Bkennedy's SAS and Rebuild Thread

As some of you know, I am working on building a parts list for a shortened Dana 44, long radius arm with coil overs SAS. 5:13 gears to match my rear axle and an ARB, maybe an electric locker. I have a pretty good list so far. At the same time, I am going to swap out the rear drum brakes for discs off of a 99 Explorer.

Please note: The plan is to keep this project as simple as possible with mostly off the shelf parts. I am not a fabricator, just a decent welder with a what I would consider the minimum required tools (chop saw, cut off wheels, air tools, welder, etc.), who likes doing his own work. Your opinions are welcome, but what I really need is technical advice. I have been thinking about this for several years and now have the time and cash to make it happen. Please keep on topic with your advice and don't go off on a side track about how you would do it as a four-link, or caged arms, or leave the axle full-width because that is not what I want. I want a simple-ish set up that works.

 

[BKennedy]

Problem with the dome light was the wire plug in the driver side A pillar. I tweaked the metal tabs inside the plug and got a solid connection.

Decided to fix something else that has bugged me since I installed the NP231 transfer case. I pulled the speedometer gear housing out because the old speedo cable was twisted off inside the housing after it the cable melted. I pulled the cable end out and got to thinking I should change the speedo gear while its out. The speedometer reads about 10 MPH fast at 60. It has a 36 tooth gear in it right now, but think I need to go up to a 40 tooth. Nobody makes a size chart for a NP231 in a Explorer....go figure.

The charts for a TJ states I need a 40 tooth, but is there a difference vehicle to vehicle for gear ratio/tire size/speedo gears?

 

[gmanpaint]

I think it just matters with the drive gear in the case. My Atlas takes a 35T Dana gear with 35's & 4:56in the 95, and the 94 with 1354, takes a 20T BW gear with 35's & 4:56. I know that some 1354's use 2 diff tooth count drive gears in them. When I was ordering new 1354 VSS gears, they asked me to count the drive gear tooth count.

Contact Nevada speedometer. They know everything about everything speedo related, for all makes & models. Nice people, great service. They made my custom VSS pulse converter for the Atlas in the 95 Ex.
Phone: (775) 358-7422

 

[BKennedy]

Thanks for the speedo info. Wish I had a Atlas, but I will be satisfied with getting it driving again......for now.

My buddy Ken finished the tie rod. Its 1.25" OD, 0.5" wall DOM (= 0.25" ID). He drilled out the ends so he could thread them for the 3/4"x16TPI rod ends. It weighs at least twice as much as the old tie rod. Should hold up much better and I don't have to redesign my entire steering as it should just bolt right up. Cost me some gas money, and he gave me another six pack of ale for my trouble.

Behold...

I finished the rock lights. I added two on each side LED stick-on strip lights while I was under there.

All I have left before I can drive it is the transmission gauges, install the tie rod and set the toe-in of the front tires. Still need to do a bunch of little stuff, get it insured again, and finish up with DMV.

I ordered a used speedometer gear off ebay for $15.00. I will change that out when it arrives. Its about a 30 minute job; Five minutes to change out the gear, 25 minutes removing and replacing the skid plates.

Also need to finish stripping the donor and get rid of it so I can get the RV back in its spot.

 

[josh40601]

the new tirerod should fair you very well my friend.

 

[BKennedy]

My buddy who made it thinks it won't bend, which is not realistic. If the weight of the front axle is sitting on the tie rod, it really doesn't matter how strong it is, its still going to bend. The new one just has a better chance.

 

[RockRanger]

My 1.5 x.250 tierod has a slight bow in it. For the amount of times I have rammed it into rocks I am impressed with how strait it has stayed.

 

[josh40601]

yea i have the same size as Matt does, and the last one I took off was really bowed. It was also 8 years old, and you see how it that thing has been used. They last a lot longer, but they still bow. They don't dent though! my old one had a bunch of drag mark gouges from rocks, but no dents.

Also, are you going to the San Diego 4Wheelers event at Superstition on 1/14?

 

[BKennedy]

Josh, I will be at Truckhaven for that weekend, where you should also be attending;
Truck Haven MLK 2018
Installed the tie rod, it just clears the diff cover.

 

[BKennedy]

I got a new O-ring for the NP231 speedo pinyon from the dealership so I made sure and got the correct part. Before that, I went to four different parts stores and no one had the part for the most common transfer case in the history of transfer cases. O-ring is for years 1955-2006 so you would think people would carry them. $7 bucks for a part I could get on-line for $0.79, but I wanted it today. It did slide right into the housing with no problems, so I guess it was worth the money.

I will should have the steering toe and wheel aligned by noon today.

