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]

He could make a similar set. But, he would still have to make them and tune them for a specific vehicle, so I think the price would be about the same.

It is only money, and that's what its for. It is also one of the last things I think I could do with the Explorer to make a large improvement. I even did most of the little stuff I wanted to do already. I am going to have to get the boat out and start messing with that pretty soon.

 

[410Fortune]

oh I love boats!!
So many mods so little time!
I had a dream I had to leave my truck at somebody's shop and I had to ask if it was going to be left inside....I hate nightmares
I blame that dream on your thread here

 

[BKennedy]

I had a dream I had to leave my truck at somebody's shop and I had to ask if it was going to be left inside....I hate nightmares
I blame that dream on your thread here

 

[BKennedy]

My buddy sent me some pictures from our Pinyon Mountain day run
The Squeeze

Lots of rocks piled up in it now, makes it easy.

Trail pics

Heart Attack Hill

Sandstone Canyon
Just went over the big rock going in

Right before I got beached on rock coming out

Beached

I think if I would have gone up on the side of the wash on the driver side and then turned into the drop so the passenger side tires went over the rock I would have made it. That's how I went up it going in.

Sandstone Canyon, new tires are grippy

Group shot, yes they are rednecks

One thing I noticed about the Maxxis Razr tires is I am running them with more air pressure than any other tire I have had. About 35 PSI on the highway. On this run, I aired them down to 20PSI and I felt it was too low. Tires spread way out and it was harder to steer than with the KM2's. I ran the KM2's and the MTR's at 15-17PSI and they didn't bulge out nearly this much. Ran them at 28-30PSI on the street. With the Razr's at 30PSI, they flatten out on the pavement and my already poor gas mileage gets even worse.

 

[BKennedy]

I'm dropping the Explorer off at the spring shop sometime today. I am already anxious about leaving it there overnight. They thought it was funny when I was talking about dropping it off when I expressed my feelings about leaving a trusted companion (yes, talking about the Explorer) in the hands of strangers. Wait until I actually have to take the long walk to the parking lot...

In reality, its probably safer in a locked shop, with a locked gate around it, than when I take it around town to run errands. RIGHT??!!

 

[tdavis]

With the rising number of smash & grabs around here, it is safer in that shop than on the street at all.

 

[BKennedy]

I" more height in the rear will almost level it out. Might need to adjust the front coil overs down a little to even it out.

 

[BKennedy]

With the rising number of smash & grabs around here, it is safer in that shop than on the street at all.

I rarely park it on the street anywhere. Usually I will park it in home improvement or HF lots, in the daytime, with Sasha in the back seat. Someone would have to be crazy brave to jump into what she considers her territory. My garage is safer than anywhere. I even installed a entry door sensor for the alarm on the garage door its parked behind. The problem with shops is they don't set the alarm, they don't even know where the fuel pump shut off is located, and they usually leave keys in the ignition, so I am basically relying on the last person out the door setting their alarm, if they have one. Man, I gotta stop thinking about this or go camp out in their parking lot.

The shop did call me today to ask me a few quick questions. They also told me my new rear shocks might end up being too short after they are done. If they do end up too short, I think I might just get a pair of Rancho 9000's for the adjustability and try not having double shocks.

 

[Rick]

The shop did call me today to ask me a few quick questions. They also told me my new rear shocks might end up being too short after they are done. If they do end up too short, I think I might just get a pair of Rancho 9000's for the adjustability and try not having double shocks.

The new Rancho 9000s are massive and do a good job.

 

[BKennedy]

I went to visit the Explorer today. The guys at the shop are really cool. Had one side installed, and said they wanted to add another leaf spring for a total of 10. There was not enough room for a spring wrapped over the top so I will have to settle for a military wrap. It looks really good. Its about 1-1.5" taller, but should settle about 0.5".

I was told and shown that my shocks are too short for the new springs, and were too short for the old springs. I installed them not very long ago because the old shocks were bottoming out when the Explorer was loaded down for expedition type runs, and I would rather have them a little short than too long. Tony, the shop owner, said they are also not in the right place to work as they should. He said I need to have them leaning back more at the top. Right about where my exhaust pipe, secondary battery and air compressor/tank are located. I don't know if I am prepared to redo all that to get the most out of the rear spring travel. I will have to think this through and see what I want to do when I get it home. It should be finished tomorrow.

His son was working on this when I came in

$3,000 shocks on a $100 car.

 

[410Fortune]

anything goes in the desert!!

I like my Rancho 9000's pretty well I have the newer ones they are pretty big bodied shocks, I would buy again....

 

[Rick]

That car looks like something Hollywood would come up with.

 

[BKennedy]

Its a Grand Marques with F150 2wd beams.

I think the only way I would redo my shocks is if I could outboard them. Then, I could lean them back as far as needed and mount them off of the frame. I am not sure if there is enough room for shocks to fit outboard. I think I need to drive it for a while, see how much it settles, then go from there.

 

[Kirby N.]

Its a Grand Marques with F150 2wd beams.

I think the only way I would redo my shocks is if I could outboard them. Then, I could lean them back as far as needed and mount them off of the frame. I am not sure if there is enough room for shocks to fit outboard. I think I need to drive it for a while, see how much it settles, then go from there.

they would definitely be more effective out near the tires. You could even notch the frame and use tj style you outboard mounts to fit them if needed.

 

[Kirby N.]

And that car is really rad.

 

[BKennedy]

Once again, I make a modification and it snowballs. The double shocks help with sway control, and help rebound when going fast. Old school, but it works. However, it limits rebound (down travel) of the new leaf springs. If shocks will fit outboarded (will need to figure that out), and it sways like a drunken white rhino, I will need to do something about sway control. The shop owner suggests remounting the OEM sway bar with some quick disconnects. That would work and be simple. Of course, my OEM rear sway bar is long gone. I know I am getting ahead of myself but I try to have a game plan and you people help me to think it out.

 

[gmanpaint]

The rear sway bar has been on my mind now for a while too. I also got rid of it long ago.

I used to have it with quick discos, and the arms flipped 180* for that purpose.

With you being sprung over, I imagine the stock setup should work, if you still have the stock axle mounts for it. Junk yard trip, and new bushings will be a cheap install.

If not, making longer frame arms would be needed. I would have to do that for my sprung under lift springs. How to go about that, is an unknown right now.

 

[BKennedy]

Nope, no stock mounts, no room with current shock orientation. This is what it looks like now, but with brand new shiny leaf springs. I should be picking it up at around 3PM today.

 

[BKennedy]

This is with the old shocks, but you can see the angle they are back at the top. About 6* if I remember correctly. There is a air compressor and tank, and a battery taking up the rest of the space behind them.

 

[gmanpaint]

Just throwing shiz out there....

Rangers and other trucks, have one lower shock mount on each side of the axle tube. What if.....

Return to two shocks. You move both your lower mounts, to the front side of the axle tubes, with a very strong mount welded up. This would increase your rear lean angles, and you can move them more outboard like stock is. Not sure if that would be too much of an angle increase, but you could weld them so the bolt hole is higher up, and closer to center.

Now with them out of the way, you can weld the sway bar mounts back on.

Just an idea!!


Or... Truss it and weld brackets to it for everything.