I couldn't imagine ever doing something like this, but can watch your videos all day long! Find yourself out in the Vegas area, drop me a line. We can show you around our trails.
Artec does make killer stuff. I like their products a lot! Big fan of Barnes as well. I also have a hodge lodge of other brands brackets on my jeep lol
I am not a fan of Barnes. I have their stuff in my Jku and it was a HUGE mistake. There were so many parts and pieces that had to be very adjusted to fit. And a few things that just plain didn’t work. There are a lot of other options that are better made.
When I did my swap a couple of years ago I went with the Artec Apex kit. No regrets. The one thing I’d suggest is a hole in the 14 bolt truss to make it easier to install and ARB.
Yea. I have had to cut holes in them too. But so many people don’t run an air locker and use a grizzly. But honestly, I have also seen so many people put their air fitting in different places on the 14 bolt too. So maybe that’s why they don’t? I have to think that if they didn’t, it was for a reason. Everything is so well thought out…so there must be a reason they didn’t.
I’ve got the same eastwood welder and I’m currently welding on the apex truss. My welds however aren’t anything close to what you’re putting down. I’ve got it set for 250 amps and 20 volts but it seems like I’m not getting the penetration into the tube that I was hoping for. What voltage did you use when you were welding the truss to the tubes?
So do you have it hooked up to a 220 outlet? Because that will change things. The digital read out in mine is set to 150-170 wire speed and 18-19…depending on what I’m welding. Then I just move slow with a 75/25 argon mix and the gas set to 12 psi. But I tend to weld slow. Which puts more heat into it. I spend a tiny bit more time on the thicker stuff and kid of whip the puddle onto the thinner stuff. I also tend to do a side to side “Z” pattern instead of loops like some others do.
@@WarPaintOffroad ok cool. Yeah I’ve got it hooked up to a 220 generator. I felt like I was moving fast for the wire speed but wasn’t sure how to best increase the heat to the work piece without getting crazy undercut. Thank you for the help and thank you for the videos you inspired me to build my own set of junkyard tons!
Man I’ll tell you…this jeep is going to be really fun…when it’s done. The rear axle is going to be really wild. More so than the typical one ton axle swap. Those video should start rolling out in a week or so.
Great question. They aren’t the same width. The rear is 69 inches and the ford front is 72. But the bolt patterns are also different. EVERY jeep with that axle combination runs a 1.5 wheel spacer/adapter on the rear to convert to the same bolt pattern as well as make them the same width.
@@WarPaintOffroad Thank you for response.I knew f truck super duty Dana 60 is wider than rear GM 14 bolt. Watched your videos, but my question was asking just rear GM 14 bolt earlier on like out of k20 and newer rear 14 bolt 2500 have air pins on diff housing.Are they different WMS? I assume they are same that is why used spacers. Am I right? I am leaving in Australia 🇦🇺
I couldn't imagine ever doing something like this, but can watch your videos all day long! Find yourself out in the Vegas area, drop me a line. We can show you around our trails.
I’d love to. One day I’d love to make it out there.
Some of the best videos on TH-cam... Be patient... Your site is going to explode! Thanks for the great videos keep up the amazing content.
Thanks for the support and the feedback! It’s much appreciated.
Artec does make killer stuff. I like their products a lot! Big fan of Barnes as well. I also have a hodge lodge of other brands brackets on my jeep lol
I am not a fan of Barnes. I have their stuff in my Jku and it was a HUGE mistake. There were so many parts and pieces that had to be very adjusted to fit. And a few things that just plain didn’t work. There are a lot of other options that are better made.
When I did my swap a couple of years ago I went with the Artec Apex kit. No regrets. The one thing I’d suggest is a hole in the 14 bolt truss to make it easier to install and ARB.
Yea. I have had to cut holes in them too. But so many people don’t run an air locker and use a grizzly. But honestly, I have also seen so many people put their air fitting in different places on the 14 bolt too. So maybe that’s why they don’t? I have to think that if they didn’t, it was for a reason. Everything is so well thought out…so there must be a reason they didn’t.
Here iit is found it.
Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the support! I’ll have more videos from this build and these axles in the next couple weeks.
What axles yall using
2005-2016 Ford Superduty Dana 60 for the front. And a 99-06 Chevy 2500-3500 Corporate 14 bolt for the rear.
I’ve got the same eastwood welder and I’m currently welding on the apex truss. My welds however aren’t anything close to what you’re putting down. I’ve got it set for 250 amps and 20 volts but it seems like I’m not getting the penetration into the tube that I was hoping for. What voltage did you use when you were welding the truss to the tubes?
So do you have it hooked up to a 220 outlet? Because that will change things. The digital read out in mine is set to 150-170 wire speed and 18-19…depending on what I’m welding. Then I just move slow with a 75/25 argon mix and the gas set to 12 psi.
But I tend to weld slow. Which puts more heat into it. I spend a tiny bit more time on the thicker stuff and kid of whip the puddle onto the thinner stuff. I also tend to do a side to side “Z” pattern instead of loops like some others do.
@@WarPaintOffroad ok cool. Yeah I’ve got it hooked up to a 220 generator. I felt like I was moving fast for the wire speed but wasn’t sure how to best increase the heat to the work piece without getting crazy undercut. Thank you for the help and thank you for the videos you inspired me to build my own set of junkyard tons!
This type of modification makes me want to build a jeep.
Man I’ll tell you…this jeep is going to be really fun…when it’s done. The rear axle is going to be really wild. More so than the typical one ton axle swap. Those video should start rolling out in a week or so.
early gm 14 bolt ff and later one's are same wms width?
Great question. They aren’t the same width. The rear is 69 inches and the ford front is 72. But the bolt patterns are also different. EVERY jeep with that axle combination runs a 1.5 wheel spacer/adapter on the rear to convert to the same bolt pattern as well as make them the same width.
@@WarPaintOffroad Thank you for response.I knew f truck super duty Dana 60 is wider than rear GM 14 bolt. Watched your videos, but my question was asking just rear GM 14 bolt earlier on like out of k20 and newer rear 14 bolt 2500 have air pins on diff housing.Are they different WMS? I assume they are same that is why used spacers. Am I right? I am leaving in Australia 🇦🇺