034x4's D44 SAS thread...

I think this is my first post here, but i've used this board for alot of research on explorer and ranger SAS. So i finally decided i should post my project and it's progress so far.

The truck originally is a 2003 edge 4x4. 37,000 miles with 4.10's/LS.
I had 3" body lift, fiberglass front fenders and cut rear fenders to have plenty of clearance for 35x12.50 BFG mudders. Made a trip down to savannah and on the way home my passenger hub bearing pretty much exploded. Taking with it, the pass knuckle, caliper, rotor, bent inner tie-rod, ground flat outter tie-rod. I already had the D44 in preperation for the SAS but with this, i decided to go ahead and start on it.

This is the ranger, in the beginning.

After the bearing failure, at 70mph on I-75 north...

 

[034x4]

Today I made the support braces for the shackle hangers and welded them on, they arn't gonna move now. I also botled the bed back on and threw the only mounted tire I have now onto the rear axle to see what kind of clearance i'd have and where it would sit at ride height.

Shackle hangers. Passenger side.

Drivers.

Bed on with tire on the axle.

'Bout 2" of clearance b/t tire and fender.

Clearance woohoo!

 

[Yomie]

Man its gonna suck to be the person driving behind you if it is raining

Looks good!

 

[034x4]

Eh well, they'll be ok. Thanks, i need my fawking wheels!!!!

EDIT: hey yomie, how much would yall charge to balance my wheels/tires when i mount them?

 

[bmxking5]

^^Yomie, that's what the "high" setting on the wipers is for.

 

[JS91X]

that is one bad a$$ rig now!!! cant wait to see some pics when its driveable...is this your daily driver...

 

[034x4]

Right now my DD is a '92 XJ, but as soon as this is done, the ranger will be my DD again. Selling the XJ.

 

[034x4]

well i just ordered....a Milemarker SE9500 winch. 4wheelparts has a sale that ends tonight at midnight, my winch was 549$, after the sale and MM discount it was 435 SHIPPED. UPS ground is FREE. So if you want a winch for dirt cheap, ORDER ONE NOW.

And i got a MM cuz i've heard good things about them, they're very cheap, and the same weight rated winches by warn (~900$) arn't any significantly faster at similar loads than MM.

http://www.4wheelparts.com/4wp/prod...LE&parentProdline=WINElectricMile&expand=sub1

 

[jasonb]

nice work!

as far as the bed.... if I ever flatbed my rig.. this is what it will be modeled after...

 

[034x4]

Thanks, and that is a badass flatbed. Nice double shackle too.

 

[supergildo]

thats a pretty sick flatbed setup!

any more news on the rims jey? I think ill be outta town when you finally drive this thing...

 

[034x4]

Nope, e-mailed them this morning asking to let me know when they ship and to give me a tracking number. I hope i get these damn things this week.

 

[034x4]

Why me?

I called Trailready instead of Shaffer's who i ordered the beadlocks from, asking how the wheels were coming and if they had been shipped yet. Guy told me they had the parts in stock, it was a "pending" order and had not had approval from Shaffer's to ship them yet. He says I need to call Shaffer's to figure out why the beadlocks had not been approved to ship.

So I call shaffer's and the guy takes down my number says he'll call trailready and he'll call me back. Well about 30 seconds later another guy from shaffer's calls me back and says that Trailready had the wrong card number from shaffer's. Everything is a done deal now, and they will ship out today.

They both said shipping will take about 3 days....the countdown begins...

Makes me wonder, how long have my wheels been done in stock, just sitting there, and how much longer would they have been sitting there, if I had not called trailready directly...

 

[Michael]

Rotors, finally...

Just a question....Do you have any concerns over the rotor cracking where the two stud holes overlap slightly on the left? I ask because I have never seen a exploer rotor drilled to 6 lug.

 

[supergildo]

Why me?

I called Trailready instead of Shaffer's who i ordered the beadlocks from, asking how the wheels were coming and if they had been shipped yet. Guy told me they had the parts in stock, it was a "pending" order and had not had approval from Shaffer's to ship them yet. He says I need to call Shaffer's to figure out why the beadlocks had not been approved to ship.

So I call shaffer's and the guy takes down my number says he'll call trailready and he'll call me back. Well about 30 seconds later another guy from shaffer's calls me back and says that Trailready had the wrong card number from shaffer's. Everything is a done deal now, and they will ship out today.

They both said shipping will take about 3 days....the countdown begins...

Makes me wonder, how long have my wheels been done in stock, just sitting there, and how much longer would they have been sitting there, if I had not called trailready directly...

LMFAO, probably 2-2 1/2 weeks...



ROFL

 

[034x4]

Just a question....Do you have any concerns over the rotor cracking where the two stud holes overlap slightly on the left? I ask because I have never seen a exploer rotor drilled to 6 lug.

Nope. I'm sure it'll be fine. I've seen/read about it done before with no problems.

 

[JS91X]

is your ranger a shortbed ?

 

[034x4]

ya.

 

[034x4]

Got bored so I photoshopped where I will be cutting my bedsides more to clear the tires.
Not really photoshop, it's paint lol.

 

[RockRanger]

I think that squiggly part above the tire might be hard to replicate when you cut them for real though. Then to get it the same on both sides could be even harder. I do like the look of the narrowed bed. Cant wait to see some wheeling pictures of your beast.

 

[supergildo]

yeah, youll definately #### that line up ...