94 Crawler's sas thread #1

Ok the plan is to go to d44/ 9 inch. This will give me a base to work from for further mods including 3/4 ton front hubs and breaks and a full floating 9". Eventualy the 609/ true Hi9 front I'm daydreaming of. But we must walk befor flight.

So here is the plan. Since I have the d44 and it is a 79 Bronco with cast in wedges, I will be staying with radius arms (extended and thinking of using Johnny Joints rather than hymes). 5.5 wild horses rock crawler springs. 1 ton chevy tre's. Posibly hydro assist. Of corse 4.56 gears and depending on what is in this 9" I'm suposed to look at, choice of locker to come.

I will pull the 35 this weekend and get started .

Here are some pics.

eek

 

[94 Crawler]

Hey guys worked on the beast today started fabbing up my track bar to chassis mount. I will be welding a piece of 1/4" plate to the chassis where the stearing box bolts for added strength and a good place to weld the track bar brackets.

I will be plating these om the back side and adding gussets for strength.

Ok question time. The track bar is suposed to be the same length and angle as the upper steering linkage, am I correct on that? I will be chacking out some setups shortly.

Also I'm highly irritated :fire::fire::fire: with ballistic fab. I still have not seen my order ship and when I talked to them last week all they were waiting on was 1 TRE and it was suposed to ship last week. They have some seariously bling items. But I dont know if I will use then again. (End Rant!!)

 

[DB_1]

Ok question time. The track bar is suposed to be the same length and angle as the upper steering linkage, am I correct on that? I will be chacking out some setups shortly.

That would be ideal and you might be able to do that since you are using a full width axle. I'm using a narrower EB axle and I don't have room to have the drag link and trac-bar the same length, I think i'm 3-4" shy on the trac-bar. They are at the same angle and I don't have any bump steer problems.

 

[94 Crawler]

DB_1

That would be ideal and you might be able to do that since you are using a full width axle. I'm using a narrower EB axle and I don't have room to have the drag link and trac-bar the same length, I think i'm 3-4" shy on the trac-bar. They are at the same angle and I don't have any bump steer problems

thanks if I can get some parts maby can start making headway

 

[IZwack]

If you have some, look into using an angle iron (or a sliced square tubing) for the chassis plating to which the panhard bar bracket welds to. I just had a plate initially and eventually a rip developed.

I replaced it with something like this (blue parts), except it wasnt open in the back but fully boxed all the way around:

 

[94 Crawler]

I'm thinking of plating the frame like this the ttb frame is slightly different from the ifs one. But I have read your thread and a lot of others and appreciate the feed back.

Well the pic is to big .

http://explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1328035&postcount=19 here is the link

 

[94 Crawler]

Well still waiting on parts and waiting on sale items to sale to get more parts. here are some progress pics, still slow.

Found a good use for those fedex express boxes. The plate is being cut from 1/4" by 7" flat bar It is going to be drilled and welded to the frame to provide extre support for the sector and to provide a mounting point for thetrack bar brackets. I'm going to attempt to wire the shop today for 220 so no progress on the truck but progress on the build.

 

[94 Crawler]

progress has been real slow. First off it took two whole days to get the 220 ran to the shop. Then I got a nasty case of food poisoning.

Here are some of me out cutting the line for my 220v hookup.

It's official you guys know I'm a John Deere nut.

Some parts from Balistic Fabrication.

WHOO those 3" joints are huge.

 

[94 Crawler]

Here are some pics of my latest purchase a miller 35. I've done some research and these are suposedly still quite sought after because of there versaitility. I ran a few beads with it yesterday befor I got sick and it will melt a peace of 1/4". The guy I bought it from said he has welded 3/4" befor.

 

[94 Crawler]

Finaly, some progress and hopefully more to come in the following weeks. this weekend I got all of my steering and track bars made up, well tacked any way. And got my renforcement plate finished and welded to the frame. Also finishet the track bar bracket. I used himes on the track bar because of the angle it will have to operate at the bushings would have binded. I finaly decided on moving the axle forward 1" as this is where the steering works best at. I still have a lot to do but Iam not on call next week so work should not take me from the project again ( stupid work ). Also Ballistic seams to have gotten straightened out I've ordered a few things since the original feasco and they came through on schedule.

Here are some pics

Swiss cheese steel anyone.

Welded up, still learning this welder

Track bar mount, I still have some gussets to add.

 

[94 Crawler]

Lookc what was waiting for me at home today. Thanks sn0border88

 

[94 Crawler]

Ok question time.

1 I'll most likely be using a new driveshaft in the rear, should I go double cardigan or stick with the u-joint set up? The thing that concerns me with duoble cardigan in the rear, is the springs tendancy to keep the pinion near the same angle throughout travel. Thus the rear joint getting at some funky angle at full stuff. But with 7-8 " of lift the drive line angles are going to be pretty serious for u-joints. Thoughts? Ideas?

2 I will most likely be going to the 63" chevy springs My question is: Dose any one see a problem with relocating my front spring pivot down as well as forward I meen just even with the lower part of the frame like on the ex. I'm still trying to get rid of the block and not add anymore springs to the pack.

 

[IZwack]

I and others ran a single cardan rear and it works fine.

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Great thread, I'm a 2wd guy myself, but this is a great read nonetheless!

Good Luck

 

[94 Crawler]

I and others ran a single cardan rear and it works fine.

Thanks IZ I will probably just have the drive shaft shpo retube mine again and set like it was befor.

Great thread, I'm a 2wd guy myself, but this is a great read nonetheless!

Good Luck

Thanks some one suggested more pics in my threads so I'm trying to oblidge. I hope to make some serious headway the next 5 days.

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

I'm keeping a close eye on this.

Me and my Dad agreed to build up a First Generation, going to make it a lifted/sportrac/prerunner style. shoudl be interesting. Mainly for trips to home depot, around town driving, and some light off road.

Keep up the good work.

 

[94 Crawler]

Mine still has to be street legal as I never intended for it not to be. I actuly like the fab work I just need a few other tools for my shop. Plazma cutter, milling machine, Laithe, tig welder, etc etc etc........ The primitive cutting methouds I use hold me up the most.

 

[94 Crawler]

Well no real progress this weekend. Got my d44 housing cleaned up and finaly got the gears set up. As many as I have ever re geared, re built, changed out diffs this has to have been the most agrevating re gear I have ever done. Anyway I tore into the 9" because I have th order a new pinion baffel for the 44 and found that the axle is big berring but has 28 spline shafts:fire:.

Will a set of big bearing 31plines work? The axle came out of a mid 70's f-150 with a buzzing half dozen inline 6.

 

[zainyD]

Well no real progress this weekend. Got my d44 housing cleaned up and finaly got the gears set up. As many as I have ever re geared, re built, changed out diffs this has to have been the most agrevating re gear I have ever done. Anyway I tore into the 9" because I have th order a new pinion baffel for the 44 and found that the axle is big berring but has 28 spline shafts:fire:.

Will a set of big bearing 31plines work? The axle came out of a mid 70's f-150 with a buzzing half dozen inline 6.

Yes, just find a set of axle shafts that are the same length and they will swap right in, problem solved.

 

[94 Crawler]

Another unexpected problem. My carrier will not except the aussie due to the aussie needs a 4 pin 31 spline open carrier. Dose anyone have one they will sell me.

 

[IZwack]

Hit the junk yard, Explorers are like ants there.