Craig and 53monster,
Thanks for the info. That really gives me something to noodle over. The "frame melding" idea really has some merit. I've been looking for a sutable donor axle to swap into the stock frame and am drawing a blank. I really don't want to cut down an axle to fit. So far the closest thing looks like an '81-86 CJ-7, but the spring perches are still 1" too wide, though the overall width looks workable. I don't know which way I'll go yet. But, not having to worry about steering geometry is very attractive.
