This is the official start of my 10K budget YJ build, and I’m not wasting any time doing “small stuff” first. In this part of the series I tackle a big weak link right out of the gate: the stock Dana 35 rear axle. The plan is simple—swap in a stronger Ford 8.8 so the YJ can actually take trail time without me constantly wondering when the rear end is going to give up. Of course, it wouldn’t be a real garage day if everything went perfectly. Along the way, the project snowballs (in a good way) and I end up adding boomerang shackles and a new skid plate for the gas tank too. It took a while to get it all buttoned up, but it was worth it—this is the kind of “budget build” progress I like: spend where it matters, upgrade the known problem areas, and keep moving toward a Jeep that’s trail-ready and dependable. If you’re building a YJ on a budget, this is exactly the kind of rear-end and underbody upgrade path that makes sense before you start piling on miles.