HP D44/9" on the way

[CodePoet]

Hey all, thought i'd fill yall in on what's up with cp's rig. Some of you may know that I bought a brand spankin new f150 this Feburary. I did however keep my expo, since i've been waiting for the day where I could turn it into a full time trail rig...that day has come.

I bought a 1979 HP D44 (with trac bar and ra's) a month ago and am going to start the process of rebuilding it soon (i'm getting married next weekend so funds/time has been tight). I have decided to keep it full width and match it up with a rear 9 inch. I'm going to run 5.13 gears with a 35" tire. As far as suspension goes, i'm in the process of learning and will soon be designing it. I'm going to extend the stock 79 ra's at least 8" but might go up to 12 inches since I'd like push the axle 4"s forward of the stock location. I'm going to run heims on the ends of my ra's with mounts i'll make out of 2x4 stock. I've heard that 70-73 F100 coil buckets push the springs out enough to mount the springs without having to shim out the buckets like I would with a bronco spring mount. The rear will be an soa and I may remove the aal to help soften up the leafs for better flex. In the front i'm going to run the softest spring I can. As far as traction aids, the rear will be fully locked, possibly spooled. As far as the front...im' not sure yet. I don't want to be breaking parts left and right but am afraid if I get a locker up there it will do just that, so I may run it open until i can save up for alloy shafts.

If anyone has run a stock d44, with 5.13 gears and 35" tires with a locker PLEASE let me know your impression of it's durability...i'd really love to lock both axles right off the bat

Well...there it is...my plan, still up for revision but I think it's a decent start, let me know what you think!

cp

 

[Nate1]

NOBODY, I MEAN NOBODY, CARES ABOUT YOUR (weak) SAS.

 

[CodePoet]

Thanks Nate!!!

 

[j602]

CP is a tightwad. He will never finish this.

 

[IZwack]

That sounds great! PleaseEEE dont forget to do the full write up !!! include every detail - like how many breaths u take between each step! Congrats on getting married!!!

 

[CodePoet]

HAHA i'll get it done...just take a year or two lolol

 

[CodePoet]

welp just to let yall know...I am picking up a 78 Ford 9" next month for 75 bucks. Also MAY buy a set of bronco buckets off the dude i'm gettin the axle from so that means...all i need is springs and i'll be ready to mock it all up!

I beleive i'm going to weld the rear end (not going to be a street drivin rig). And i'm deffinilty still going to lock the front end. I have got the d44 torn down all the way and am starting that rebuild soon . Yeah it's takin awhile but there are more important things than my offroadin hobby...can't wait till its done though!!

 

[james t]

Put a locker in the front. You will be fine with stock shafts and 35's. Go buy a new set of Spicer ujoints and call it done.

 

[CodePoet]

That was my plan james. I HAVE to replace my long side shaft, the caps on the joint cam out and wallered the ears out. Other than that, breaks and bearings of course (look good but why skimp on bearings?) the axle is pretty good. I may also get a some bronco buckets for the front springs next month to that means all i'll need is springs and i'll be able to put the swap together!! Still have to regear and get tires but one step at a time

 

[bmxking5]

This is a similar swap to mine. Oh wait, it's the same exact swap. Other than the fact that I'm not welding the rear, I'm running 4.88s, and I'll probably run 37s right from the start since it'll be a street queen. (Just for anyone who doesn't know about my swap, it is NOT going to be a street queen. )

 

[CodePoet]

Progress So Far

1979 HP D44 W/ RA's, and Trac Bar

1978 Ford 9" out of a Bronco

My new flag bracket

The New F150 (aka burden lol)

Both the D44 and the 9" will be getting fully rebuilt, and painted. They will house 5.13 gears. The 9" will be getting spooled and the d44 will have a locker (I'm not building a street rig). I'm hopefully also going to swap a set of disks onto the 9"...i remember seeing a pirate post describing how to do it uber cheap (read cost of rotor, caliper and alittle plate steel). Planning on 35" tires like always. Nothing has changed too much, considering NOT running heims on the front and instead using the stock brackets and everything. The reason being is that i'm extending the ra's so heims aren't really gonna add alot there. I don't know if it's possibly/safe to wrist an extended ra...have to reaseach some more. Slow progress...unfortunatly not being rich means i have to do it as funds allow. It WILL be done by next year though LOL

Cp

 

[bmxking5]

It WILL be done by next year though

LMAO!!

svande8271(or some other numbers) extended his r/a's, added heims, and wristed them too. Nobody said anything was wrong with them and his seems to be pretty tough...so I don't see any problems with both (other than the insane amount of flex )

 

[CodePoet]

I may do it. Not sure heims will add anything considering i'll be extending the ra's, not that it will be difficult at all to put a heim on the ra with the way i'm doing them. The only down side to that is i'd have to fab new ra mounts, which again shouldn't be much of a problem. Eh well see haha

 

[james t]

There really isnt any point in wristing and extending. The whole idea of wristing an arm is to get awesome flex like a long arm but not have a physically long arm that gets hung up on everything. If you're just going to extend them then the heim will help but if you wrist then it really doesnt help much. Most folks do one or the other because both together are overkill. Either way, you will max out a 15" travel shock or coilbind before you hit the limits of a stock wristed arm.

 

[CodePoet]

That's kinda what i was thinking as well. We'll see how it does before i do anything. IF i can get around 15"s of travel i'll be happy as a pig in slop!

 

[CodePoet]

Well i finally started painting the axle today. Only got the caliper brackets and the diff cover finished but unfortunatly time was short.

I do have one question. I planning on putting a mini spool in the 9". I looked at them in jegs and it said that C-Clip eliminator is recomended (not required). I haven't found much about a C clip in the 9". Is this necessary??

cp

 

[james t]

There is no C-clip on a 9".

 

[CodePoet]

LOL that's what i was thinking...dang thing had me all cornfused

For some dumb ass reason i thought the next page had the eliminators for 9"s...it was for the 8.8's though, i guess i forgot I was ditching that hgahahaha