jkwebbie
New member
Sounds like a fun time lol
artec super duty axle conversion kit
- Thread starter Muleskinner
- Start date
Sounds like a fun time lol
Grubbicon
New member
Not sure that the 4K is possible. Looking at 3k for gears and lockers and 1000 for artec kits. Your gonna want to redo all the brakes as well. Not sure how hard you are planning on wheeling it but your going to want to change the front outers to 35 spline but then again that can be done later. If I were you Id also consider shaving that 14 bolt if you havent thougt about it. You will be happy you did if you do.
Grubbicon, thanks, yep the paln is to try hitting the $4k mark, willsee how ralistically that ends up at hehe 
I am definitely checking on your build and appreciate the help as well. I have built axles before for YJ and TJ's but on the JK it is a new animal for me (sensors etc to dea with).
thanks yep the plan is to massively shave the 14 bolt. pics from a couple axles I built:
14 bolt light shave:
pimped
79 ford Was a funky as hell experience to buy the axle lol
after
I am definitely checking on your build and appreciate the help as well. I have built axles before for YJ and TJ's but on the JK it is a new animal for me (sensors etc to dea with).
thanks yep the plan is to massively shave the 14 bolt. pics from a couple axles I built:
14 bolt light shave:
pimped
79 ford Was a funky as hell experience to buy the axle lol
after
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Grubbicon
New member
Well in the JK I decided to go with a sterling 10.5. Bit more ground clearance, but also did it because I wanted the width of it.
Moonraker
New member
Hey bud,it's Dana. Here is the brake set up I went with thru Sunfire Offroad & Spider trac. Customs built ford 60 aluminum hubs,spider trac hats,6 pistion wilwoods & rear 14 bolt aluminum hubs and 4 pistion wilwoods.Thought you might like it.
Honor2afault
Caught the Bug
Damn, that sweet.
OhNoTheJiggies
New member
I was looking into doing a swap to the 60/14 but after factoring everything like arbs, regear, axles, and paying someone with legit welding know-how, it would have only saved me a little over PR60s. So I'm saving and in a year or two plan on throwing a few pennies Dynatrac's way(as well as moving out to the Rocky terrain around that time). Peace of mind and mind blowing strength are worth those pesky little Abes
jkwebbie
New member
This swap isn't for everyone. You have to put work in or the money just starts adding up faster
Muleskinner
New member
I agree if you have to pay someone then it's probably not worth it.
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jkwebbie
New member
There's no way you can do it for $3000. Axles 800-1000. Gears 800. Lockers 1000-2000. New steering 500-1000. Artec trusses 800. New brakes 500. Then all the other odds and ends like breather hoses, nuts n bolts, and labor. Not to mention you have to get 8 lug wheels. You're looking at 5000-7000 realistically
OhNoTheJiggies
New member
Yeah. If I was proficient and got a good deal on the parts, I could give it a shot but at the price, I'd rather have the warranty
Moonraker
New member
I hate to admit to the price. It's was something I had wanted to do for a long time. Front,14 inch spidertrac rotors & hats. 6 pistion wilwoods ,Raceing in the Dirt custom ford 60 alum. hubs.$2500.00/Rear Sunfire Offroad 14 bolt alum. hubs & 12 inch rotors,4 piston wilwoods.$1300.00.
5280Sapper
Member
Personally I don't like to buy off the shelf parts ever.. and certainly don't like paying 5 times more then you should for something.. I've seen plenty of successful artel swaps done on newer JK's.. I'm going to use the super duty axles as well but designing and cutting my own pieces and I can weld. plus many other things that off the self parts can't provide. but to reassure some of the answers you have gotten yes their parts are good and very easy to follow.
jkwebbie
New member
Warranty is only for a year lol
OhNoTheJiggies
New member
Touche good sir
iRonin
Member
I actually have 2 friends doing swaps right now, went with them to pick them up out of Brownwood about a month ago. They forked over $1000 for 4 axles... 2 D60s out of super dutys, and then one went sterling while the other went with a 14 bolt. I think the sterling was slightly more, but they basically averaged about $250 an axle with all the internals, hubs, rotors, etc.
