Outback suspension. Alternately 60 in back, 44 in front. They also have a new 60 with 8 lugs I’ve heard, but it still may be in the works. I’m not expert at all here, just going with advise from the shop doing our conversion (v8 Mopar with 545 tranny). Still investigating and those might be overkill, but we’ve decided that overkilling with extra expense up front is insurance against a breakdown in some remote corner of the world.
We went with the Ultimate Dana 60s from Dana, the 8 lug version you referenced. They are heavier duty than most 60s, as they use a Dana 60 ring and pinion, but most other internals are from a Dana 80, including pinion bearings and shaft bearings. It is also cheaper and available now. When we looked at aftermarket axles, we were told it was a 3 month wait, minimum. And, they come from the factory with lockers.
For sure, our build is overkill, but better that than breaking down in Africa somewhere, where we will have no parts, mechanical, nor aftermarket support. We are converting to a Cummins 4bt diesel, NV4500 trans, and a Rubicon transfer case. Look for a full build write-up coming soon.
Jared