Bkennedy's SAS and Rebuild Thread | Page 52 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Bkennedy's SAS and Rebuild Thread

As some of you know, I am working on building a parts list for a shortened Dana 44, long radius arm with coil overs SAS. 5:13 gears to match my rear axle and an ARB, maybe an electric locker. I have a pretty good list so far. At the same time, I am going to swap out the rear drum brakes for discs off of a 99 Explorer.

Please note: The plan is to keep this project as simple as possible with mostly off the shelf parts. I am not a fabricator, just a decent welder with a what I would consider the minimum required tools (chop saw, cut off wheels, air tools, welder, etc.), who likes doing his own work. Your opinions are welcome, but what I really need is technical advice. I have been thinking about this for several years and now have the time and cash to make it happen. Please keep on topic with your advice and don't go off on a side track about how you would do it as a four-link, or caged arms, or leave the axle full-width because that is not what I want. I want a simple-ish set up that works.
 



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:frospecta You have the best built Ex TO date!
 



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Wish I had seen this before I started building my rack. Might have skipped over it but what size EMT did you use? Used 3/4" and 1/2" tubing for mine, which is still in it's build process...looks great!
Used 3/4" for all but the floor which is 1/2".
 












Chasing the Jeeps off the RTI ramp at TDS







Seriously, you should have seen them scatter! There was a Cherokee driving up the other side when I drove up on the ramp. He backed off quickly. A black 4 door Jeep who was hogging the ramp just prior to me driving up, had driven around for another try and left while my friend's were taking pictures. I wish Rick was there so he could have driven over the ramp.
 






haha. Silly Jeepers
 






Very nice!
They probably didn't want any photographic proof of being shown up.
 






Nice! It works great man!
 






Did a complete redo on the Green Machine's (Mike's) Jeep the past two days. We spent about ten hours a day on the dang thing. Repaired the broken carrier mount with a new double sheer spindle mount, moved the tire as far to the passenger side as it would go, moved the tire carrier in so the tire contacts the carrier tubing for stability, leaned the tire in at the top slightly to move the weight as far forward as possible, added a gas can carrier / multi-mount, new CB antenna mount, new hi-lift mount, and got rid of the old latch and used a plain old fashioned bolt. It came out great. There is not much room on the back of those Jeeps. He wanted two gas cans and a rack up top. Settled for one gas can and no rack. Still trying to figure out a light weight rack to put above the tire for off road camping trips. There is not much room in those little Jeeps.

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I'll get Mike to send me a picture when its all cleaned up and painted. We ran out of time so he borrowed one of my angle grinders to finish it up at home.
 






Is that the Comp4x4 spindle with double shear mount? What diameter spindle? I've been looking at some of the spindles they offer for mine. But with the double shear mount the tire gate isn't coming off anymore, right? What broke on it that required repairing?
 






Looks like a trailgear bumper/ carrier?
 






Comp4x4.com. It arrived with two press-on zerk fittings that are slightly above each bearing race. When you apply grease, it pushed it directly into the bearing, which means you don't have to fill the housing up with grease.
http://www.comp4x4.com/Tire-Carrier-Hinge-Kit-With-Dual-Shear-Bracket-Weld-On-Version-Std.-Duty.html
If building a plate bumper, I would suggest the bolt on type of double sheer, but with the round tubing we went with the weld in type. Tire carrier can't be removed after welding on the double sheer mount, unless you cut it off. I was coming up with a way to make it bolt on, with tapping threads in the mount and welding a different plate to the bumper when Mike said "just weld the thing on already". Its his bumper, so if it needs servicing in the future, it needs to be cut off. I have been thinking about it, and I really don't see why it would need to be removed, except to redo it again. The bearings are not going to wear out since they only turn about 3/4 of a circle their entire life, and have nearly no strain on them with the double sheer mount. A bronze bushing between two tabs would probably do the same thing, just not look as fancy. The double sheer mount also acts as a stop, keeping the rack off the body. Now, the only movement in the bumper is the paper thin Jeep frame end flexing. Whoever mounted the bumper used 3/8" grade 5 bolts. Drilled out the holes to 1/2" and used grade 8 bolts. 7/16" would have worked fine, as there is eight bolts, but I had the 1/2" bolts on hand.

