To Jag or not to Jag.
- Thread starter oino
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Lee_in_KC
Active Member
Advantages = they're cool-lookin', especially chromed. Some say they ride and/or handle better than a straight axle, but I can't say that I really noticed much difference when I switched.
Disadvantages = they can be a little spendy to acquire and overhaul, set-up in your chassis is more critical than a straight axle, but not terribly difficult to do.
Gear ratios = IIRC the most common ratios found in Jags are 3.23, 3.42 and 3.54. The diff guts are Dana 44, so a wide range of ratios and posi's are available.
Should be no problem at all with a 200-4R.
Disadvantages = they can be a little spendy to acquire and overhaul, set-up in your chassis is more critical than a straight axle, but not terribly difficult to do.
Gear ratios = IIRC the most common ratios found in Jags are 3.23, 3.42 and 3.54. The diff guts are Dana 44, so a wide range of ratios and posi's are available.
Should be no problem at all with a 200-4R.
I am putting one in mine. Changing out the Currie 9" for a XJ version that is posi. I have driven one and really like the ride over the solid axle Currie. Sexy looking when chromed, but saw several at the Nationals in Dayton that were not. I have been told the most technical part is setting the bracket that welds to the frame that the rear end bolts to with four bolts. It sets the geometry for eveything else except bad front wheel bearings (sorry Lee, just had to throw that in! ... glad it didn't turn into a major issue during one of the Dayton runs ... close call!)
Lee_in_KC
Active Member
Thanks a lot, Milt! You just had to rub it in.
hthedrama: Got another little kick in the pants when I went to pick up a replacement spindle at Pete & Jake's... $172 for one spindle! 'Course, it's chrome (had to match the other one), so maybe not so bad.
Lee_in_KC
Active Member
I think Milt's observation deserves further emphasis. With a straight axle and radius rods or hairpins, you have a range of adjustment to get the axle square to the chassis. With the Jag, the differential is hard-mounted to the frame. All of the geometry of the rear-end is established off the differential mount. If it is not dead-nuts square to the chassis, your whole rear-end will be skewed. You cannot adjust the radius rods fore and aft to square up the "axle." The lower control arms are hinged off of the differential and their alignment is established by the position of the differential in the frame.
(NOTE: to be absolutely correct, there IS a way to make small adjustments to the alignment of the lower control arms... by using shims between the lower control arm hinge bracket and the differential case. My understanding is using these shims weakens the connection between the lower control arms and the differential considerably. Also, using shims will change the spacing between the pivot shafts and the standard tie-bars may not fit. I would recommend avoiding the need for them by getting the diff mounted properly.)
Just waiting for GAB to get back to me on the brackets.
I'm going to go see if I can get a jag rearend on Monday or Tuesday. Was told there were some 1996's available.
Any thing I should know when looking for one?
Is it hard to pull out if I'm doing it by my self? Unfortunately my friends, co-workers, and roommates are unavailable to help.
I'm going to go see if I can get a jag rearend on Monday or Tuesday. Was told there were some 1996's available.
Any thing I should know when looking for one?
Is it hard to pull out if I'm doing it by my self? Unfortunately my friends, co-workers, and roommates are unavailable to help.
Keeper
Active Member
When you take it out, grab every bracket brake line, e-brake cable and anything else that is attached to the rear. Be careful with the ebrake assemblies as they are not real strong.
Oh yeah, there should be tags on the outside that will tell you the gear ratio and if its posi or not. They will be attached by the cover bolts.
Lee_in_KC
Active Member
I'm going on a 63-year-old memory here, but I think you don't want anything after 1988... big change in the design after that and not as adaptable to a hot rod chassis.
Ya your right. I went and looked. only one 96 most of it missing and not right setup anyways.
$300 would be good. Then there is the shipping to Lincoln, NE
Humm your only about 6 hours from me. Do you know a place thats has one?
putz
Member
You should try Uship great website everybody on there has ratings.People bid on your shipment don't have to accept any if not the right price.That one found is $350 if I go get it. $500 shipped to me.
Based on current fuel costs, $150 for shipping isn't so bad.
They still need to pull it from the car its.
Youngster: Let me know what you find. Thank you.
Lee_in_KC
Active Member
That's what mine looked like when I picked it up, although it was already out of the car ('77 XJ6). Have the guy remove the entire "cage" in one piece and send it to you.
There should be a metal tag on the one of the diff cover bolts that will have two numbers and possibly the letter "P", which would denote a "Power-Loc" diff... Jag's version of "posi-traction." The lower number on the tag will be the number of teeth on the pinion gear, and the higher one the number of teeth on the ring gear. Divide the higher number by the lower number and you will get your gear ratio.
In overhauling my Jag, I did everything myself except the differential rebuild. It takes a special tool to get the differential carrier out of the case, plus I didn't have the patience or confidence to do that job myself. I rebuilt the calipers and e-brakes with kits from Rock Auto. I replaced the rotors with new ones from O'Reilly. I knocked out and replaced the bearings in the hub carriers. I replaced the roller bearings in the inboard and outboard lower control arm pivots with urethane bushings from CWI (no longer in business). There may still be a place to get the urethane bushings... Google is your friend. If you can't find the urethane replacements, I would NOT disassemble the stock bearings... very fiddly to replace and set clearances! I would just pump new grease through the zerks until it runs clean out the bearings. On a T these are not going to be carrying much load, nor will there a be a lot of movement of the suspension.
EDIT: Found a source for the "urethane" bushings (they're actually High Density PolyEthylene, or HDPE)... http://www.car-stuff.com/jaguarsuspensionbushings.htm
Here is what my Jag looked like after I cleaned it up and primed it...
There should be a metal tag on the one of the diff cover bolts that will have two numbers and possibly the letter "P", which would denote a "Power-Loc" diff... Jag's version of "posi-traction." The lower number on the tag will be the number of teeth on the pinion gear, and the higher one the number of teeth on the ring gear. Divide the higher number by the lower number and you will get your gear ratio.
In overhauling my Jag, I did everything myself except the differential rebuild. It takes a special tool to get the differential carrier out of the case, plus I didn't have the patience or confidence to do that job myself. I rebuilt the calipers and e-brakes with kits from Rock Auto. I replaced the rotors with new ones from O'Reilly. I knocked out and replaced the bearings in the hub carriers. I replaced the roller bearings in the inboard and outboard lower control arm pivots with urethane bushings from CWI (no longer in business). There may still be a place to get the urethane bushings... Google is your friend. If you can't find the urethane replacements, I would NOT disassemble the stock bearings... very fiddly to replace and set clearances! I would just pump new grease through the zerks until it runs clean out the bearings. On a T these are not going to be carrying much load, nor will there a be a lot of movement of the suspension.
EDIT: Found a source for the "urethane" bushings (they're actually High Density PolyEthylene, or HDPE)... http://www.car-stuff.com/jaguarsuspensionbushings.htm
Here is what my Jag looked like after I cleaned it up and primed it...
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Keeper
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