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]

Here's my new CTM's!!!!!....Haha, don't I wish they were Really, they're new Spicer 760x's.

 

[034x4]

Hey its better than stock .

CTM's are fawkin beefy, I like mine .

 

[034x4]

Hurry up and get this beast on the road man, mine will finally be driveable sometime next week whenever my damn trailready's get here!

My friend is building a 92 ZJ with hp44 radius armed with d60 4-link on 39.5 boggers will hopefully finish his up soon and when he does we're gonna plan a trip to tellico.

 

[bmxking5]

New ball joints in the knuckles!! Did it just in time too, since I'm getting out of that auto class I'm taking (I didn't want to have to buy the tool right now when I can use it for free the rest of this week)

 

[jasonb]

I could have lent you my ball joint press....

 

[034x4]

Gotta love freebies. Especially when they are special tools.

 

[bmxking5]

I picked up the tires today! I'm ordering a ton of parts pretty soon, to get ready for the swap in January!!!!! (Cage coils, trac bar, trac bar mount, etc.)

EDIT: Just ordered the F250 shock towers from Ford Parts Network for 28 bucks shipped.

 

[bmxking5]

Just won some Warn premiums on ebay. N.I.B. w/ shipping was cheaper than my wholesale price.

 

[FROADER]

Brian, your next post better have some pictures of bare metal or some welds on front suspension parts or something...or you'll get a 2 week ban

 

[TheFox88]

I like that idea Froader, i guess that's why you're a moderator and i'm not though.

 

[FROADER]

Of your own parts too, no cheating!

 

[bmxking5]

Fine, you win Colin. I just laid a few beads. How do they look?

 

[FROADER]

I knew it! Dammit!

 

[bmxking5]

I knew it! Dammit!

Haha, just took a couple of minutes to crop that pic from my coil buckets.

EDIT 12/22/05: Just bought some Rubicon Express anti-wrap spring perches and shock mounts.

EDIT #2 12/24/05: Bought my Energy Suspension 7* C-Bushings yesterday at work, as well as the Skyjacker extended brake lines. Should be here on Tuesday. Also, I'm gonna be picking up a set of Energy Suspension leaf spring bushings pretty soon too.

 

[bmxking5]

Ok, yesterday I got my Warn premiums in the mail, and my Skyjacker SS braided lines and 7* C-bushings at work. Today, I just ordered:
-16x8 black rock crawler wheels w/ 4.25" back spacing
-Superlift drop pitman arm
-disc brake conversion wheel studs
-BC Broncos adjustable EB trac bar

I'm sending the money orders tomorrow for (since they don't accept my parents Amex or Discover):
-Rear lower shock mounts from WH (they'll be better than the Rubicon Express ones, so I'm sending those back)
-Superduty U-Bolt Kit (also from WH)
-5.5" CAGE offroad coils

My buddy has a Poison Spyder Customs account = I get deals on PSC stuff. So he's ordering my heims, tube inserts, and spacers early next week. I'm ordering 1.5 x .25"wall DOM tubing through work either this week or early next week. Then I'll have everything to build my steering (minus the bolts/nuts for it).

As of now, I think we'll be starting the swap on 1/20/06 or 1/27/06.

 

[bmxking5]

I sent the money order for the coils from CAGE offroad yesterday. Wild Horses still hasn't sent me an email about my order, so I guess we'll call on Monday or Tuesday.

Yesterday, we were cleaning out at work, and my boss found a couple of pairs of old shocks from his 6" lifted F250 that he said I could have. He had a pair of Pro Comp ES1000's(for no lift) and a pair of ES3000s(for 4" lifts). He's got dual Bilsteins w/ resevoirs front and rear now. Both are pretty new, and should be right around the length I need for my front, so I'll use the ES3000s. I'm using the lifted Skyjacker Nitro8000s in the rear that I've already got. This way, my truck will be drivable so that I can atleast get to the 4x4 shop to measure for my RS9000Xs that I'm getting for 60 each.

Also, today I got in my Superlift pitman arm from Summit. The wheels were shipped via UPS (pitman arm was FedEx) so they're supposed to be here on the 3rd.

 

[bmxking5]

Just bought a spanner nut socket from BroncoGraveyard.com along with an adjustable trac bar mount for an E.B. for 45 bucks. Now, I just need to try and get a set of rear calipers, pads for them, and brake lines. I've got to try and order from Wild Horses still since they STILL haven't sent any info on what I need to send for a money order. So that should get taken care of tomorrow. My parents just told me they want to pay to have my rear driveshaft lengthened! Then the rest of the stuff that I need is labor. Almost ready for the swap!!!!!

 

[breel]

Why are you going with a drop pitman arm? Seems a couple of posts in the past people have gone back to stock to get a better angle to match trac bar. My swap is close to being done on the major parts. I bolted the radius arm brackets you gave me to mine and used them as part of the trans crossmember. Will finish that up after work tomorrow. Having to wait for coil springs before I can finish my steering and trac bar mount. What size coils are you going with?

 

[bmxking5]

I'm going with 5.5" CAGE offroad coils. I'm using a drop pitman arm because I've also got an adjustable trac bar mount, so I can set it up where I need/want it. I'm gonna be running the same setup as Daemon as far as steering goes (probably the same amount of lift with 37s), and he's using a drop pitman arm too.

Okay, long story short...Sunday I went to the local Pull-A-Part. I pulled 4 Cadillac calipers from a 79 and 85 El Dorado. I wanted them as cores since the charge is about 70 each and the calipers from PAP are 10 each. I needed a larger allen wrench, went home, came back, and they closed 30 minutes early when I just needed to use the allen wrench to take the calipers off the rotors and pull the 79's off the brake lines. Well, after work on Monday, (it POURED down rain ALL day Monday) I went there to find all of the calipers gone. Someone had the right size allen, took off the calipers, found the 85's that I hid in the car next to the 79, and took the calipers off the brake lines on the 79. I was very pissed that I was now out of those calipers when I did all the work. Anyways, today, I got a call from Jason and he said he found one of the sets behind a Suburban a couple of cars down (that he was trying to pull flat tops off) and they appeared to be the right ones. So I just got back from picking them up from him! I also have a caliper bracket I got yesterday, and one from the set he got today, so I can make my brackets soon too.

The wheels arrived today, but Summit shipped two groups of two boxes strapped together and one of the groups of boxes is no longer strapped together = I only have 3 wheels. So I'm waiting until tomorrow to see if I get that last wheel; if not, I'll call Summit.

 

[bmxking5]

more....

Oh yeah, and I just now ordered my Wild Horses U-Bolt kit and shock mounts!