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!

 

[bmxking5]

LOL, I'm sure I'll find some kind of problem that will prevent me from meeting my deadline, I always do. But to get it driving, all I need to do is tighten up my brake hoses, bleed brakes, finish welding rear axle stuff, and weld trac bar mount/install trac bar. Shouldn't be too hard.

 

[green bogger]

you said your coil seats come from myers machine, is that one of your local shops, if not how can i get a pair of thoes? did you have to drill more holes in your pinion shims not real shure i understand, thanks for the help

 

[breel]

Bryan, to late now but I have a template for a trac-bar mount to use if some one here is using the stock pitman arm and 78-79 Dana 44 with chevy tie-rod ends. The only thing keeping me off the road now is an emissions test. Keeping the 8.8 for now as I sold the 9 inch to a "heeper". Money is going towards the bedcage which will slowly make it to the cab. People gripe about gas price, how's 10 bucks a foot for 0.120 wall cro-mo tubing. $750 for a simple bedcage and $450 of that is in steel, granted tig is an art I've yet mastered, so $300 bucks to bend, notch and weld seems a pretty good deal.

green bogger, if memory serves right, (and I've asked also), that was the last pair made. They are fairly simple to make though, use the old coil seat as a template. Find a local pipe shop who will let you rumage through their scrap pile for the right diameter tube and cut it down for size then weld to your plate. Drill the holes, bend some brackets to hold the coil in place and your set.

 

[bmxking5]

Since the weather was on and off rain yesterday, I didn't get the truck finished. Every time my neighbor was home, it was raining, and then he'd leave, and it would stop raining. He's welding the rear axle after I get out of school today. That'll also give me some time to mock up the trac bar mount so he can tig that together as well, and all I'll need are some new brake lines that I can bend, fill the diffs up, and it's done. (don't really want to use the stock ones on the rear because there is a dent in one of them, plus the bends are in the wrong spot for leaf springs, shock mounts, etc.)

I bought the coil mounts off of the RRORC forum (Rough Ranger Off Road Club). Bill Myers told me that the set I was buying was the last set he had. I'm not sure if he was planning on making more or not.

I used the pinion shims to correct the angle of the coils. They are supposed to be used in the rear, under the leaf springs to correct pinion angle, so they only have one hole in the center for the spring pin to go through. I drilled two holes in them to bolt down the lower coil mount and they fit perfectly. When I put the angle finder on it, it came out to 0*!

 

[bmxking5]

Don't know if anyone cares, but I just added everything up, and the total for the SAS is 3200 for front axle, rear axle, all suspension, rebuild parts, tires, wheels, etc and also a tip for my neighbor for all his help with the welding. Not too bad at all IMO. Of course there is about 700 more in tools that I bought (but I didn't have much of anything before, and I'm going to school for auto services, and will be working in a shop for as long as I can tell, so it was a wise investment).

My neighbor welded the shock mounts and caliper brackets on today. I already repainted the axle and I'm getting ready to re-install it now. I'll post some more pics of his awesome welds later on.

 

[JS91X]

sweet ness !! im picking my axle up this saturday, you think we can strip it down and crap one tuesday night at your work ?

 

[FROADER]

I would say $3200 is good for front, rear wheels and tires!

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

sounds good.....get it done!!!

 

[bmxking5]

Yeah James. Bring it next Tuesday and we'll get it torn down. I've never messed with any Toyota stuff, so I don't know if there are any special tools needed or anything like that (like the Dana 44's have the hub socket). If there are, there is an Auto Zone next door, so hopefully they'd have it. We've got a parts washer too, so we can try and start cleaning it up too, if you want(or the following week).

I got the rear end re-installed for the most part. I'm probably gonna use my stock rear lines tomorrow to bend and get them the way they should need to be, and then I'll bend the new ones to match those. Hopefully I can pick up some lines tomorrow after work. BTW, I painted the rear calipers silver. Looks pretty good, and it's not as flashy/ricey/blingy as JB's red ones.

My dad thought 3200 was a lot of money, but I reminded him that it wasn't when I told him how much it would've cost for some new 37s, and if I had a shop do it. He then came to his senses and realized it wasn't all that bad...since my friend recently spent nearly 6k for a 3.5" short arm kit (everything adjustable) and 1.25" poly body lift, 33s, rock crawlers, etc(still has stock gears and no lockers). Labor charges suck!

 

[034x4]

All that chit chat, and no action photos. Boy STFU and finish it!

Lol sorry, thats what I felt like at the end of mine, so close.

 

[bmxking5]

I wish I could. I should've just gone with my instinct and dropped outta school and worked on trucks full time.

Here are some pics from yesterday/today. BTW, I finally got around to finishing the front bumper (cut the bumper reinforcement, ground it all down, and repainted it..it looks muy bueno now)

 

[bmxking5]

check out the rear calipers (doing the fronts tomorrow) and the 4x4 pedals. My truck is full of bling now!

 

[j602]

Lookin' pretty badass bro! Anxious to see this thing done! I especially like that bumper.

 

[bmxking5]

^^Tell me about it! That "Josh special" bumper does look pretty good.

I put everything back on the rear minus the brake line, and I'm gonna try to tackle the rest of it tomorrow so it'll be welded and driving by Thurs. or Friday. We'll see.

 

[Burns]

yours is lookin good. it seemed to go rather well all together.

 

[regan]

Although a registered "lurker" since 04 (and 98 stock explorer owner)I thought that I'd finally speak up..........I'm the neighbor that does the welding for bmxking5.

I appreciate the props from everyone on my skill set. I've got a liitle talent - I just haven't been able to figure what it actually is!!

As for his build.........FANTASTIC. He's had to take a lot of ball busting from his father - & myself on occasion but he continues to plug along. I was glad to assist with the small part that I did.

As for my heap......going to run it till it won't start anymore.........My pashion is custom harley based motorcycles & trying to finish & get my 66 chevy II pro street car BACK on the road.......

This kid has some drive & talent!!

I can not wait to see it leave the driveway under its own power........again.

regan

 

[sn0border88]

so it'll be welded and driving by Thurs. or Friday. We'll see.

I thought I would never see those words.

 

[FROADER]

^^^ I still don't believe him...

 

[JS91X]

bryan, where did you get those u bolt plates from ? i gotta get some for the front of my toy for the u bolt flip when i sas it

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

it's thursday....you driving it yet?