Front axle swap

[murrayexplorer]

Anyone- How much hassle would it be to rip out my stock front axle and replace with a straight axle off mid-80s Chevy fullsize. I've worked for three years in a machine shop with quite bit of fabrication experience but nothing automotive. Is there any special filler I would need to weld with in regards to axle housings if needed?

 

[91exploreron37]

Umm pretty much impossible since Chevy's have a passenger side drop pumpkin where as the explorers are drivers side drop. You can however swap in a early model Ford straight axle pretty easily.... Well it still involves a bit of fabrication.

Oh and welcome to the forum!

 

[damarble]

Not happening unless you want to swap out your t-case or retube the axle for a driver side drop.

 

[meterman1976]

watson solid axel is the best to use on an explorer, the closest to the same width as stock? im thinking odd doing the swap and the an soa in the rear.
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[damarble]

Early Bronco or late Jeep, with the EB axles a bit stronger but harder to find.

 

[murrayexplorer]

Oh, good point on the GM axle. For some reason I thought the diff was driver-side. My dad has a wrecked Chevy 4x4 and I have access to those parts. The SOA in the rear is just preferential only. I don't like the look of springs under the axle. Plus I wouldn't really have to buy anything, except maybe some spring perches and longer bolts to do the rear lift. Having to buy arched springs, I hear, is a little expensive.

 

[james t]

If your dads Chevy is an older model with a D44 (make sure its not a 10 bolt), then get the axle.

Find a drum brake early Bronco D44 for cheap. Take the calipers, spindles, and caliper brackets off the chevy and stick them on the EB axle. Go to autozone/junkyard and get a set of rotors and hubs off a 79-older F150. BAM you now have bolt on disc brakes that are 5 on 5.5 lug pattern. Take the axle shafts out of the chevy, stick the short side in the EB housing. Send the long side to Moser and have it cut down/resplined. BAM you now have stronger shafts that run the bigger 760 style ujoint.

All said and done you will have a stout D44 with all the best D44 parts for very little money.

 

[IZwack]

BAM you now have bolt on disc brakes that are 5 on 5.5 lug pattern.

Yes "BAM" -- just like that.




:

 

[james t]

Yes "BAM" -- just like that.




:

Sprinkle a little Lawry's seasoning on 'em and they'll taste good too.

 

[fischerry]

how bad was the chevy's reck, Why not switch the x body over to the chevy? and buy a ranger cab from the junk yard. and mount it to the x frame then you get two wheeler's?Arsoull did it with a ford f250...http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41314&highlight=x250

 

[4x4junkie]

If your dads Chevy is an older model with a D44 (make sure its not a 10 bolt), then get the axle.

Find a drum brake early Bronco D44 for cheap. Take the calipers, spindles, and caliper brackets off the chevy and stick them on the EB axle. Go to autozone/junkyard and get a set of rotors and hubs off a 79-older F150. BAM you now have bolt on disc brakes that are 5 on 5.5 lug pattern. Take the axle shafts out of the chevy, stick the short side in the EB housing. Send the long side to Moser and have it cut down/resplined. BAM you now have stronger shafts that run the bigger 760 style ujoint.

All said and done you will have a stout D44 with all the best D44 parts for very little money.

I kindof got the impression he wanted to go full width (not EB width).

'76-'79 F-150 or (fullsize) Bronco axle is all that stock, no need to mess with switching knuckles around, swapping this/that, resplining shafts, etc.

IMO, I don't think it's worth all that work to stay narrow-width, the strength difference between the two axles isn't large (D44 knuckles can be fitted to the stock axle if there is a wheelbearing or brake size concern).

 

[91exploreron37]

how bad was the chevy's reck, Why not switch the x body over to the chevy? and buy a ranger cab from the junk yard. and mount it to the x frame then you get two wheeler's?Arsoull did it with a ford f250...http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41314&highlight=x250

What a Ford on a Chevy frame! What have you been smoking

 

[james t]

IMO, I don't think it's worth all that work to stay narrow-width, the strength difference between the two axles isn't large (D44 knuckles can be fitted to the stock axle if there is a wheelbearing or brake size concern).

I dont think its worth it either, but some people want to stay stock width so they can drive on the street and not get hassled. Fullwidth with no tire coverage isnt a problem in my region but in some parts of the country it makes the thing a trailer queen. No doubt fullwidth F150 D44/9" is the cheapest and easiest way to go.

 

[meterman1976]

how much wider is the full with compared to the explorer, its my fun toy but still needs to be driven on the street. and im tired of the ttb, my front end is shot everything needs replaced, and from looking areound its about the same price to go to a straight axel.
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[damarble]

About 6". After adding wider wheels and tires your track will be about 12" wider than a bone stock X.

 

[james t]

how much wider is the full with compared to the explorer, its my fun toy but still needs to be driven on the street. and im tired of the ttb, my front end is shot everything needs replaced, and from looking areound its about the same price to go to a straight axel.
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As damarble said, X axles are roughly 60" and F150's are 66". For reference, my avatar is fullwidth, 36's on 15x8's with 3.5" of backspacing.

 

[meterman1976]

ok ill have to look at the laws in washington state, but i think that would have to be a trailer queen then
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[IZwack]

For what its worth: the term "full width" is kind of vague as there are different axles in different lengths that still fall under "full width". The Ford D60 is for example, 69.x inches wms-wms where as there are D44's in the lower to mid 60 inches wms-wms that are also full width. My last D44 was a rare breed that ended up at 67.7x inches.