BMXking's Axle Swap 1st gen. Coils/Radius Arms!!!

Well, I finally decided to start a thread on it. For those of you who don't know, I will be doing a full-width swap. High-Pinion Dana 44 front and Ford 9" rear. I am still looking for the HP D44, but I picked up the 9" Monday. I have never really done a lot of work on axles, so this will definitely be a long process, but I have already done a lot of research about this(and am still learning a TON). I plan on doing as much of it myself as I possibly can, but will have a shop do the regear for me.

FRONT AXLE
-1977 F-150 HP D44 Full-Width $200 - Moved Forward ~1.5”
-Myers Machine Coil Seats $40 shipped
-6* Pro Comp Pinion shims under coil buckets (to fix coil angle) $18
-CAGE Offroad 5.5” Coil Springs $150 shipped
-Coil Buckets Spaced Out 2.5" (3/16" x 2.5" x 6.5") $FREE
-Bronco Graveyard 78-79 Coil Spring Tower, Pair $90.80 shipped
-F250 Shock Towers $28 shipped
-Stock Axle Shafts(for now) $FREE
-Warn Premium Hubs $72
-Extended, Plated, Heimed, Wristed 1978-1979 Bronco/F-150 Radius Arms $222 shipped
-CAGE Radius Arm Mounts $FREE w/ R/A's
-Adjustable Superlift (p/n 1080) track bar (76-79 Ford f150/78-79 Bronco) w/ Energy Suspension poly bushings $125
-Skyjacker Stainless Steel Braided Lines for lifted D35 TTB's $90
-Bronco Graveyard 66-75 Early Bronco Adj. Bracket $45
-New F150 tie-rods & stock Explorer drag link (w/ red poly dust boots) $121
-Stock pitman arm $FREE
-Raybestos Professional Grade $19.95 shipped
-Powerslot slotted rotors $120
-Rebuilt Calipers $26
-Completely rebuilt (seals/bearings/ball joints/u-joints/etc.) $260.23
-Energy Suspension Red 7* C-Bushings $21
-Stock Explorer D-shaft w/ 1310 D44 pinion yoke for stock Explorer u-joints $FREE
-Rancho RS5000 shocks $20
-Bronco Graveyard Upper Coil Spring Retainers $22
-Rancho RS5000 steering stabilizer w/ custom bracket $25



REAR AXLE
-1983 Ford 9" $85
-Rubicon Express Anti-Wrap perches welded SOA $35
-Wild Horses Weld-On Shock Mounts $15
-Stock Springs w/ AAL and red rear poly bushings $10
-Stock Axle shafts w/ new bearings, seals, collars, etc $140
-94-99 Dodge Ram 1500 front rotors $58 shipped
-'76 Cadallic Eldorado Calipers w/ e-brake $155 w/ core calipers
-'78 F150 Extended Stainless Steel Braided Rear Brake Hose $45.34
-Custom Bent Brake Lines (w/ 3/8" ends) $8
-'79 Caddy Eldorado Brake Line end box thing $FREE
-7/16" Banjo Bolt for '76 calipers $5
-Bendix Brake Pads $35
-Speedway Motors GM Large Caliper bracket (7" mounting points) $40 2-day shipped
-Cut off mounting points from Ford 9" drums to use as spacers for the disc conversion (no longer a backing plate behind the shaft) $FREE
-Third Member from eBay (4.88s, mini spool) $150
-BC Broncos Disc Brake Conversion Wheel Studs $15
-Wild Horses Super Duty U-bolt Kits $60
-Extended/balanced rear driveshaft w/ stock 1310 to match the 1310 on the axle $123.63
-Skyjacker Nitro 8000 shocks for 2" lift Explorer $FREE
-Copper Third Member Washers $12.24

TIRES
-37x12.50-16 Maxxis Creepy Crawlers $400.00

WHEELS (5 on 5.5)
-16x8 Black Rock Crawlers $293

Grade 8 Hardware: $200

Tig Welding: $200

Parts Sold
-Stock Third Member w/ 3.50s and open diff -$50
-Lower Coil Mounts -$25
-Stock Radius Arms -$25
-31x10.50 Dunlop Mud Rovers, 15x8 black rock crawler wheels, Skyjacker 2” lift coils, drop-in K&N, front Skyjacker Nitro 8k shocks, Dual CB Antenna Mounts/Coax, and 235/75r15 spare tire, APC Ultra-White Bulbs, Radius Arm Bushings, Sway Bar Bushings -$415
-Ford 8.8 - 3.27 gears, 31 spline, stock limited slip, drum brakes, SUA, great condition. -$70
-Front Axle Shafts -$60

TOTAL: $3156.24





Future Upgrades:
Dana 44 -
-30 spline ARB
-Yukon 4.88s
-Warn Chromoly Inner and Outer Shafts, Moser Max 44 shafts, or Superior Axles
-Dedenbear flat top knuckles
-Blue Torch Fabworks Hi-Steer Arms
-Rancho RS9000X adj. shocks
-Late 70s T-Bird calipers (1/4" bigger piston, and still use Bronco pads )

Ford 9" -
-New Strange Nodular Iron Case w/ 3.250 carrier bearing (STR-N1906) $359 Summit Racing
-Moser Spool and Axle Package Number 1 (ASP1) - 35 spline full steel spool for 3.250 case, 35 spline custom alloy axles, Axle bearings, 5 on 5.5, 1/2" studs $590 Moser Engineering
-Yukon 4.88s (F9-486) $139 PORC
-Daytona Pinion Support 3.250 case (STR-N1914) $115 Summit Racing
-R&P Master Install Kit for 9" Ford-3.250 Case, Daytona Pinion Support(R9FDD) $100 Moser Engineering
-Pinion Yoke 1310 - 28spline pinion (may upgrade to 1350 if I get a new t-case) (PY210) $90 Moser Engineering
-Axle Breather Vent $12 Bronco Graveyard
-Axle Truss
-Rancho RS9000X adj. shocks
-94-02 Dodge Ram 4x4 Powerslot Slotted Rotors

Now on to the pics!

