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]

I actually thought about it while it was flexed out, but I didn't want to go get a tape measure, lol.

 

[supergildo]

wqell what kind of travel shocks are you using?

 

[034x4]

I have no shocks on the front.

 

[supergildo]

lol, ghetto muthafugga...

 

[034x4]

The bed is coming off tonight. Gas tank should be mounted above the frame behind the cab tomorrow. I'll hopefully get a 1 or 1.25" heim tomorrow and some 2x2 square tubing and start building the one-link.

When the one-link is done and I get a fuel cell. I'm repainting the rig _____ because I love obnoxious colors. Hell my shoes are orange.

For now i'll run stock zj rear coils. The fronts are way too tall. I should be getting a call on wednesday about another job, so if that goes through I'll have some coilovers sooner than later, and maybe finally buy some fawkin shocks for the front.

 

[Yomie]

Hell my shoes are orange.

ANd ugly at that !!!!!!

Hey aren't you on spring break this week? I'm really thinking about ghetto lockin' my rear axle

 

[034x4]

Yup spring break, nothing to do except take my truck apart and put it back together.

 

[034x4]

Worked on the rig some today.

Naked.

My rock garden so far...haha the one I made for my nylint crawler.

New shocks. 34" rancho's. Full extension.

full compression.

Making crossmember/upper shock mount.

Some plans, heh.

Bling.

 

[nissanboy]

you remember the part number on those shocks.... wouldnt happen to be the RS5012's or RS9012's would they? If they are you are gonna want to make sure your shocks dont bind at all cause the bushings will take a crap in a hurry

 

[034x4]

Dunno the part #'s. Got them dirt cheap used, but fairly new. I'll take a look at 'em tonight, thanks for the heads up.

 

[Yomie]

Hey call me when you start wrenching, i'm off today

 

[nissanboy]

They are just normal bushings like in all shocks but i think its the long range of motion they travel through that cause my bushing to deteriorate really quick.

 

[JS91X]

you used 2wd 63'' chebbies in the rear didnt you ? howd you get enough lift out of them for 38s ?

 

[034x4]

Yup 2wd 3-leafs, with the overload leaf. I flipped the shackle hanger, cut enough room for the shackle, and boxed it up top so it wouldn't bend/break. The rear actually sits about 1.5" lower than the front. I would put some chebbie lowerin shackles to pick it up another inch or two, but i'm linking it soon so i'll just deal with it.

Got the shock mount on, shocks on, threw the bed back on and drove it. Hell does it drive alot better now. Doesn't bottom out on compression either, I though it might still running the leafs. When I link it I'll put the shocks on the bottom of the sway bar mounts but I'd have to make a spacer of sorts to keep the shock body from hitting the mount.

Welding.

High lift maxed out and tires still on the ground.

Tight fit, but I don't have to cut.

Nothing special, just showing shock movement.

This is for whoever said I didn't have long enough brake lines....

Bling.

Bird's eye.

 

[21robbie21]

looking good, what obnoxious color do you think youre gonna paint it?

 

[nissanboy]

What is limiting the up travel in the rear? Is it just a lack of weight on the rear suspension that doesnt let it move as much as the front or are the springs too stiff?

Just noticed that in the pic of teh shocks on the upper mount that it looks like the shocks are bottoming out under compression. Is it just really close or are they limiting the travel?

 

[034x4]

If you read the text in the post, it says the shocks are not bottoming out on compression. The leafs won't flatten out anymore because the shackles are too short. I'm linking it soon and lowering the mounting point on the axle for the shocks.

And yes, there is really no weight back there.

Dunno what color yet...

 

[nissanboy]

sorry im illiterate...

 

[034x4]

Made a rear bumper/superhitch. I need some top-points so I started on this today. Will make a front tow-point tomorrow while the hitch is drying with some bling ass flat black.

I used the extra 2x2 .250 tubing I had from the shock mount and used them to support the hitch.

How I made the hitch. I cut the brackets off of the hitch, so it was just a bent square tube. I then cut about .5" off of each end of the hitch. I then re-welded the brackets, upside down, up againts the hitch (to cover up the open ends, instead of coming out of the rear like stock) this pulls the hitch up even with the bottom of the frame. The hitch is about 6" higher than a stock hitch. Since the brackets were upside down, the lower brackets that would normally bolt to the bottom of the frame, now have a 32 7/8" 2x2 tubing between them, to keep them from flexing back and forth. I then cut 3 5" 2x2 at 45* to add support b/t the 2x2 and the hitch itself, this also helps cover the gap b/t frame and body b/c of the body lift. I think it looks sick.

 

[supergildo]

looks pretty good i think!!!