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]

Today, I did the transmission / transfer case cross member redo, third addition. It should hold up to being a combo skid plate / cross member now.
Used to look like this

Primed (top view)

Painted (bottom view)

 

[DB_1]

Nice work Did you go for a ride on that horse in the background after you finished?:

 

[BKennedy]

Nice work Did you go for a ride on that horse in the background after you finished?:

I can give you a lesson if you want, on that horse even. She is very calm, but does not like anybody over 50 pounds.

 

[BKennedy]

Got the cross member in today. PITA. I had to unbolt the radius arms at the frame mounts to get the bolts to clear. Got the Explorer back at ride height with the front tires on. Waiting until tomorrow before I fill the transfer case and transmission to give the sealant more time to set.
Have to go out and find a big piece of cardboard to mock up the skid plates. It looks like I might be able to put another cross member under where the engine and transmission meet. There used to be one there, but it was removed after the second lift due to drive shaft clearance issues. I think it will clear the front drive shaft. Give the Explorer frame a little more rigidity, and a place to mount a skid plate to cover the transmission oil pan area back to the transfer case skid plate. Besides, I have about 15' of 1x2, 3/16" wall tubing I need to use.

 

[BKennedy]

I got all the electrical finished today. After I was all finished, I realized I did not rewire the stereo to run off the secondary battery. I will save that for a later day since I rarely use the stereo with the engine off.
Under hood pic (note the new windshield washer bottle in stylish red):

I was thinking of finding a piece of soft rubber to mount so it drapes across the relays and fuse panel to protect it from splashing.

Clocking the transfer case down took care of the front drive shaft binding issues, but I can still see where it might contact the left side of the "Y" pipe at nearly max compression. I don't really want to replace the slip yoke boot after every off road adventure, so need to move the pipe up. There is about four inches between that corner of the pipe and the bell housing of the transmission, so I could move it up so it clears.
Pics:

In the second pic, you can see above the O2 sensor where it would be easy to cut a section out of the pipe. Then I could cut out the cross pipe, move the sensor up and add a straight pipe across for a new cross pipe.
Would moving the O2 sensor up effect it in any way? The O2 sensor on the passenger side is higher by about three inches than the driver side.
Or, I could cut out the pipe just past the O2 sensor, then weld in a new straight piece across the bottom of the bell housing to the "Y". I think option 2 might be easier. I did not do that wonderful weld job on the pipe section under the bell housing, that was done when I had the transmission installed.
I have never welded exhaust pipe before. How hard it is to work with? Should I just run the Explorer over to a muffler shop and pay them to do it?

 

[BKennedy]

Also worked on the brakes a little more today and I think they are good. With the front tires removed, and the suspension hanging on the limit straps, the bleeder valves are above the banjo bolts. I had Sarah jump in and be the brake pedal pumper. I started at the right rear, saw some small bubbles. Left rear, no bubbles. Right front, couple of big bubbles. Left front, small bubbles.
Then, I pulled off the master cylinder and adjusted the push rod out 1/4 turn. It is a little bit of a pain because I have to unbolt the shock's top bolt and pull the shock out of the way to get the MC out enough to get to the push rod.
Buttoned it all back up, drove down the street. Pedal still feels soft at first, then very firm. I can feel the brakes grabbing even with the pedal feeling soft at first. I think its just the way it is with the big front calipers and rear discs. I just have no reference and am used to pushing hard to get the brakes to respond when I had drums and little discs. Can't push the pedal to the floor. Brakes lock up those 35" tires when abruptly applied. No pulling.

 

[Rick]

I had that issue with the '60 Dart after I added the front discs. I installed 10lb residual pressure valves to both the front and rear circuits and it helped quite a bit.

 

[BKennedy]

New transfer case skid plate mock-up. Has to go around the radius arm frame mounts /bolts and mount to the cross member. Skid plate will be 3/16" thick by 35" wide (at widest point) and 15" long. Will be using four 7/16" round head bolts on the cross member and two more on each side of the frame. I am going to use weld nuts for mounting to make it easier to remove / install. Need 3/4" spacers to clear the exhaust on the frame bolts.