To answer the direct OP question - yes the Artec Industries kits are worth it, good quality, and their customer service is super friendly and helpful from what I understand. My buddy was on the line with them answering questions and getting everything he needed situated and they were super patient.
Been following the progress of the guy who went D60/14 bolt - $1800 in ARBs front and rear, about 1k in artec stuff (trusses, control arm brackets, track bar brackets, etc), $50 for coilover/bypass bracketry, $800+ for the gears and rear shafts, $500 diff covers and shave kit, $500 at the machine shop for the front hubs, rotors, rear ring gear, etc. Sounds cheap broken out but it adds up quick...all in all he will probably end up around the $7-8k mark between the two, and that is with heavy dealer discounting applied and him doing the bulk of the tear down, prepping, etc to minimize the labor time needed with the welder who has experience doing these kinds of swaps. Here again he's saving a ton of $ because that welder is at a shop we both work out of
As the casual observer sitting over here on about $10.5k between my PR44 and my new XD60 - moderately discounted from retail, and my swaps took all of about 6 hours total since they came assembled. The rear XD60 arrived just days before we got their 1-tons in the shop, and I'm already about to do my break in fluid change and hit the trails while they are still welding on theirs and getting parts in.
So for about a $2k-4k difference (if I had gone with a 60 front) it really comes down to how patient you are willing to be, how much labor you're willing to put into it (what your time is worth), the ability to source all the additional parts at discount to keep it cost effective, and then have access to a a machine shop, and a person with the welding and rigging know-how to ensure the axles are set up correctly for a JK application.
Here's some pics from his progress so far for visuals on the tear down and some of the Artec stuff:
To answer the direct OP question - yes the Artec Industries kits are worth it, good quality, and their customer service is super friendly and helpful from what I understand. My buddy was on the line with them answering questions and getting everything he needed situated and they were super patient.
Been following the progress of the guy who went D60/14 bolt - $1800 in ARBs front and rear, about 1k in artec stuff (trusses, control arm brackets, track bar brackets, etc), $50 for coilover/bypass bracketry, $800+ for the gears and rear shafts, $500 diff covers and shave kit, $500 at the machine shop for the front hubs, rotors, rear ring gear, etc. Sounds cheap broken out but it adds up quick...all in all he will probably end up around the $7-8k mark between the two, and that is with heavy dealer discounting applied and him doing the bulk of the tear down, prepping, etc to minimize the labor time needed with the welder who has experience doing these kinds of swaps. Here again he's saving a ton of $ because that welder is at a shop we both work out of
As the casual observer sitting over here on about $10.5k between my PR44 and my new XD60 - moderately discounted from retail, and my swaps took all of about 6 hours total since they came assembled. The rear XD60 arrived just days before we got their 1-tons in the shop, and I'm already about to do my break in fluid change and hit the trails while they are still welding on theirs and getting parts in.
So for about a $2k-4k difference (if I had gone with a 60 front) it really comes down to how patient you are willing to be, how much labor you're willing to put into it (what your time is worth), the ability to source all the additional parts at discount to keep it cost effective, and then have access to a a machine shop, and a person with the welding and rigging know-how to ensure the axles are set up correctly for a JK application.
Here's some pics from his progress so far for visuals on the tear down and some of the Artec stuff:
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BigPrince
New member
Just got my new axles in. Had Superduty axles built for me with Artec conversion kits and pretty much the best components I could get. These things are pure beef. Reid knuckle, RCVs, ARBs, solid aluminum tierod and draglink, 2.5 ton steering ends, etc. hoping to get these installed in the next week. About 2/3rd the cost of UD60s and not much more than the numbers above.
Just a disclaimer that I have nothing to do with the company that built these other than being a customer.