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full width axle question

Burns

Elite Explorer
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City, State
Pulaski, TN
Year, Model & Trim Level
1991 Explorer/2002 F-250
i know that there are several threads on full width and i get how to do the rear. but the front shows me several questions. i have a 78 f-150 and i am gonna use the front d44 and the rear 9inch. how is the front set up. i dont want to four link it but i think i can use the factory stuff of the 78 and put it on my X. also what about springs. help me there sittin in my back yard and i want it really bad and have been told by Rick that i wouldnt regret it so please help me.......
 



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Burns said:
i know that there are several threads on full width and i get how to do the rear. but the front shows me several questions. i have a 78 f-150 and i am gonna use the front d44 and the rear 9inch. how is the front set up. i dont want to four link it but i think i can use the factory stuff of the 78 and put it on my X. also what about springs. help me there sittin in my back yard and i want it really bad and have been told by Rick that i wouldnt regret it so please help me.......
You had a question? I see no "?"s.


Unless you plan on becoming really hardcore in the near future, you have no need for a 4-link. The stock Ford radius arm setup you have in the backyard is a tried-n-true setup, and can be modified for to become a great setup. Get the radius arms, the upper and lower coil buckets, and the radius arm-to-frame mounts off the '78, and you have most of the basics ready to go (outside of a panhard). For springs, james_t has some 3.5" JD springs for sale in the "for sale or trade" forum right now................if you are thinking about seriously going this route, go buy them off him now, they are SUPER cheap.
 






The setup on that 78 is really similar to your Explorer. It has radius arms, and coils springs/buckets/etc. You really just need to swap out your coil buckets for bigger ones to fit the bigger size coils, use radius arm to frame mount as Robb pointed out, and put a trac bar mount on the frame. Of course it sounds easier than it really is, but it really isn't all that bad (atleast I don't think it is :D) Those springs are super cheap and if you know what you're doing with the buckets, you can have ~8+ inches of lift with those same coils.
 












thanks guys for all the help so far. this looks like it wont be as bad as the lift i just done on it. also drive shafts what has anyone done im guessin that they will be needed to be longer. but i got my dad intrested and he was throwin out all kinds of ideas. he was even tellin me how to set up hydrolic steerin.
 






Move the d44 up 1.5-2"s and you can reuse your stock front ds. Get a new slip yoke for the rear and you can reuse that!

I'm putting basically the same axles on as you, a 79 d44, and 78 9". I am re-using the stock explorer ra brackets, extending the radius arms 8-12"s for better flex, using stock bronco buckets, stock bronco/f150 trac bar (will be modified for my application). About the only "custom" part i'm going to need is a trac bar mount...and that can even be made by modifiying/strenghtening the stock f150's trac bar mount :). For the rear i'm removing my aal and doing an soa.

Not too hard AND while others have spent upwards of 10k on their swap, i'll have just around 2k all in all, probably less, and have just as good of a rig :D (until of course you get with the guys with linked front and rear suspensons haha)
 






Exactly what i did so far im about 800-900 deep into my swap but i havent done gears yet. Plus i still need a 44 1310 yoke but they are like 10 bucks on broncograve yard.Ill have my pops do the gears :D . So i should be well under the 2k mark when im fully complete.
 






so far i havent had to spend any money so that only thing i need is the drive shaft stuff and thats about it.
 






What do you have a full size just waiting for ya to strip lying around?
 






well it belonged to my dads uncle and he passed away and i got it intinatly to put my 53 ford f-100 on but i decided to use the 53 frame. i had already removed all the body and it is now just sittin around in the back yard behind the builing with my 53 and i was inspired when i was told i would never regret doit it and was lookin around and i happen to think i had it.....
 






splodo49
great info on how you did yours but how did u do the drive shafts??????
 






Why did this get moved after three days????????????????????
 






does anyone know about the drive shaft extensions.... also what about the rear springs????
 






tom woods for the slip yoke i beleive.
stock rear springs, SOA'd
 






I'm gonna be running the stock springs with an AAL (for now cuz I don't want the axle wrap of lift blocks) and SOA. So a total of about 7-8 inches. The slip yoke is from (this is from Jrgaylor and some links I found of other places to buy it, etc)...

Longer Slip-Yoke w/ New U-Joints
NDP N2-3-8021KX Slip yoke 45.98 (Brand - NEAPCO)
"The U-Joint" in Chehalis, WA
Phone number = 360-748-4411
-http://westrans.shop2.mtsyellowpages.com/product.php?txtCatID=148&txtProdID=15151 $100
-http://www.sandstruck.com/catalog/driveline/slipyokes.htm
NUJ 1-0153 Kit*(3200A) 8.50 – U-joints
NUJ 1-0134 Kit*(3275AE) 16.40 – U-joints
 






Thanks for the clarification bmx...good info :)
 






No prob. It's too bad I have all this info and haven't been able to put it to use yet. Hopefully that will change tomorrow. :)
 












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