Figured out both my transmission temp and pressure gauges are fried. I thought the pressure gauge was working, but turns out it only works if you push on the sending unit wire terminal. I pulled it apart and the wiring is fried. Temp gauge pegs as soon as power is applied. Called Glowshift and a guy on the phone went through some tests with me and its shot. Ordered new gauges. Should be one of the last items I need to purchase. I should be able to get the brake and light inspection, and the DMV finished next week sometime, so will have a registered salvage title Explorer soon. I will install the trans gauges whenever they come in.

 

[BKennedy]

Today I did a bunch of little stuff, including the installation of two new fire extinguishers.

Sasha thinks I forgot something. I am sure she is right.

The Explorer is ready to leave the yard. Tomorrow while my wife is at her spin, rhomba, tumba or whatever class it is, I am going to pull it out and give it a bath. Then I am going to take the wife's treadmill and all the boxes she has stacked up in the Explorer's parking spot in the last three months and put it in her parking spot.

 

[BKennedy]

Its all cleaned up. Took it for a test drive around the neighborhood, felt like the same old Explorer.
I also got the new speedo gear and installed it today. Now, the speedo is only reading about 5 MPH fast. Geeezz.
I am going to drive it around after I get it properly registered/titled without the skid plates so I can see if anything is happening underneath. Besides that, I could take it wheelin' tomorrow.

 

[Stic-o]

So shiny

 

[BKennedy]

That's what I love about white painted trail rigs. You can't see all the dents until you get close.

 

[BKennedy]

Is it possible to pull the engine/trans/t-case out of a Explorer all at once? I was thinking of trying to pull them out of the donor together since I want to keep the engine, sell the transmission and give the transfer case to a member. The fenders, inner fenders, hood and front tires would already be removed. If I cut the radiator support out, would it be worth trying?

 

[RockRanger]

Cut the front clip out and I see no problem. We pulled the grill, radiator and support and stuffed the whole drivetrain in tracys jeep. That is a strait 6 nv4500 and a Dana 300. I am sure it is heavier then what you are pulling.

 

[BKennedy]

Cut the front clip out and I see no problem. We pulled the grill, radiator and support and stuffed the whole drivetrain in tracys jeep. That is a strait 6 nv4500 and a Dana 300. I am sure it is heavier then what you are pulling.

Thanks. I thought it would be easier to cut out the front clip and the trans cross member and just yank it straight out the front, especially since everything under the donor is rusty. I already unbolted the engine mounts.

 

[RockRanger]

Worst case is you might need to pull it part way out with a jack under the tcase. Then realign the straps to balance it better.

 

[Stic-o]

I think the engine and trans maybe, but not with the t case.

I can't remember if we put them in together or apart in the 85 ranger.

But I'll know if it's possible in the next month or so.
Not that is going to help you now

 

[josh40601]

when Rick installed the 302 in the ranger, he pulled off the radiator support, then slid the 205, trans, and Engine all as 1 unit into the truck. hack out the radiator support, see if it will come out, if not, unbolt the t-case while it is resting on a crossmember still hanging from the hoist.

 

[BKennedy]

The saga continues:
I am having trouble with the my insurance company. The Explorer has been insured by AAA for 22 years, and I have been a AAA member for 29 years. They also insure my house, and a large denomination umbrella liability policy.

I was told by the claims adjuster that they would not be able to insure the Explorer after they paid out as a total loss. I recently received a mileage questionnaire with the Explorer listed on the policy. Since I had been told by a representative of AAA that it would not be insured by them, I called insurance services to ask what the deal was. Person on the phone put me on hold, then came back and said the vehicle should not be on the policy and they would remove it. I then got a confirmation of that in the mail. I called AAA's sub-company, "The Agency" because I was told they would insure it under a salvage title.

Here is where it gets really screwed-up. The Agency reps are actually AAA reps and they say AAA should have no issues keeping the vehicle insured, since its not a salvage vehicle that they had never insured before. I called back and got the same information from three other people in three separate phone calls. I called AAA and was told they will not insure a salvage title vehicle, in at least two phone calls. I called The Agency one more time, and was told to go to a AAA office and get it straightened out.

This morning, I went to my local AAA office. I asked for an experienced insurance person. I sat down and explained my plight. She looks on her computer and said that I requested the Explorer be removed from the policy and she can't add it back because it is a salvage vehicle. I gave her a summary of the conversation I had about the mileage questionnaire. She is not allowed to insure a salvage title vehicle, so she tried to call two underwriter managers with no luck. She emailed the manager of the underwriting department what is going on, and says it could take a few days to straighten it out, but she has seen cases go as long as six weeks. Six weeks, you gotta be ****ting me (yes, I actually said those exact words). She says she understands my frustration and was sorry.

I go back home and call The Agency, figuring I can get a temporary policy until AAA gets their stuff together. I explain what is happening. Rep from The Agency says they do not do temp policies and there is a $100.00 penalty for early termination on a yearly policy. He says to wait a few days to see what AAA comes up with before signing up for another policy. I am going to give it until Friday before I start making phone calls to AAA corporate.