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]

Did some work on the bed today...

1" square tubing for my bedside supports.

On the truck...

Where the tire will sit.

2 hours later after I had worked out and got back to working on it.

 

[bmxking5]

That's awesome. Nice job so far. If I ever had to chop my top (roll over, etc) it would get dovetailed.

 

[Yomie]

Looks good Jay...i just got off work

Hey man when you get the beadlocks, i don't know where the valve stem hole is but i found something we can order at work. It is a flush mount valve stem that is pretty cool

http://www.gorilla-auto.com/products/?sfID1=270&sfID2=289

Go to accessories..
Valve stems..
part # VS 407C

Pretty cool stuff, i just ordered a set for my Explorer. Keeps the stems out of harms way with roots and stuff

 

[bmxking5]

Reggie, how much did those valve stems run you? Looks like a pretty cool idea. I can get them through TowPro (where I work) since we can order gorilla auto stuff, so I'd prolly be paying the same as you (but I'd have to wait til Tuesday to find out a price).

 

[supergildo]

honestly I thnk stealth stems suck. wth the rock ring i dont think that he will have much if any to worry about...

 

[034x4]

Ok well today i accomplished all I could.

I welded the tabs for the hydro assist onto the diff and painted them. Getting the hoses made this week. Already have the measurements.

If things go my way, it should be on the road (without shocks, no hoops made yet) by this coming weekend...

 

[j602]

Just do F-250 shock towers. Or are you going dual shocks or something?

 

[034x4]

I can't run 250 towers, because the toyota box is outboard, and the steering shaft is going right through where the 250 tower would be.

So i'm getting some hoops bent up and gonna weld 'em onto the frame rails and extend out about 2".

Naw only gonna run one shock per wheel.

 

[034x4]

Ok big update LOTS of pics. Rain until noon = no work today.

Hydro assist hoses! 40" and 56" long!

Marine waterproof grease for the CTM's

Uh oh, what am I doing?

Rotors, finally...

Brakes!

Brake lines!

Complete 31 spline 8.8, disks, 5.13 gears, full carrier detroit, and 6-lug superior chromoly's!

Moving it under the truck.

Oh ****! sitting on the rear suspension!

Driveshaft...will work!

And the tabs on the diff for the hydro assist I didn't get pictures of the other day.

 

[rino351]

nice. very nice.

 

[RockRanger]

How are you mounting your rear shocks? I dont like how I have mine so I am looking for another way.

 

[supergildo]

How are you mounting your rear shocks? I dont like how I have mine so I am looking for another way.

haha funny you ask that...

 

[034x4]

Lol me and gil had a talk about that last night.

I'm going to get a hoop bent to go across the frame so I can use the sway-bar mounts on the axle to mount the bottom of the shock. I'll have plenty of room since i'm keeping the bodylift on.

 

[034x4]

Got my rear brakeline made today and my front banjo bolts. So now I have everything i need to make this thing driveable, except my wheels, and shocks. Which when i get my beadlocks, i'll drive up to my local shop (mild 2 wild) and flex it up on one of his lifts and measure for shocks and have him bend me some hoops. Then i'll have shocks.

This weekend i'll get everything on the truck lubed up and installed besides the wheels/tires. Then i'll hopefully finish my dovetail by the time my wheels get here....it's getting close.

 

[034x4]

Random picture to keep my thread alive.

My 38x12.50 TSL next to my friends 39.5x16" Bogger.

 

[JS91X]

heard anything about your beadlocks?

 

[034x4]

On monday, they told me 4-5 more days to build them, then 3 to ship them.

Ok big update. Worked on the truck alot today. If I had wheels, I would be driving it around right now. Thats how much I got done.

Ok first i removed and painted the u-bolts, didn't paint them b4 I put them on.

Then I hooked up my hydro-assist and plumbed it up and got it working.

Then I hooked up my brakelines. The front 1555's bolted directly to the truck, did not have to drill out the blocks at the calipers the banjo bolts were a direct fit, if anyone wants to know...

better picture of the rear axle installed on the truck.

Now, this is where i show pictures of how I have my brakelines set-up, since i switch from discs/drums to discs/discs. According to n3elz there is a valve that the rear brakeline goes into and the valve goes into the master cylinder. My 2003 has the 4wheel abs, but it did not have this valve, the hardline went directly to the ABS pump.

So i disconnected the hardline going to the rear axle and re-bent it and connected it directly to the master cylinder.

Then to plug the open holes left in the ABS pump, i re-bent the small hardline that went from the pump to the master cylinder, to recirc the pump and keep it plugged up.

Finally, can't really tell in this pic, but the truck is in reverse, letting the ring gear throw some lube up onto the pinion to break the bearings in, its been about 6 months since she has been in gear. I put it in 4-lo and it's gonna crawl pretty good with the 5.13's.

Tomorrow i'm going to put the bed onto the truck, cut the fenders out more since the dovetail moved the front of the fender real close to the tire. Now I just wait for my beadlocks, then drive it to the shop, get shocks. Figure out my tranny x-member and front driveshaft situation.

 

[supergildo]

Sweet Ass!!!

have you moved the lines connected to the IFS subframe?!


wow, im so excited. I say buy two more cheap steeelies and get it walking!! drive it to get the shocks and front driveshaft made, and then when the wheels come in, swap em out!!


do it!! you can turn around and re-sell the wheels easily i would think.

 

[bmxking5]

^^If you did that, I'm sure someone in the Suwanee area (cough cough, JasonB) would probably be interested in them in the future...considering he's swapping in Waggy 6 lugs under his Sami.


It is looking great. I'm soooooo jealous right now.

 

[034x4]

The only line that was on my IFS crossmember was the passenger brake hardline, which i rebent up close to the oil pan so it doesn't hang down. My wheels should be here this coming week, so it's not worth the extra 100$ for a couple of days. Then i'd have to pay to get them mounted and balanced and bla bla bla. I'll just wait for the beadlocks.

I'm gonna see how bad my front driveshaft is off tomorrow, and if its long enough, i'll see what all i gotta trim out of the tranny crossmember to get enough clearance for downtravel.