Damarble's 01 Sport, coil sprung HP D30 SAS, SOA, 33s, 4.56s, lockers

Just finished the rear axle today, SOA with Aussie locker and 4.56 gears. Rear springs are shot from towing and still need to be replaced. Also I need to weld shock mounts on the axle. This will all be done after the front axle is installed. It is a HP Dana 30 with gears and a locker to be added in a few months. Front suspension will be a Y-link with XJ coils and Ballistic brackets. Steering and panhard will be stock XJ for now. Tires are 33/12.5/15 Interco Truxus M/Ts on Soft 8 wheels with stock Ford center caps.

 

[GRNMACHINE]

This build is incredible and I havent even finished reading all the pages. Subscribing

 

[damarble]

Thanks! But I'm just a guy with a garage, a welder and a dream. Nothing any other guy couldn't do.

Got my new turbo (next to factory):

And before I hear any comments about the booze boxes, I picked them up empty for moving!

 

[Kirby N.]

lush

 

[GRNMACHINE]

Buschmann's?????????????????

And no I disagree, not any guy could do what you have done....

I am partial to Shasta

 

[damarble]

Buschmann's?????????????????

Never tried it, not really a vodka fan, more of a whiskey guy.

Thanks for the props!

 

[iammattchew]

So, after that lame excuse for the booze... have you gotten anywhere with this build?! I like it... a looot.

 

[crazyflights]

Impressed!! Any updates

 

[damarble]

No real updates related to the truck. Life got in the way, since I last posted I'm on my fourth job this year (and hopefully last for a long time, I like this place), I bought a house, got engaged and am going to be a dad.

I am considering a different transmission adapter that another guy is making, he needs some testers. It puts the starter back on the passenger side where it belongs and solves my exhaust routing issues. Should be able to start testing around Feb if it goes through.



Oh and I also put a ton of hours into building this for a friend. Not doing another WJ again!

If you look closely there's a lever on top on the driver side. There's no way to get your hand up behind the bumper to get the hitch pin in and out of the receiver. So I designed a sliding spring loaded pin moved by the lever.

 

[damarble]

Plans have a way of changing. Shelving this one for a while and admitting it's a long term project. Changing directions a little too. Swapping the full width axles and suspension under my 91 Ex to build a wheeler. The width was buggin me anyway, so I'm going narrow again. Waggy 44 front and Exy 8.8 rear with wheel adapters/spacers probably to get 62" wms vs the 66" wms now. Once done it will not be a trail rig, so the extra strength of the high pinion 44 won't be needed. Also thinking I might drop the tire size and lift a little lower, maybe 33's.

 

[damarble]

Another idea I'm kicking around is going back to IFS. But with a fully custom long travel setup using an 8.8 front or something.

 

[ZakyJ]

my god almighty......
subscribing...
hope work on it picks back up soon

 

[damarble]

Thanks. It may be picking up a bit over the winter, there's a new guy in the trans adapter game and he's shipping adapters now.

I'm no realizing why it takes guys much longer to build stuff when they have kids, little buggers take up so much time.

 

[01STrunner]

Just spent the last hour reading this entire thread. This is one of the best documented SAS's and I love that you have the same frame "stuff" as my ST. Can't wait for this summer so I can get my IFS outta the way. Great looking Ex!!

 

[damarble]

Thanks .

A Dana 30 from a Jeep swaps so easy into these. It may not be a strength upgrade but the ease of lifting and newfound articulation are welcome. It looks like it would go into a 1st gen even easier, I might end up doing one here soon.

 

[damarble]

So this project has been dead in the water for a while now. I moved the diesel to an F150, sold the axles to a friend, and the Ex has been pushed to the back of the garage since.

I was contemplating selling it, but won't get anything the way it sits. Making it drive-able would get a better price but also take a lot of time and money that I won't get back.

So I got to thinking, instead of tearing out the drivetrain and axles from my 91 to go bigger, why not sell it as it is and put that money into this one for my wheeler? It might be be a little "too nice" but after seeing a guy on pirate butcher a newer Sport Trac cab it doesn't seem like a terrible plan.

So what say you all? 351W run off a 5.0L Ex harness, T19 4spd, my custom Jeep/Ford NP208, 9" front with D50 outers, D60 FF rear. I have all this stuff, just have to put it together.

 

[01STrunner]

I have to say that wheeling my Trac after the SAS opens up to a of new opportunities as far as different trails you can run. It sounds like you have a solid drivetrain and axles already waiting to be swapped in so why not.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

I'll be watching this build even closer now since you're thinking about putting a 351w in it. I have a '89 F-250 with a 351w, C6 and 1356 manual transfer case to go in my '03 Sport Trac after I do my SAS.

 

[damarble]

I haven't got into the details of it but I assume a 5.0L harness will swap right over and I assume a 351 will run on it.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

Not sure about that, there's a bunch of members on the 1st Gen sport Trac section that have tons of experience doing V8 swaps ( doing one right now called "not Nother V8 swap"). Check it out. I'll be using damn near everything from the F-250 that I'll need on mine, might even transfer the gauge cluster over just so everything is plug and play from the engine to the cluster. I'll be removing all the emissions b.s. Since there's no ecu to worry about.

 

[damarble]

I'll check that out. I also have the entire donor truck (F150 in my case) harness, gauges, and even full dash but I'd like to make it run on the newer stuff. The downside of the older trucks is the speed density which doesn't respond well to power mods. If I can get it to run with the Explorer MAF I can make some real power.