XJ jeep 2wd front axle

[rockracer]

I've heard of some people using a XJ/Cherokee 2wd front axle for hot/rat rod applications.
One page I read was talking about flipping the knuckles left to right to get rear steer and possibly flipping the axle also.  Not sure how that would work with the ball joints,  seems it would raise the vehicle doing that.
I happened to have one of these 2wd beam axles and just pondering my next project.

[kiwi belly tank]

 I used a jeep tube axle in the front of my belly tank. They are set up for correct Ackerman with the tie rod out the front & that location is desirable in a lot of street rod applications but if you switch the spindles to put it out the back you'll need to bend the steering arms in to correct reverse Ackerman situation that will create.
 Don't turn it upside down unless you have a death wish, that'll reverse the KPI & the ball joint loading.
  Sid.

[kiwi belly tank]

Calipers up front will still stop the thing but it just puts ugly in your face, but I suppose most rat rodders are trying to build hand grenade ugly anyway. Why reengineer the wheel when it's an ideal axle for an early chassis, if you want the drag link on the back, just build a new steering arm on the back!
I haven't even seen mine for some time, it's under cover at the house so I'll freshen my memory today to better advise you. It's a tandem seat tank with a license plate that'll run 200+ with two idiots onboard.
  Sid.

[kiwi belly tank]

6 deg pos caster is a good place for any solid axle on the street. An angle finder is good enough to set that up at home while you're building & it's not as if 7 or 5 is going to be a fail. I have 10 in my tank that gives better feel at speed but they lay over a little while wandering around a parking lot.
With the axle backwards or spindles switched you have the double eye steering arm on the left & that creates a problem for left hand drive, a draglink that short will create major bump steer.
What's the chassis & front suspension combo?
  Sid.

[kiwi belly tank]

Putting that axle under a deuce chassis is going to make it pretty tall! It took a 5-1/2" Bell under mine before I was happy with it.
  Sid.

[floydjer]

Bah.....Go with the axle over the frame rails...American Underslung style. 

[John Burk]

Ford , Chevy and Dodge pickup beam axles have nice drops . Chevys have ball bearings . Not easy to convert to Timken . Easy to weld on something for a cross spring and wishbone mounts and grind off the original spring pads .  My Dodge Brothers roadster has a 52 Chevy pickup axle and have had bearing problems . Tube front axles with hairpins are a bad combination with split wishbones in the rear . Something needs to twist with one wheel bumps . Beam axles twist so act like anti-roll bars .

[kiwi belly tank]

Absolutely correct there John, an uncut wishbone or 4bar is the only safe way with a tube axle if you don't want to break something & eat $hit. I've seen it done the wrong way so many times here in the US & it's actually illegal in NZ & Aus where street rods get safety inspections.
  Sid.

[John Burk]

Built my 29 roadster with front and rear wishbones both pivoting from the center crossmember .