Darkness's new project~ D44 & 9"

Well I have been planning for the longest time to cut and turn a d44 ttb and somehow make it fit where the d35 is but... not anymore much as I love the ttb frontend I had a deal I couldnt pass up fall in my lap so now its SAS w/ a d44 and 9" rear from a '79 f150 going under my truck
Current pics found here!

Current plan is...
D44
1:clean up/teardown DONE!
2:cut/narrrow (I'm not going to run a full width front) DONE!
3:reload it, new brakes/hubs/joints/inner shafts (one EB longside and f150 short side) possible locker/regear funds depending art Done, hubs, shafts, ujoints left to go
4:make it aimable, probably a early bronco steering setup or something semi custom
Steering on order

9" ON HOLD, going with the 8.8 and adapters for the current moment

1:clean all the rust off it (like the f150 frame thats sitting on it)
2:clean up/teardown
Added- Narrow it
3:figure out how to stop it, pick/figure out/fab brakes for it
4: maybe get new shafts/3rd member

Sounds simple right? Right... pics will be up by the end of this week for the project start

Note! I do know that the '79 d44 have cast ends and I am going to cut it down and it will work!

 

[hiridin]

y would u cut and narrow the front but not the back? it jus sounds like alot of trouble to go through and extra money to spend. it would be easier to leave the front full width and buy wheels with more back space on them which would suck the tires in like that. u do that and that would keep it from sticking the tires out too far. ...if thats your reason for cutting it down. what gears u going to go with? what size tires do u want to run? u going to lock the rear?

 

[CodePoet]

Good plan, but leave the d44 full lenght. Do a search, this swap has been covered many times (i'm doing the same swap ). BMXKing has a really good thread about this swap. You can convert to disk's on the 9", with d44 rotors, some caddy calipers (have parking break built in) and some fab'd brackets which aren't a big deal.

just do your homework...from the sound of it you have alot of it to do BUT it's not that bad

cp

 

[410Fortune]

You will be happy with the SAS. I have been back and forth for years, ttb or solid.
To me depends on what the truck is used for mainly as well as how crazy you are.

Autofab makes a bracket kit that you can use with a modified D44 TTBeams, fits under a D35 or D28 equipped rig and the base kit cycles like 18" with coil springs.
I want I want. It's $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
It is also brand new-ish although I do know he is installing them and/or selling them.

 

[Blee1099]

I've seen the axles first hand. Also with the plans he has for it in the near future, I can understand why he wants to cut down the axles. Another thing he has to consider is the legality in regards to wheels beyond the fenders or fender flares. Maryland doesn't have annual inspection but there are state emissions. From previous experiences I've noticed if your have a CEL, ABS, or 4WD light on that shouldn't normally, they will fail you on the spot. I had a ABS light on when my truck went thru emissions and they failed it regardless.

 

[hiridin]

with the plans he has for it in the near future, I can understand why he wants to cut down the axles. Another thing he has to consider is the legality in regards to wheels beyond the fenders or fender flares. QUOTE]

ya but unless i missed something it sounds like he only has plans to cut down the dana 44 not the 9". which would still put the back tires past the fenderwells... defeating the point of cutting down the front.

 

[Robb]

I am about 2.5 hours south of you, and have for sale:

-9" third with Detroit and 5.13s
-Detroit E-trac for the 44
-D44 (FW) Warn shafts with CTMs
-New Warn Premium hubs for the 44
-35" BFG MTs on 5x5.5 alloys
-new rad arm bushings, both ends (7*)

Let me know if you are interested in any of it.

Good Luck With The Build!!!