 

[svande8952]

Mine is great on the street. It is a DD and I have had no problems doing over 75mph

 

[bmxking5]

That's awesome! Good news to hear since mine will still be a DD

Here are a few pics of how it's been looking lately

 

[Creager]

welp maybe its time i get my 'once green' sport a solid axle upfront?

 

[bmxking5]

I'm dying to tear out the front end on mine to and finally have a solid, but I've got to wait on the neighbor (his wife's having a baby any second now) and it'd be kind of hard to tear out the front end and still get the truck across the street to have the frame boxed and some work done where the driver coil bucket will be going.

 

[Creager]

haha, great timing huh? Whos truck are you boxing the frame on?

I'm contemplating a LP d44 out of a '71-76 bronco. Do '78 knuckles bolt up to that?

 

[j602]

Looks good! Is that basically how it's going to sit in the back?

 

[sn0border88]

I'm contemplating a LP d44 out of a '71-76 bronco. Do '78 knuckles bolt up to that?

Yes, im working on a 73 bronco 44 now. Its nice cause it matches widthwise, and you can easily upgrade the shafts by using 72-74.5 dodge U-100 d44 shafts. They will let you run a larger u-joint, (5-260x vs. 5-297x) makes a great replacement shaft, they match widthwise perfectly. Heres some reading material for you, its been an awsome resource for me.

http://77cj.littlekeylime.com/web_rs44.html

Im planning on usin bronco ttb rotors calipers and hubs. caus I can get them for cheap, You need to use differnt spindles and knuckles caus the TTB ones wont clear. ALmost any chevy, dodge, scout or ford d44 will work, if it dosent it will tell you on that website.

 

[bmxking5]

Creager - We were going to box my box at the T-case area, where the radius arm mounts will be going, but I may not do it after all. Now that I've started checking on it more, I may cut off the side of my r/a mount (they are made by CAGE offroad and are made to bolt onto a boxed frame such as the early broncos) and bolt it on similar to the way the stock ones go on.

Josh - Yes, that's how it'll sit. I personally don't think it's that tall at all. It has plenty of clearance for the 37s (especially after I chop off the lower 1/4 and build my new bumpers) and it isn't too tall. Should be awesome offroad.

 

[Bruces expo]

i want to see this thing done man!!!

 

[bmxking5]

SO DO I!!!!

I'm finishing up the front brackets this week at school and work. My neighbor said this weekend will definitely be the time that we're gonna weld it all on, so once we do that, I can do the rest at my house. As much as I want to do the thing nw (actually 3 months ago), I have to respect the fact that my neighbor's wife had a baby 3-4 days ago.

Anyways, this weekend you should be able to come pick up the tires/wheels, etc once I get it back across the street in my driveway again.

 

[TheRookie]

you are going to like,,,, take the IFS off that thing at some point right?

 

[breel]

I didn't get off work till after dark so I didn't get any pics. will get those to you by the weekend. I left my wheel base pretty much the same as where I notched the frame in was about as far as you could go with out getting into the steering box. With the setup you are going with this may pose a problem with your idea to move the wedges in. You may have to compromise an inch on both sides as the flare doesn't stick out that much and just space the coil buckets out an inch to make up for this. Any ways I'll send you the pics. may hit you up and check out your progress,

 

[CodePoet]

i hate you...

 

[bmxking5]

^^HAHA, don't worry...you're still my hero!

 

[CodePoet]

^^HAHA, don't worry...you're still my hero!

Damn right! LOL

 

[DB_1]

Lookin' good so far BMX I'm a late comer to your thread, I guess I need to surf this forum more often

One quick question, how are you going to deal with the lack of a VSS in the rear diff since the 9" has no tone ring or can you tap into the T-case for that?

 

[bmxking5]

There is no speed sensor in my 8.8 (I have a 93). I'm 99% sure it's in the t-case already. The only thing in my 8.8 was a rear ABS sensor, and I'm about to completely remove my ABS system.

BTW, today I got in my 1976 Cadillac El Dorado calipers, the brake pads will be here Thursday, and the e-brake return springs will be here next Wednesday. So I'll have front and rear brakes again on Thursday and then a parking brake by next Wednesday! I'm going to be ordering my PSC steering really soon.

 

[DB_1]

Ahhh, thanks for the info

 

[bmxking5]

Well good news (for me atleast)....

The 8.8 is sold, as well as the 31s, wheels, coils, shocks, etc. So I've made back a bunch of $$$.

Also, I had been debating whether or not I wanted to run the Poison Spyder steering or not (heim joints with DOM tubing). After talking to jrgaylor, I found that I could use the F150 tie rod and the Explorer drag link, so I can run that until I decide what final setup I want (or if this will be the final setup). I talked to a buddy of mine and he just so happens to have his factory tie rod and drag link (even tho I only need the tie rod) and he's gonna give it to me, so I will officially have all the parts I need in the next couple of days.

The TTB is pulled out for the most part...just gotta get one bolt out. I wanted to do that today on my day off, but it poured rain all day and we actually got about 15 minutes of the fluffy white stuff (some ppl call it snow???) I'm gonna start bolting up the front suspension this week and should have it driving soon!!!

EDIT: Oh yeah, I had turned the stock rotors on the 44, but they were about .02 away from the discard, so I decided to go ahead and buy new ones while I had it apart. So I've got some Powerslot slotted rotors coming in Wednesday for the front end.

 

[034x4]

stock steering sucks!