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!

 

[sn0border88]

If you can, go to heims. Then you wont have any issues with binding.

 

[TheRookie]

If you can, go to heims. Then you wont have any issues with binding.

True, however they will wear faster

 

[bmxking5]

I just don't feel like running heims yet. When it's between a FREE steering setup that is perfectly fine for the street (which is what the truck will see, along w/ light trails, for the first few weeks) I'd much rather run that for now. I will probably upgrade later, but I'd rather spend the extra money to regear, lock, and upgrade the shafts in the front end.

 

[svande8952]

That is what I did, you can always upgrade the steering later.

 

[ATLRoach]

I just don't feel like running heims yet. When it's between a FREE steering setup that is perfectly fine for the street (which is what the truck will see, along w/ light trails, for the first few weeks) I'd much rather run that for now. I will probably upgrade later, but I'd rather spend the extra money to regear, lock, and upgrade the shafts in the front end.

Hiems will build up slop and will not be good for the street. Get a set of flat tops and hysteer arms. Have them drilled/tapered for GM 3/4 or 1 ton balljoints. If you are going to do it, do it right the first time.

I highly suggest www.partsmikeparts.com for the knuckles and/or arms. Other good companies for arms are Shakerbuilt, Blue Torch Fab, and DandC Extreme.

 

[bmxking5]

I don't see the need to go high steer at this time. Stock, the HP44 has decent clearance steering (compared to others). On top of that, you can relocate the tie rod to above the knuckle, to gain an extra couple inches of clearance. The steering that I picked up is pretty good (especially for bolting up to mine perfect) and I plan on replacing the TRE.

 

[ohe_boy]

bmxking, how did you match up your rear u bolts and spring plate from the 9" to the explorer leafs?

 

[bmxking5]

I bought the Wild Horses 4x4 "Super Duty U-Bolt Kit". It is SOOOOO much more heavy duty than the Explorer ones. They worked perfectly (same width springs as an Explorer).

 

[ohe_boy]

cool deal!!! and they fit around the 9" perfectly too, huh?!? Think I'll have to put in an order for those!


BTW, seems like your project is comming around nice! Good work!

 

[bmxking5]

Yep! If you're not in a rush for them, wait around til they have the sale (normally 70, but they often have them on sale for 60). I also picked up a set of their rear shock mounts, so it might be something else for you to look into.

 

[ohe_boy]

Also from wildhorses 4x4 I presume?! thanks for the tip! Will keep an eye out for that!

 

[DB_1]

Hiems will build up slop and will not be good for the street. Get a set of flat tops and hysteer arms. Have them drilled/tapered for GM 3/4 or 1 ton balljoints. If you are going to do it, do it right the first time.

I highly suggest www.partsmikeparts.com for the knuckles and/or arms. Other good companies for arms are Shakerbuilt, Blue Torch Fab, and DandC Extreme.

I've been running rod ends on my steering linkage for about 2 yrs now with no slop. If you buy quality rod ends it wont be a problem.
BC Broncos has some trick tapered studs if you want to run rod ends without drilling the knuckles for bolts. Nice thing is you can always go back to TRE's if you wanted to.

 

[ohe_boy]

another question... for your front end...

The hub, with the inner bearings and oil seal installed, they should be able to slide on and off of the spindle right!? I tried doing this procedure on mine and it seems like the bearing needs to be PRESSED on and off. I don't think thats supposed to happen since you'll need it to come off easily so that you can change the rotors, right? I ordered the front end assembly all from broncograveyard!

 

[bmxking5]

ATLRoach - Have you ever run heims on the ends of your steering?

DB1 - I've never heard a single bad thing about them from the people that are actually running them. The local 4x4 shop was trying to BS me into getting a Dynatrac steering setup for "only" 600 bucks with Chevy TRE's. He'd never run heim steering, but somehow KNEW that it would break quickly and easily. He was talking to me like I was clueless ("Have you ever heard of hi-steer?") and sarcastically saying ("yeah, you're right, hi-steer isn't worth it just so you can gain about 6" of clearance") Like being an a-hole to the customer is gonna get them to come back?!?!

Ohe boy - Yes, the rear shock mounts were from WH4x4 too. I didn't press ANYTHING off. I haven't finished reassembling the front end yet, but they shouldn't have to be pressed on.

 

[ohe_boy]

I thought so... I guess I'll have to bore them out a little just so that it can slide on and off!

 

[breel]

Went with the Chevy TRE's on my axle, heims on the trac bar. Besides the clatter of heim joints I think it's personal preference as what you go with. With this being your daily I would go with the TRE's, when the time comes. 100.00 for the TRE's, 60.00 for tube adapters, 70.00 for heims, and 130.00 for 1 1/2" 1/4" wall DOM tube. Don't think any heim setup would be that cheap, thanks to BALLISTIC FABRICATION. Sorry for the lack of pic's for you Bryan, had to buy a new computer. Hope you got the coil buckets setup right.

 

[breel]

ohe-boy is your problem on both sides or just one? I have the same axle and no problems like that. Maybe something is a little out of round.

 

[ohe_boy]

Well, when i got to that part, I initially slid the inner wheel bearing over the spindle and it stop right at the beginning part of where it sits, so I tried tapping it in a little and see if I can take it back off but it was already stuck on there. So I ended up installing the other inner wheel bearing and oil seal into the hub then slid that over the other spindle (without the rotor). Again it stopped right before the beginning part where it supposed to sit. So I tried tapping it in a little and see if I could back it out , this time being able to use the hub as a pulling point. Again, it was stuck. At this point I'm thinking somethings not right here. So I ended prying off the oil seal from the hub which I was able to remove the hub off the spindle. I had to buy a bearing puller to pull off the wheel bearings. I just figured I'd bore out the bearings a little just so that it can slide on the spindle like it should.

 

[ohe_boy]

you think if I bore them out a little, it'll still be ok?

 

[breel]

I think maybe the bearings are wrong? Everything just went back together like cake. The only problem I had with my rebuild was a C-clip on a universal not going on right. Sounds like something is bass akwards with your parts.