Attn: Rick or other SASers

[Xplodor]

Hey everyone,

How does the X's drive with a Solid Axle up front? Rick, is it safe to run as a daily driver? If I use my warrior shackels, 4" Superlift springs and do a SOA in the rear I would need around 9" up front to level it out right? If I fabbed swaybars, would it be safe to drive as a daily driver? Instead or fussing with all this current setup up front and installing gears, I'm just thinking about doing a SAS. Why do/pay for something twice?

Can I use my stock transfercase for the time being? I know I will need new driveshafts front and rear. What do you all think of the Currie axles? Will it work?

Rick, I want to go with a similar set-up like yours, any suggestions? Rick if it's not too much trouble (I seriously don't want to knock-off all your hard work and research, etc, but I'm new at this and need all the help I can get) can you zip up all detailed photos of your setup up front and email them to me so I can start working on some plans. Thank you!

 

[RFR2212]

Yes... SAS can very easily be used as daily drivers....


Did ya search? Cause i know there's new guys who got SAS under em... fergot their names but search.... I believe the easiest way, is leaf springs...
Pete

 

[Randall]

Originally posted by Xplodor
Hey everyone,
How does the X's drive with a Solid Axle up front? Rick, is it safe to run as a daily driver?

I run mine as a daily driver. Rides better, and I no longer have to worry about it constantly going out of alignment or the bearings coming loose.

If I use my warrior shackels, 4" Superlift springs and do a SOA in the rear I would need around 9" up front to level it out right?

No, that will put you at about 11 inches. For the rear on mine, I used the stock springs, a Rancho add a leaf, and the warrior shackles to get about 9"

If I fabbed swaybars, would it be safe to drive as a daily driver? Instead or fussing with all this current setup up front and installing gears, I'm just thinking about doing a SAS. Why do/pay for something twice?

Sway bars? what are those? Seriously, I haven't had them for a long time. No real need for them as long as you can drive like a normal human being around corners (which some would accuse me of being incapable ). Just run some Rancho RS9000's, and crank them up until you feel comfortable.

Can I use my stock transfercase for the time being? I know I will need new driveshafts front and rear.

I still am. I still have the stock driveshafts too. I had to lengthen the rear one a bit, and shorten the front one a tad.

What do you all think of the Currie axles? Will it work?

Currie = $$$$$

Rick, I want to go with a similar set-up like yours, any suggestions? Rick if it's not too much trouble (I seriously don't want to knock-off all your hard work and research, etc, but I'm new at this and need all the help I can get) can you zip up all detailed photos of your setup up front and email them to me so I can start working on some plans. Thank you!

I can't help you with Rick's, but here is a link to mine:
Demon4x4.com/Tech/Dana44.htm

 

[CoryL]

Originally posted by Xplodor

How does the X's drive with a Solid Axle up front? Rick, is it safe to run as a daily driver? If I use my warrior shackels, 4" Superlift springs and do a SOA in the rear I would need around 9" up front to level it out right? If I fabbed swaybars, would it be safe to drive as a daily driver? Instead or fussing with all this current setup up front and installing gears, I'm just thinking about doing a SAS. Why do/pay for something twice?

Mine handles fine. I've diven it on road twice. If I had a return-to-center hydrostatic steering unit, it would be a lot safer. Mine is trailer trash, so it never gets driven on the road.

As for the amount of lift. There should be no set number. Do what you gotta do to clear the tires you want to clear. I would suggest less lift and more trimming of fenders.

Can I use my stock transfercase for the time being? I know I will need new driveshafts front and rear. What do you all think of the Currie axles? Will it work?

Yes. You can retain your stock t-case until you need a lower low range or until you destroy it. Whatever comes first.

Currie sells a variety of axles. They sell front and rear 9", D44s, D60s and variations of each. Personally I feel they are overpriced.

Choosing an axle should be based on a few things.

1) Tire size and width you plan on running.
2) The motor you have.
3) The overall weight of the vehicle.
4) The gearing you want.
5) If you want high-pinion or not (it'll help your driveshaft angle and be stronger in the front. Leave the rear alone.)
6) The amount of money in your checking account.

For a 9" or D44, the max tire size would be a 37".

I would check into any of the following places.

1) Sunray Engineering
2) Dynatrac
3) Currie
4) Tri-county Gear mabye?
5) There is another one I can't think of right now.

Rick, I want to go with a similar set-up like yours, any suggestions? Rick if it's not too much trouble (I seriously don't want to knock-off all your hard work and research, etc, but I'm new at this and need all the help I can get) can you zip up all detailed photos of your setup up front and email them to me so I can start working on some plans. Thank you!

My Explorer Build-Up

 

[Xplodor]

Ok, I have the 4.0 SOHC. I will be running 35s until they wear out. I may go bigger later on.

What about steering components? That's what I don't understand how that all works... I want to go coilovers. I'm looking for about the same travel that Rick has, so what spring pack do I run in the back, and what size coils in front? Should I go with 4.88 gears instead of 4.56?

How many inches wide should the Axle be if I buy a Dana 44 from Curie? i want it the same as the 8.8 rear I gues, so anyone know what size I should order it if I decide to proceed?

 

[ok89]

Your doing this to your 2001? None of those pictures are going to help much because the front end changed. Oso_polar i think is the guy with a late model explorer with a solid front axle.

 

[Xplodor]

Nope, I don't think any of the Venezualin guys did a SAS... I have power assist steering, do I have to swap that out for a steering box similar to jeeps and use a drop pitman arm?

 

[Jason_25]

Only 2 people to my knowledge have ever done a SAS on this type of vehicle. Chola From Argentina, grey sport. And Retard from the offroadrangers board, he has a 98 Ranger. Both used D44's up front.