The spindle sleeve made it much easier to work with.

What broke was the poor design of the original mount. It had a large bolt into a threaded plug that was welded into the bumper. Also a latch type lock on the other end that was constantly coming loose because it was not straight to the bumper so it would wiggle loose. It got loose and wiggled until the bolt snapped. The latch mount was also cracked all the way around the welds, so it was trying to break as well. It was on borrowed time the day it left manufacturer, which we haven't been able to ascertain. There is no stamping, tag, nothing, to indicate manufacturer. Not too proud of their work.
 






Mike is having suspension and transfer case issues with the Green Machine. No 4 hi, and its squatting in the front with an interesting vibration above 60 mph. He has a neighbor that is a Jeep guy who owns a automotive shop. I suggested he take it to him and leave it there until its all fixed. Jeep has a 6" Rubicon Express long travel kit on it, but I think its too tall, and its been beat by Mike and the previous owner. He needs to use the money he saved having a buddy with a welder and spend it on the suspension/transfer case. It would be worth $1000 to have 4 hi, and a tuned suspension/drive line.
 






The original bumper looks like a trail gear. I had one on one of our ljs. It was really reasonable for a tire carrier bumper $285 or something if I remember correctly. They don't make them anymore though. The quality wasn't the best, but it was really cheap- so I was happy. I would have had a hard time building it for that.
 






a tire carrier bumper $285 or something if I remember correctly. They don't make them anymore though. The quality wasn't the best, but it was really cheap- so I was happy. I would have had a hard time building it for that.
Hell $285 is cost alone on tubing now a days. I wish i could go back to 2000-2004 and cash out my 401k and buy loads of tube with it- stick it in dad's barn and sit on it for 10 years then sell it. :D
 






Mike is buying one of those receiver racks from Harbor Freight today. It can be easily modified for a "above the tire" rack for light stuff. We are going make it removable so it will only be used when needed. I have an idea to use the stock tail gate tire mounts to keep the weight off the bumper. I found a coupon for $39.99. There is no way it could be made for that.
 






Noticed the master cylinder on the Explorer is leaking. It never worked right. I found several options. I know for the rear disc brake conversion the correct MC is no proportioning valve, no cruise control. I noticed there is a 2 and 4 door versions. What could possibly be the difference? The 2 door version no cruise, no proportioning is readily available, 4 door not so much.
 






Only difference between a 2 door and 4 door is length. Maybe it has to push fluid farther? :dunno :

My truck did not come with cruise. But I'm told the master is the same.
 






Only difference between a 2 door and 4 door is length. Maybe it has to push fluid farther? :dunno :

My truck did not come with cruise. But I'm told the master is the same.

Master with cruise has a fitting in the top for cruise control connection. I plugged the hole on the last MC.
 






Prop valve is inside the abs hcu on the 2nd Gens with disc 8.8

I had to add a rear prop valve with the abs delete on the 2nd gen.

I did the disc 8.8 swap on the 94 and didn't change the master, and works perfect.

91-93 doing the disc 8.8 swap need to change the master because they don't have the big lunky hcu like 94+ has. I have noticed people installing a 95 master on the 91-93 swaps, but the 94 can use the stock master without issue.

I imagine an 94 xl without cruise or a manual without cruise, would work, but if you have cruise, it won't hurt to use a master with cruise.
 



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Is the HCU you are referring to the ABS pump thingy? If so, it was removed for the SAS. I used to have cruise control, but I took that out since I haven't used it in ten years and I needed the space.

I had my original MC in there when I did the swap, and it did not work very well, so I went with a 99 after reading up on several disc brake swaps in the forum. Stic-O has a 99, and has the same brake setup front and rear as mine, and does not have any pedal pressure issues like I do. Still did not work very well, so I added a proportioning valve, which helped a lot, but still not as good as it should be. Now that the 99 MC is leaking, I have a chance to change it out, and was thinking of doing something different. Maybe I just got a bad one to start. I also have a new-in-box 94 F-150 MC that I was thinking of trying, but I don't know if it will work with the booster. The mount is the same, but the MC is longer than a Explorer unit. As an added bonus, the lines connect on the engine side, making it easier to remove the top bolt on the coil over shock hoop (shock is between the front and rear brake line MC mounts).
 






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