2002 Sport Trac SAS finally begins

[chad551]

Also I am going to get the FSJ leaf springs and now I am thinking I might as well do SOA. So my question is can do the SOA with the stock knuckles? I really cant spend another 400 for knuckles now and I want to get going on this project, as Moab is not that far away and I want to do a couple shake down runs first.

And thank you all for your replies and help, it is truly appreciatted.

 

[RockRanger]

I did what you are thinking. I wanted to save money and thought going leafs was the way. By the time I was done I could have done coils. Basically leafs you have to go crossover and get new knuckles and atleast one histeer arm. If you keep the tierod under the springs you will have to space the springs up so that it will clear. I ran a sort of 1/2" block in the front. I took 2 1/4" plates cut them the same size as spring perch drilled a hole in the center and ran the centerpin though the springs and the spacers. I had to do this to get the springs to clear the steering. The same could be done with talller spring perches then I used.

If you go coils you do not need histeer. With the time issue you have here is what I would do. This could be done cheaper but this is the easy way to explaine it.


I would get 4 of these
http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Ballistic-Poly-Bushing-263quot_p_1646.html

Two of these

http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Forged-Chromolly-263quot-Ballistic-Joint_p_1636.html

Six of these
http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/125quot-Square-tube-adapter_p_1557.html

or six of these
http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/125quot-12-tpi-Tube-Adapter_p_1406.html

These will make your radius arms.

One pair of these to mount the radius arms to the axle.
http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Flat-bottom-radius-arm-coil-mounts_p_1184.html

Two of these to mount radius arms to frame
http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Heavy-Duty-Frame-Link-Mount_p_1511.html

A pair of these for the springs on the frame.
http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Adjustable-coil-buckets_p_1183.html

These for the trackbar
http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com....html?osCsid=b070d8525e345b121b5e17d28a52cef8

One of these on the axle. I used it for my setup. The offset help clears the diff on compression.
http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/offest-panhard-bracket-p-240.html

One of these on the frame
http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/outside-trackbar-panhard-mounting-bracket-p-255.html

Pick up about 12' of 1.5x.25 tube. Use this to make your steering linkages and your trackbar.

Pickup about 10' of 2x.25 square or round depnding on which inserts you ordered above to build the radius arms.

Few days with a grinder and welder and you will have a linked suspension.

 

[RockRanger]

Also one more thing with the histeer. Not just any histeer arm will for sure clear the leaf springs. Especally if you use a drop pitman arm and get the draglink close to flat. They can hit the spring on compresion. You might need a spacer under the arm to get it higher. I used an arm from sky manufacturing that is taller then most to help me clear on compression.


I know this is alot of ifs, maybes, and well and. There is alot of stuff happening on both styles of suspension in close area to each other. Also remember things do not always move up and down but front to back and side to side as stuff travels through the arc of motion.

For exaple my track bar has a bend in it to clear the passanger frame rail when the passanger wheel is in comprssion. When the driverside is in compression the track bar clears the diff cover by less than 1/4" My upper link misses the engine cross member by about a 1/2"

 

[IZwack]

x2 of what Matt just said - plus with coils, you can easily switch over to coil-overs or air shocks later on down the road. All you have to do is cut the spring seats, make some new shock hoops and bolt the shocks on.

 

[RockRanger]

Or you can do histeer and coils. Helps get the trackbar higher and flatter which is better suspension design. IZ can fill you in on the why's if you want to know. I cant remember them.

 

[RockRanger]

In this picture you can see how close the steering is to the spring. The pitman arm and
drag link would clear by about 1/8" if the suspension was just in the right spot.

 

[chad551]

Well by the time I buy leaf springs I could buy 80% of those parts listed. However I dont think there is room to put a radius arm mount on my axle. The drivers side is a very short tube due to the pumpkin housing being so large to mount the leaf to.

Plus I need to find out specs to build a radius arm.

 

[IZwack]

Thats an image from a few pages back - and it looks like you might have enough room for a traditional link (not sure about a radius arm using the wedge design) cauz all you need is about 3.5" max (assuming the rubber bushing doodad you're using is 3" in width -- plus two quarter inch thick brackets = 3.5")

Mine was an ultra wide FSJ axle but this pic shows the link brackets on the driver's side:

 

[410Fortune]

a SAS shopping list! Thanks Matt that is awesome, I am amazed at the fabrication aftermarket these days, what can be done in a garage with a little help is amazing

 

[RockRanger]

Everything I posted isnt based purely on the axle. How wide is the frame where the coil buckets would mount. Once you find that you can determine the center of the spring width. Find that and then you can find the center of the brackets on the axle on where the coils mounts go.

Here is where my driverside lower bracket is welded on. The inside part is cut to fit on the cast center section and welded on. My inner bracket is just far enough from the diff that there is enough room to get a bolt on it.

The Raidus arms are easy to build.

On the passanger side it is one link with a flex joint at the frame and a bushing at the bottom hole on the bracket above. On the driverside same thing except about halfway on the link there is a bracket for a bushing to fit in to. A bushing there goes to a bushing on the top bracket hole that I posted above. This will be just like running a wristed arm setup.

 

[chad551]

Anyone familiar with the part number for the inner axle seal? The seal that came with my install kit is to small. Everyone I called said I must have an odd ball housing?? The rough O.D. of the seal is 2 5/8"

 

[RockRanger]

Any odd seals I have I usually take the old one to Napa. They mic it out and cross refrence it to something they have. Are there any numbers on the old one?

 

[chad551]

Found the correct seals last night, and got the package. Thanks Matt..

Oh and I forgot to mention I stumbled upon a 78 Bronco with a HP D44 radius arm setup. Now I am really torn on what to do. I can get the entire front end for 260 and I just have to remove it.

 

[RockRanger]

Get the bronco axle and do coil springs with radius arms. Do it how stic-o did his. It will be cheaper then doing radius arms like I mentoned. You get a high pinion which will help with driveline angles. All that new roters, spindles and stuff can be put on the ford axle. Just swap the knuckles over. Plus full width is sweet. I probably would have done it except where i was living when I did my swap I kept my rangr in the back yard. To get it out I miss our house gas meter and the neigbors fence by 2" so I couldnt go any wider and get the truck out.

 

[chad551]

I knew you would say that

 

[410Fortune]

DO FSB axle with wristed arm = flexy flexy

 

[John_Rock]

Well you made me curious to go find Stic-o's SAS thread, but grrrrrrrrr, its 36 pages long. He needs to make a condensed version without all the BS.

Just like this post is adding BS to Chad's SAS thread. Sorry.

 

[RockRanger]

I knew you would say that

It is easy to spend other peoples money In reality it will probably be easier. I know you bought an ARB and it will swap over not sure if you got gears yet but they will not. The bearings might I am not sure.

 

[chad551]

New question time am I am going to have to remove the ABS equipment for this swap? That would be a good place to mount the ARB compressor, but I also dont want to mess with that if I do not have to.

 

[chad551]

Another question for the smart guys. I have a lead on some flat top knuckles with high steer arms for a good price. But was curious if it is needed to go high steer? Going to pick up my leafs today, found a local shop to build a brand new set for cheap. Also got my steel as well, this weekend I hope to have the crossmember and front leaf mounts made.