 

[MrMatt]

Xplodor,

Yeah a friend of OsO_Polar did a SAS on his newer model. OK98 is right in saying none of these older model swap pics are going to help you mutch, your working with a complelty different animal there.

Good luck on the project though, I like the newer body styles better so a solid axle in them would rule in my opinion

On a side note, whats a generaly figure cash wise for a solid axle swap in a 91? I know it can vary just looking for a very vauge estimate.

-Matt

 

[Rick]

I agree, the late model is totally different and the old style photos won't help much.

Oso_Polars friend used leaf springs in his conversion. He never sent detailed photos so we couldn't see what he did for a steering system.

Click on the link in my signature for photos of my swap. Actually this link is the one that shows the coil overs: Dead Link Removed

 

[Xplodor]

Thanks for all the help guys...

If anyone has any ideas on steering components let me know, I think the rest will be straight forward. I crawled under the truck last night and is sure is messy under there. I'm going to have the cut the front end up and then weld in additional support braces... I'm just getting sick of this IFS, it just got out of alignment, and I'm not going to dump $1200 additional dollars in something that is obsolite (gears, lockers, etc...). I guess it's time to start saving more money. Let me know if you guys can think of anything that may help.

Rick, where did you get your coilsovers from, do you know how much they were? I like the way yours is set up with all the braces and such. I'd like to integrate that into mine, but I know there will be a lot of revisions.

I'll be sure that I note dimensions and take photos of the conversion of all the brakets and post them on here so everyone can have acess to it.

Sincerely,

 

[Rick]

I got my Bilstein coilovers from FST. They are are distributer for Bilstein. They did all the fab work.

 

[CoryL]

I just want to let you know you are in for a long road of hard work and lots of changes of mind. We're talking a few months probably.

Designing a suspension that will work is hard enough, building it will be even harder, especially since you've never done it before.

However, when you get done with it, you will feel great.

If you look at the link I provided, it will help you out some with what I went through.

 

[JoshC]

Would running 33's be waste of time if you did a solid axle up front?

Happy trails!!

 

[CoryL]

If you were running a D30 solid axle, I would say no.

If you are running a D44 I would be inclined to say yes. I think a 35" tire should be the minimum for a D44.

If you are running a D60, I think the minimum tire size should be a 37".

 

[Xplodor]

I have my 35s sitting right now eager to be put on. I'm excited, but scared on how I'm going to set up the steering. I'm actually contiplating going to the junk yard and picking up a rolling chassis if not just the front end to do all the test fitting/fabbing on since I want minimal downtime. Anyone have pictures of their steering components? Do the first gens come with a steering box not the rack and pinion? Thanks for all the help and advise!!!

 

[JoshC]

I'm with you Ron, i'm anxious on how to setup the steering too. Steering is my weakest field i think, so i need all the info i can get in.

Cory--been talking with the wife and i think i'll end up going with a SFA next year some time. I'm leaning more towards the d30hp. Might sound a bit wierd, but i think i that will best suit my needs. right now 33's are what i want, and i can always go up from there even with the d30 cause i plan on upgrading the shafts before the axle even goes in. What do you think? Could you help us out on a good setup for a steering system? Thanks bud.

Happy trails!!

 

[CoryL]

For the third time...

Check out my site for full hydro steering setup.

As for regular power steering, no matter what you do you are going to run into problems.

Retard was running a Jeep Waggy steering box with his stock Ranger (Rack and pinion) pump and it was blowing off the cap on the box. He ended up going to a pump with less pressure (like a pump off of a TTB setup) and so far as I know, its ok.

You will have to adapt the steering linkage no matter what though I believe.

Steering would be the last thing I would do though.

 

[CoryL]

Originally posted by JoshC
I'm with you Ron, i'm anxious on how to setup the steering too. Steering is my weakest field i think, so i need all the info i can get in.

Cory--been talking with the wife and i think i'll end up going with a SFA next year some time. I'm leaning more towards the d30hp. Might sound a bit wierd, but i think i that will best suit my needs. right now 33's are what i want, and i can always go up from there even with the d30 cause i plan on upgrading the shafts before the axle even goes in. What do you think? Could you help us out on a good setup for a steering system? Thanks bud.

Happy trails!!

A D30 would be fine. They are easy and cheap to get and can handle 33s no problem. Infact, I had a friend crawl up "Rock Garden" in Tellico in his BII with a D30 front and 35s. He loves the skinny pedal too!!!

You thinking leafs or coils? You gonna do the swap?

I want to be able to screw around with different setups, but that requires me having a vehicle to screw around with. To really get it figured out I would need the rig for a while.

 

[JoshC]

Well i was leaning towards leafs, but now i'm leaning towards coils. I know it is more work, but heck, since i'm doing a complete make over, might as well spend the extra time for the coils and make it worth it. The thing i think i'll run in to a problem with is finding a coil that gives me the right amount of lift to match the rear. I've already got the rear set up for SOA so i can do that in 30 minutes. So i'm going to have to find a coil set up that will be close. I was thinking about coil buckets and all the suspension set up from like a grand cherokee or something like that. Then i could buy the coils for a much cheaper price and would have a wide variety of sizes to choose from. Make sense? What would you have in mind? What does your friend have on his setup on the B2. I'd like to see his setup, do you know if he has any pictures on line?

I plan on doing most of this myself, it just depends though. I know there is no way i will be able to do this all myself. I've still got a while before that though. I want to get most of the parts that i can first, except for the steering cause that goes on last anyways.

Happy trails!!