 

[Savage Wolf]

reason for the full width rear and not the front is that the explorer 8.8 has a narrower track then the front end, I figure the rear tires will be sticking out about 1" past the plastic stock flares on my truck with the full width 9", for the front the d44 sticks way too far out for something thats going to be driven on the road and backspacing would help.. to a point, but thats more $$ to spend on odd ball offest rims (and who said that I'm going to send the d44 out to be cut down? thats a inhouse job here )
Robb thanks for the offer but I dont like the electric locker (dont like the oddball covers they use too many things to go wrong with it) and if I lock the rear on my truck I perfer to have a slectable back there, my truck is going to be in the snow/ice if/when we get any

Gearing, will probably be going with 4.10 when I regear it, but its really a funds depending thing cause if I have the gears done, arb is going in the front and back and if I redo the rear gearing I'll just spend the $$ right the first time and get a loaded hi pinion 9" 3rd from Curry
Rear axle, should be ok from the eyeballing I did last week, but we will see how it looks when I have it under the truck, if think it sticks out too far it may get cut down to early bronco size as well...

Brakes, not doing the caddy/t-bird/mark swaps for the 9" I might go with ford explorer disks (yes I said ford explorer disks on the 9") but I cant say for sure untill the get the rear torn down so that will have to wait a few days till I get the rest of the f150 frame cut up and the axle out from under it

btw anyone want a '79 f150 4speed stick and tcase lol

 

[bmxking5]

Sounds like a nice plan. Sounds like it'll turn out awesome. Thanks for the compliment CP.

Robb, PM sent.

 

[redranger4.0]

waht are the widths on those axles? just get a 9" housng from a EB its will be about 59-60"

 

[Savage Wolf]

waht are the widths on those axles? just get a 9" housng from a EB its will be about 59-60"

yeah but trying to find a EB in this area... good luck, hell, hard enough finding a 9" is hard enough, street rodders around here scoop up 5.0's and 9" the day they hit the yards around here

 

[bmxking5]

That's too bad. 9" rears are EASY to find down here. Cheap too. If you really, really needed one, I could try to ship one up to you. I'm sure you could find one closer though.

 

[redranger4.0]

im using a EB rear end in my ranger and im going to have currie make me a housing that is trussed and skidplated might think about that. granted that im going to drop like 500 on the housing and i already have 350 in yukon 31 spline shafts, and a built 3rd member. i bought a axle planing to rebuild it and never even used it. i ended up buy brand new everything brakes, 3rd, housing shafts so..

 

[Savage Wolf]

Progress.... finally, started narrowing the '79 d44 (about to put the radius arm mount/outers in the oven for preheat now) and forget the full width 9" i'm just going to cut down the one out of the f150 down to EB size or use one of the other 2 9" axles i have now pics to follow soon!
now to go bake my axle

 

[IZwack]

Savage m'boy - I'm gonna have to come see this swap sometime

 

[Savage Wolf]

Savage m'boy - I'm gonna have to come see this swap sometime

well, i'm usualy working in m shop most nights and weekends, if you want i'll pm ya my cell number, i'm only about 10-15 mins from g-burg traffic depending

just got done putting the end back on the axle
Next i need to figure out all the angles for the new radius arm mounts, and what deg c-bushings i am going to need, lucky for me i have a early bronco i picked up over the winter to match stock solid axle mesurements off of

 

[FROADER]

Since you're going to switch to 5x5.5 you could get spacers/lug pattern changers...lol for the 8.8.
That will give you 2" right there in the width for the rear. Then with the right back spacing, you could be just as wide as a full 9" saving a ****load of money. $.02

 

[Savage Wolf]

Since you're going to switch to 5x5.5 you could get spacers/lug pattern changers...lol for the 8.8.
That will give you 2" right there in the width for the rear. Then with the right back spacing, you could be just as wide as a full 9" saving a ****load of money. $.02

I have though about that, been wondering if the narrower rear width on a stock setup is worth having for everyday/onroad drving

 

[IZwack]

well, i'm usualy working in m shop most nights and weekends, if you want i'll pm ya my cell number, i'm only about 10-15 mins from g-burg traffic depending

10-15 mins? Wow you're closer than I thought!

Yeah please PM me your cell number, I might stop by this weekend (Sunday?) just to see how you're doing your SAS. I also should snap a few shots and upload them for you - you have shown no pictures YET!! You know thats a crime when doing an SAS

 

[FROADER]

I know it's hard to see but that's my setup. Narrowed 44 up front and 8.8 with 1" spacer/lug pattern changer... Outside tire to outside tire measurement is 76 both front and rear.

Best picture I have to show it: