231/Dana 300 Doubler Build

2Greys

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Finished pretty much all of the welding needed. One of the issues was with the TJ, the brake, fuel and my ARB locker line runs along the passenger frame rail which is an issue with the crossmember. Made some small angle brackets so they now run along the top of the frame rail on the inside.
Sealed up the doubler. Plan is tomorrow is to mount it and run cables. Talked to Shawn at Ottawa Driveshafts and hopefully should be getting the new rear shaft this week.

My god I might actually finish it by this weekend.
 

2Greys

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Transfer cases filled and mounted on AX-15.
Exact measurements from flange to flange is 17.5". Little tighter than I hoped. I was going to look at doing 1350 u-joints but talked to Shawn at Ottawa Driveshaft and the shortest they could do is 18.75". Looking at either 1330s or 1310s which is what I had on my old driveshaft with no issues (but that wasn't taking into account the extra gearing.

I did get the doubler cable mounted. I wasn't sure whether 4ft would be enough but I was able to get it in.
 

dwcjwerfner

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1330's are the same width as the 1350's. Although they are not as big in diameter on the shafts, the width adds a lot more strength due to the leverage. A 1410 again has no bigger diameter on the shafts than a 1350 but is much stronger just due to it's wider crosses. Rubicon come with 1330's at the rear. That being said, my front double-cardan is still a 1310 with a 1410 at the axle.
 

2Greys

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1330's are the same width as the 1350's. Although they are not as big in diameter on the shafts, the width adds a lot more strength due to the leverage. A 1410 again has no bigger diameter on the shafts than a 1350 but is much stronger just due to it's wider crosses. Rubicon come with 1330's at the rear. That being said, my front double-cardan is still a 1310 with a 1410 at the axle.

Lokking at spicers parts just the yoke and the cardan on the 1310 is about 1/2" shorter than the 1350. Didnt check the 1330 equivalents though but good to know the 1310 should suffice
 

2Greys

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Reasons to stop when you are ahead:
Last night I mounted the Doubler and actually got the one cable hooked up for the doubler portion. Spent about half an hour dicking with the linkage trying to figure out why it wasn't shifting, confirming that I wasn't using the bad cable since I still have it and gave up. Just realized that although I wanted the cable hooked to the rightmost shifter, that I had hooked up to the leftmost as I was flipped upside down when I did it.

sigh
 
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2Greys

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Well I am at a standstill again. Two of the cables broke. Looking at them they didn't cut the cable cleanly and then crimped it. NWF says their supplier is back to the leaving messages and not calling back which means they are still using the same supplier.

Calling Malmberg tomorrow I think Dwayne said they make them.
Stupid.
 

2Greys

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It does.
Talked to Malmberg and they can make some (and quick) but they are about $100-120 each. I am saying f it and buying them at least I will have local support. Hopefully have them by Friday. Once NWF sends me new ones I will keep those as spares. I drove in today and brought one of the bad ones as an example. He even said they may be able to fix it (no promises).
 
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2Greys

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Picked up one cable from Malmberg, took 30 minutes to make and they wouldn't guarantee if it would be flexible enough. Got home and it.... works!!
Putting in order for one more and may get it tomorrow or Friday.
They ain't cheap but they aren't any more expensive than the NWF ones I figure. The NWF ones are about 10-20% more flexible than theirs but it works. I would say it is like using a Monoprice USB cable instead of a Belkin if that makes any sense.
 

2Greys

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Should be getting the new cable from Malmberg today, I figure I will nag NWF every two weeks on my replacements :D

Another setback, the stock TJ gets its speed from a gear attached to the output shaft of the 231 that produces a signal that the CPU interprets. The Dana 300 is the same although it was a mechanical gear the normal output housing fits. However with the Novak output it uses a lipstick style sensor that screws into the housing. As the signalling is different (I vaguely recall 10x the amount of ticks compared to the stock one), I needed to get a speed modifier. I ordered a Speedohealer from Blue Monkey Motorsports in January and finally got around to wiring it in. The cable that came with it was plug and play as it goes between the connector on the stock transfer case and the wiring harness and is a long cable that you can run to a mounted control box about 10ft away.

About a month ago I cut off the side that goes to the TC and soldered on female side of a 3 wire waterproof connector and on the sensor soldered on the equivalent male connector. This way I can remove the TC without having to pull all the wiring for it (and also deal with a twisted up cable if screwing in the sensor into the housing).

Yesterday I connected the cable to the sensor that was already in (also note to self remember to put in sensor before putting fluid into the TC otherwise you end up with a mess) and ran the wires into the engine bay and was planning on mounting the control box there. Got to the point of connecting the control box and realized the connector on the box was different with the connector on the cable.

Sent a quick email to Blue Monkey with a picture of what I had and it ends up they sent me the wrong control box which was for a motorcycle not a car. They will be sending off one in the mail in a couple days with a return envelope for the wrong one. Wish I had looked earlier but they were quick to rectify.
 

2Greys

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NEVER ASSUME THAT EVEN A DANA 300 FRONT OUTPUT IS IDENTICAL TO A 231'S

P.S Anyone got a 231 output they don't need :) I can't seem to find my old one that came with the sacrificial 231.
 

mucovich

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Keep at it Chris - set backs are apart of the process unfortunately - but it all pays off when all the bugs are worked out and it works!
 

2Greys

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Keep at it Chris - set backs are apart of the process unfortunately - but it all pays off when all the bugs are worked out and it works!

I know! the worst part is that if I had the proper output I could possibly have driven it in fwd :D
 

2Greys

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Good news is I got all three cables hooked up. It goes between hi and neutral no problem but lo is too stiff but I think I need to have the lo gear move a tad so it lines up
 

2Greys

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I no doubt have a spare yoke somewhere here if you are stuck


Thanks Dwayne, I may hit up Kenney's this weekend to see if I can pull one off an XJ. Although I am tempted to try that other u-pull place as I haven't been there yet.
 
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