REALLY modified flat fender...

 

I agree,  very nice!  

 

Subscribed,  in case I want to come back later for ideas on SM420 adapter.

Honestly the SM420 doesn't work very well with the D18 at all in my opinion. To get a 1310 front yoke you either need to move the transfer case back about 4.5" or maybe rotate the entire transfer case down to make more room. 

The reverse bulge on the SM420 on the passenger side doesn't play well with the front driveshaft either, no matter what location the yoke is in. You usually end up having to run a small 1.25" front driveshaft to get any clearance. 

The fit of the T18/D18 is MUCH better overall. The adapted length of a T18 with the factory D20/18 adapter is shorter than any of the off the shelf SM420 adapted lengths. You can fit a 1310 yoke on the passenger side no problem also. With enough junkyard swapping you can build a T18 to adapt to just about any engine and adapt it to the D18 with all junkyard parts. 

The FSJ's had a lot of T18 to D20 adapters. As long as you use a 4" bore Dana 18 or 20 case you can use that adapter for a Dana 18 transfer case. You can take the FSJ rear output shaft and adapter and swap it into a ford wide ratio T18 by redrilling the back of the ford transmission case. The ford T18 can be adapted to just about any ford engine and has the extra ears on the front of the case that can be drilled to adapt just about any GM bellhousing. 

I still have my entire SM420/D18 custom adapted unit and would be more than willing to sell it. Maybe it would work better for someone else. I never broke anything but could never get it to seal up and stop leaking.....

I have been working on getting an AFFORDABLE shovel and axe mounted on my old MB. I just can't see paying $250+ for some of the kits out there. I have kept an eye out for original stuff but am not that much of a restorationalist. The shovel is a $14 unit from home depot that I cut and rebent in the neck to get the fit right against the body. The axe is a new Collins unit from Ace Hardware that was bought online for $33 delivered to my door. It isn't the exactly perfect axe, but for the price its a dang fine unit after a little love with a file and a stone. I had the original axe pocket on the body but it was pretty mashed. A little love with a prybar and a few new tack-welds and it was functional again. 

The brackets are Omix units. I got the shovel bracket, axe handle bracket, and axe head bracket for $50 shipped from Oconee Offroad. The fit was fair. I had to re-bend the axe handle bracket slightly, no big deal. 

A quick trip to the hardware store for some flathead mounting hardware and everything was mounted. 

Hopefully I will get some 1" straps made up with some more modern buckles soon. 

Total cost for the entire assembly came out just about $100. I was more interested in having functional tools rather than 100% period correct stuff. 

The battery was under the drivers seat in the fuel tank sump. I moved the battery so I could eliminate the sump so I could build the rocker guards :) 

Some late hub spindles had a larger I.D. than some of the early spindles.

I may have my early and late sizes mixed up ???  I seem to have forgotten right now which bore was larger.

The stock Jeep spindles with the larger bore  will allow insertion of a 27 spline axle shaft.

The 27 spline axle shafts will not fit into the smaller bored spindles.

 

30 spline shafts will not fit into the I.D. of these stock Jeep spindles.

Not familiar with the Yukon parts.