Darkness's new project~ D44 & 9"

Well I have been planning for the longest time to cut and turn a d44 ttb and somehow make it fit where the d35 is but... not anymore much as I love the ttb frontend I had a deal I couldnt pass up fall in my lap so now its SAS w/ a d44 and 9" rear from a '79 f150 going under my truck
Current pics found here!

Current plan is...
D44
1:clean up/teardown DONE!
2:cut/narrrow (I'm not going to run a full width front) DONE!
3:reload it, new brakes/hubs/joints/inner shafts (one EB longside and f150 short side) possible locker/regear funds depending art Done, hubs, shafts, ujoints left to go
4:make it aimable, probably a early bronco steering setup or something semi custom
Steering on order

9" ON HOLD, going with the 8.8 and adapters for the current moment

1:clean all the rust off it (like the f150 frame thats sitting on it)
2:clean up/teardown
Added- Narrow it
3:figure out how to stop it, pick/figure out/fab brakes for it
4: maybe get new shafts/3rd member

Sounds simple right? Right... pics will be up by the end of this week for the project start

Note! I do know that the '79 d44 have cast ends and I am going to cut it down and it will work!

 

[sn0border88]

they are 5 on 4.5 to 5 on 5.5 adaptors, not 5 on 5.5 to 5 on 4.5

if you want any more cheap fab stuff look here, ive delt with them and they were pretty good.

http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/index.html

http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/index.php

 

[Mud Bug 94]

duh brain fart on my part... now i agree with you snow, wolf...WTF man?

 

[Savage Wolf]

they are 5 on 4.5 to 5 on 5.5 adaptors, not 5 on 5.5 to 5 on 4.5

if you want any more cheap fab stuff look here, ive delt with them and they were pretty good.

http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/index.html

http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/index.php

Cheap does not always equal good, after a lot of looking around IMO the better choice for threaded tube inserts has to be spidertrax due to design (hex end design makes adjustment/jam nuts easier to make/use)

duh brain fart on my part... now i agree with you snow, wolf...WTF man?

As for the 5x4.5 to 5x5.5 adapters, you two must have totally missed my post about the shift to use the current 8.8 axle untill I have the funds to spare on building out the 9" to my specs, At the current moment, my main goal is to get the D44 under the front end and get the rig driveable asap due to the fact that my other car need to go in to the shop soon for motor work...
But anyways here are the pics of todays progress : few unseen problems showed up, but nothing that cant be fixed with a little help from the plasma unit tomorrow

Spidertrax adapters in the shipping package

Beef TRO Tierod out of 1.5"x .25" wall DOM w/ threaded adapters Tigged in
:full lock left

:clears the diff by around 3/4"

id I mention the tie rods are beefy

Something looks diffrent...

Wheels+adapter on the rear

 

[Savage Wolf]

Alittle progress today, got the TTB the rest of the way off, finished building the uber radius arms, mounded the "uber arms™" on the D44 and got it under the truck, checked the caster and orders some 7 deg c-bushing...
Things left:
brakes~ need banjo bolts, pads (on order), caliper key (on order)
Steering~ need a stock pitman arm, my 4" drop pitman is alittle too far down now
Track bar~ need to make it and the frame mount for it, soon as I get the steering done
Springs~ shoved under the truck temp to see how everything looked, need to make new perches for them on the radius arms and/or maybe new coil buckets
Shocks~ need to put shock mounts on the frame, waiting till I get the springs done, may go duel shocks havent made up my mind on that yet
Exhaust... need to build a new Y setup as well... thinking about just getting prebent J's and U's in stainless and making my own...

And... More pics (I really feel sorry if someone on dial up is reading this thread)

Uber Arms™ in the making

And now mostly done sans shock mounts

I dont think the ends are going to limit flex any

Standing on its own w/ the D44

I hope 7 deg is enough to fix that crazy looking pinion angle

 

[95exploderboy]

Geez, you kicked it in high gear after I left. Arms look great! Did you have it sitting under its own weight on that last shot? Are you thinking those springs will work, or did you want to try my extra set?

 

[Savage Wolf]

Geez, you kicked it in high gear after I left. Arms look great! Did you have it sitting under its own weight on that last shot? Are you thinking those springs will work, or did you want to try my extra set?

Yep, sitting on the springs, still need to make new perches but least I can get a idea of the ride hight again lol the truck was almost spot on for the ride hight sitting on the 6"X6"'s but the rear had so much weight unloaded it was throwing things off alittle lol

 

[FROADER]

Have any pics of the radius arm mounts? Looking good!!

 

[Mud Bug 94]

lol..(cold blooded)

 

[Savage Wolf]

Have any pics of the radius arm mounts? Looking good!!

not yet, right now the radius arm mounts are the Duff ttb extended mounts : why fab when its already there, Oh and I hope ya approve of the wheel paint :

 

[FROADER]

not yet, right now the radius arm mounts are the Duff ttb extended mounts : why fab when its already there, Oh and I hope ya approve of the wheel paint :

I agree, Mine is the SkyJacker TTB extended arm x-member.

Flat black wheel paint? I'm so proud. :tear:

 

[IZwack]

Some of us believe in democracy and think you should start a poll so that we the citizens of this great nation can have a say on what color your wheels should be

 

[FROADER]

Motion denied!! Flat black or die... hmmm t-shirt idea.

 

[JDraper]

Motion denied!! Flat black or die... hmmm t-shirt idea.

PINK WHEELS!!!!

 

[lifeguard379]

its lookin good.

 

[Mud Bug 94]

my color options for wheels...FLAT BLACK,white or catapillar yellow, all of which on spoked wagon wheels...opinion?

 

[95exploderboy]

Let me know if your workin' on

today, I might not work, so I'll be down for some wrenchin'.

 

[IZwack]

PINK!!! PINK GDit!!! PINK WHEELS!!

 

[TheRookie]

Looking good man. I am glad whenever I see someone do a swap differently than the rest of the crowd.

Those radius arms are freakin cool

 

[Mud Bug 94]

after the draglink is made you should be able to drive it rite(2wd)?after brakes of coarse

 

[TheRookie]

after the draglink is made you should be able to drive it rite(2wd)?after brakes of coarse

I dont see a trac bar on there yet.