 

[BKennedy]

Skid plate;

Needs a few more holes drilled, and I need to put a slight bend in it to get to line up better with the frame. Any tricks anyone knows to bend 3/16" plate without a press?

 

[james t]

Cut along the line with cutoff wheel to about half depth of plate. Make the cut on what will be the inside of the bend. Clamp to the edge of a steel table, bend by beating with a hammer- when proper bend angle is reached weld in the cut line.

Or at least that's how I did it.

 

[BKennedy]

Cut along the line with cutoff wheel to about half depth of plate. Make the cut on what will be the inside of the bend. Clamp to the edge of a steel table, bend by beating with a hammer- when proper bend angle is reached weld in the cut line.

Or at least that's how I did it.

Thanks. That was a option I have used in the past. I don't have a steel table, so I use the concrete floor. I lean the plate over a large piece of angle at the cut, then stand on the long end and beat the other end with a BFH. Seems to work.
I was hoping for some magical way to bend plate I have never heard of before. People on this board are very creative. Guess I will just use the old notch and BFH method.

 

[FR-425]

For your newly installed electrics:

Used for salt water boats.

 

[gmanpaint]

Some of the larger sheet metal suppliers have big brake benders. Place near me gives a free cut and up to two bends with each sheet you purchase, or a small charge if you just bring something in.

Never know, you might have something like that near you.

 

[BKennedy]

Already did the notch and weld method. Got it bent where I want it, just have to weld up the cuts.

 

[BKennedy]

I got the skid plate nearly finished and bolted it up to check for final fit and noticed something I don't like; there is a gap of about 14" between the rear of the new skid plate and the beginning of the gas tank skid plate. If I actually put this new skid to good use and slid up over a large rock, it would become wedged between the two skids and since the gas tank mounts are much weaker than my work, you can imagine what could happen. I need to bridge the gap between the two but they are at different heights, and different angles. I only need to bridge the gap on the gas tank side and towards the middle of the frame but not the exhaust side. The rear drive shaft sits very high up in the tunnel due to my transmission/transfer case set-up so I can cover some more of that as well. I can get off the trail with no exhaust, and even with no rear drive shaft, but not with no gas tank. Think I got it figured out. I might have it done in a few days, maybe not....

 

[BKennedy]

For your newly installed electrics:

Used for salt water boats.

Thanks, I should pick some of that up.
I did pick up a remnant piece of 1/16" thick x 4' wide x 1' long piece of rubber sheet to use as a cover for all of that stuff. I just have to figure out how to mount it so I can fold it out of the way when I need to access the fuse panel. Of course, I may never need to get to a blown fuse due to my most excellent wiring

 

[FR-425]

True,

Your wiring is bullet proof to the point where I was just going to recommend poring a can of Plasti-Dip over it!

 

[FR-425]

Can't wait to see the skid-plate-to-tank "bridge".

Inverted rock rails... . . .. . .:scratch: . ..:shifty_ey

 

[BKennedy]

True,

Your wiring is bullet proof to the point where I was just going to recommend poring a can of Plasti-Dip over it!

LMAO!!

Can't wait to see the skid-plate-to-tank "bridge".

Inverted rock rails... . . .. . .:scratch: . ..:shifty_ey

Nothing fancy, I am just going to strengthen the back end of the skid plate and add to it. Use the two front mounts for the gas tank/skid plate for the end of the transfer case skid.

 

[BKennedy]

The next big step is passing smog. I need to take it next week. Hopefully, the smog guy will just look and see that everything is still there and do the test. I know it will pass the emissions, its just getting the right guy for the visual part. I put all of the stuff back so it appears to be stock, including that pre-heater dealio. Its is now mounted directly onto the bottom of my air intake. When I get the Explorer out of the garage either this weekend or next week, I need to find a rock to drive up onto to make sure the tire will not contact the bottom of the pre-heater since it intrudes a little into the right-front tire well. If so, I will smog it, then move it inward.