95exploderboy's Full Width SAS

Well I've been collecting ideas and parts for a long time now and its about time I started posting something. First off I'm gonna say that this might take a while because of the frequency that I go away for work, but I will make sure to keep everyone posted as I make progress. I have nearly all of the major parts bought and sitting in the shop, so now all I need is the time to put my SAS "kit" together.

What I have planned...

The Front
1979 F150 HP Dana 44
4.88 Yukon Gears
Aussie Locker
All new Timken bearings
Warn Premium Hubs
Stock Shafts for now
Wild Horses 5.5 springs
Stock radius arms with stone crusher extensions and heim joints
Chevy TREs with 1.5" Dom
Toyota Steering box
Square driveshaft

The Rear
1978 Ford 9"
4.86 Richmond Gears
Detroit locker
Disk Conversion
4 door hybrid leaf springs

The plan is to use the 79 upper coil buckets, not sure how I'm compensating for the full width yet. Gonna try to space the bottom coil mounts in enough to keep the springs straight. The arms will be located via a new transmission cross member/RA mount. The arms measure around 40 inches that puts them right under the transfer case. The rear will be SOA, shackles will be adjusted to level everything out. Still not sure of what will happen to the body lift, I'll see how I feel about it after I wheel it a few times.

Random pics...

Something is missing

Sweet extended jack stands. They are good for about 30 inches and have a broad stable base

What I ended up with:


The Front
1979 F150 HP Dana 44
4.88 Yukon Gears
Aussie Locker
All new Timken bearings
Drive Slugs
Alloy USA inner/outer axle shafts with Spicer 760 joints
Wild Horses 5.5 springs
Stock radius arms with stone crusher extensions and heim joints
Chevy TREs with 1.5" Dom
Full Hydro with single sided ram
Square driveshaft

The Rear
1978 Ford 9"
4.86 Richmond Gears
Detroit locker
Disk Conversion
4 door hybrid leaf springs

Ta Da!

 

[Burns]

Looks like you have a good start.

 

[zainyD]

Looks like you've assembled a good list of parts. What did you use for the disc brake conversion?

 

['97 V8]

Nice, Keep us updated.

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

good stuff, why the gear ratio differance? and what size tires do you plan on running?

 

[Blee1099]

.02 shouldn't make a difference in the ratio.. I don't believe they make a 4.88 for the 9, all I see is 4.86 so it may just be a issue of them not being made with that ratio.

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

.02 shouldn't make a difference in the ratio.. I don't believe they make a 4.88 for the 9, all I see is 4.86 so it may just be a issue of them not being made with that ratio.

hah i should have looked beofre i posted, i checked out yukon gears and it doesnt seem that 4.88's are made for the 9".

 

[redranger4.0]

hah i should have looked beofre i posted, i checked out yukon gears and it doesnt seem that 4.88's are made for the 9".

4.86s are fine to use with 4.88's im have 4.88's in my D44 and 4.86 in my 9"

 

[james t]

The gear difference is standard stuff. Early Bronco's w/6 cylinders came with 4:11's in the front and 4:09's in the rear. Its still considered a "4:11". Its no biggie.

 

[95exploderboy]

Well I cheated on the disk brake stuff, it was already on it when I got it. I sold my Aussie locked 8.8 with a diff guard for $400 and I got the 9" for $400, can't beat that deal

Here is my 9" It won't be yellow for long, thats how I got it.

Like stated above, they don't actually make a 4.88 for the 9" so thats the story with that.

 

[95exploderboy]

I'm regearing the axles on monday, hopefully work stays slow and I can get somewhere with this thing for once.

I also got my Dana 44 Aussie in the mail the other day. They claimed it was a couple weeks backorded when I ordered it but I got it a few days later. Hope its the right one....

 

[Hokie]

Here is my 9" It won't be yellow for long, thats how I got it.

Keep the yellow!!!!

I think that would look friggin' sweet

Seriously though - you're building a big, bad, full width lifted Explorer. Why not have'er stand out a little more with a yellow 9"?

 

[SkanlaxJMO]

hahah you should leave it yellow just to piss off j**pers.

 

[95exploderboy]

Well I did make some progress. I now have a 4.88 geared and Aussie locked HP Dana 44 in my garage. Here are some pics of the process.

Well the carrier I got had bearings on it already, and I don't have a puller so the die grinder and chisel made quick work of um. Sorry Linds...

Aussie install

Mmmmm.... Locker....

Checking backlash

Case spreader

Checking the pattern

With all my regearing experience of one whole axle, I say it looks good to me.

Did all the work at my buddy's garage in Pittsburgh. Planned to do my 9" while I was there too, but I got called back to work before we could get it done.

Bout a week later I got back home to do some more work on the X. I got my 9" cleaned up and welded on the new spring perches. That's where it sits right now. I got called back to work again and will be in NYC for the next 2 weeks. After I get back the rear will be finished (once its regeared) and I'll start cutting the IFS crap out around Easter.

 

[IZwack]

Hey 95exploderboy!! Great start and wow that yellow is a killer! You gotta keep that!

 

[95exploderboy]

All these votes for yellow, I may have to paint it again when its done. The pictures above are from when the original owner painted it. It looked like crap once I got it, and most of the paint came off by the time I finished cleaning all the gunk off the axle. Who knows maybe it'll be yeller again some day. I really don't know if I wanna have a yellow belly on the trails though. I generally try almost any trail I come accross.

 

[james t]

That is the most yellow looking yellow i have ever seen. Its as though the axle was dipped in angel urine. Angels on some kind of high potency vitamin. I say keep it. :

 

[lifeguard379]

looks good. how hard was it to do the 44? i wana try doing mine myself.

 

[95exploderboy]

It really wasn't that hard to do. I did it with a guy that had done a bunch of them. We used setup bearings which makes it alot easier. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. The biggest drawback in doing it yourself is the tools involved. If you have a case spreader, a set of good micometers and a dial indicator with a magnetic base its not bad at all.

Good Luck...

 

[mynameisaric]

looking good. how hard was the regearing? i am thinking about regearing my own axles. did you need any special tools?