JoshC's SAS #2

[IZwack]

Careful with those MotorCity parts -- I remember buying the pinion seal for an 8.8 and it did not fit. On the other hand, Motor City was the only axle seal the parts store had for the D44 and it worked fine in that situation.

 

[Kirby N.]

Anyone had anyluck with the Brute Force ujoints?? I got a couple today for the 44, they have a lifetime warrenty.

Bad Idea. You'll know when they explode. Pony up the cash and buy some spicer 760x (you probably have some in your old Dana 30). I have heard really bad things about them. I am running them in my 2x commutter. I read somewhere a club wasn't allowing people to run them because they were a hazard when they exploded???? That might have been a stretch, but still the spicers are only $20.

You do bring up some good points Kirby. I'd have to say my main two reasons are full width and hubs. It's hard to make a sharp turn in 2wd with out the locker engaging in the front. I've got no problems with the D30 really, i have busted 1 outter shaft and one ujoint at seperate times.

Cory did do a pretty good job at building the suspension, but he built my links to short and it's limiting my flex. My lower arms don't even come close to being as long as they needed to be.

I know I am being a skeptic and a discouragement, but maybe I can save you some discouragement in the future.

If you were breaking dana 30 outer shafts and Ujoints, you will probably break a Dana 44 outer shaft and Ujoint. Believe me I am speaking from my own frustration, I am breaking Dana 44 joints and shafts.

Sure the housing bearings, r/p etc. are stronger, but who has problems with that on the 30? Josh wasn't.

With what I know now, I wish I had put in a Dana 60. That way I wouldn't have to Pony up for CTMs and Chromolys. I think Josh will find he has the same problems with the 44 he had with the 30.

That being said, I flog ( I mean really flog) my 8.8 and it hasn't really had any problems yet. 37s and Trac lock. When it gets a locker it might explode, but so will a 9" of equal splines. The nice thing about the 9" is that the wheel won't fall off when it does pop those shafts- hardly seems worth the swap for that. I carry a shaft. 9" or 8.8 you have to take it apart when you explode a shaft, 8.8 you just got to have a spare with you too.


All this to say? I think you will wish you put in a D60- I do. Or you will just pony up and buy the $500 chromolys, which you could do with the Dana 30 and save some serious effort. Add a warn hub conversion too.


Sorry, do what you want. Really, all I want to do it help. I don't want you to get that Dana 44 in there and discover it was a waste of time, or wish you would have done a Dana 60. (save you my frustration).

 

[j602]

Just go fawkin' 1 tons.

 

[JoshC]

No i really appriciate the honestly Kirby, not many people bring up those points. I really haven't had a problem with breaking shafts on the D30, just the last time i went out i broke both sides (i think). I really really wanted FW if not all around just in the front. This thing was just to top heavy with the cage IMO.

I did find a local rear D60 for 150 i think. That's a hell of a deal!

I'll watch out for those bearings and seals IZ, thanks for the heads up.

I did get that measurement redranger--28" to the center of the heims on the lower arm. Just way to short i think.

 

[redranger4.0]

No i really appriciate the honestly Kirby, not many people bring up those points. I really haven't had a problem with breaking shafts on the D30, just the last time i went out i broke both sides (i think). I really really wanted FW if not all around just in the front. This thing was just to top heavy with the cage IMO.

I did find a local rear D60 for 150 i think. That's a hell of a deal!

I'll watch out for those bearings and seals IZ, thanks for the heads up.

I did get that measurement redranger--28" to the center of the heims on the lower arm. Just way to short i think.

yea my lower arms are 35", but they arent in yet so we will see how it goes

 

[JoshC]

How are you setting up your front end?

I'm really not wanting to stick to the traditional radius arm with bushing on the end setup. I want something else.

 

[Yomie]

Josh on my FW D44, i'm running the radius arm extended with Johnny joints. Full length my arms will be about 48" long, something to think about

 

[redranger4.0]

im building a 3 link with pan hard. im using flex joints on all ends of the links.

 

[JoshC]

Reggie, what's up buddy? That's exactly what i had in mind, but i was leary of welding to the cast radius arms. I'm now leaning more to what redranger is doing to his.

I read on another forum where where the axle tubes on most of these D44's is DOM, does that sound right?

 

[Yomie]

034x4 has been doing all of my cast welding, with nickel rod.

They actually make 12" radius arm extentions that you weld to the cast, the extention is 1.5" solid tubing which sleeves over where the bushing mounts on the RA.

I'm not too sure about the tubes. but i do know if you get a HD D44 the tubes are thick as heck. I'm using a HPD44 with 8-lug outers

If you look at my picture closely, it is a stock radius arm with a steel radius arm extention which is 1.5" solid tubing. I took a 15" long piece of 2" .250 wall DOM and sleeved the extention welded both ends and also have 4 plug welds in it. i then notched the 2" DOM to fit the 2 5/8" johnny joints

 

[IZwack]

... i was leary of welding to the cast radius arms.

Yeah welding to cast is no problem using a hi nickel rod. I welded the tabs for the upper link to the top of the differential and its held up so far

 

[Robb]

Hey Josh,

I have a set of Warn shafts with CTMs sitting around somewhere we can probably work out a deal on. If you are interested, shoot me an email and I will dig them out this weekend.

Truck looks nice!!!

 

[Kirby N.]

034x4 has been doing all of my cast welding, with nickel rod.

They actually make 12" radius arm extentions that you weld to the cast, the extention is 1.5" solid tubing which sleeves over where the bushing mounts on the RA.

I'm not too sure about the tubes. but i do know if you get a HD D44 the tubes are thick as heck. I'm using a HPD44 with 8-lug outers

If you look at my picture closely, it is a stock radius arm with a steel radius arm extention which is 1.5" solid tubing. I took a 15" long piece of 2" .250 wall DOM and sleeved the extention welded both ends and also have 4 plug welds in it. i then notched the 2" DOM to fit the 2 5/8" johnny joints

76 and 77 F150 (non-hd) have 1/2" Thick Axle Tubes (that is what mine are). Later models are not nearly as thick.

 

[redranger4.0]

Reggie, what's up buddy? That's exactly what i had in mind, but i was leary of welding to the cast radius arms. I'm now leaning more to what redranger is doing to his.

I read on another forum where where the axle tubes on most of these D44's is DOM, does that sound right?

im pretty sure the tubes are DOM

my suspension setup is going to be similar to IZwack's

 

[IZwack]

I think the axle tubes must be DOM formed - purely HREW process does not have a high enough tollerance (that inner knuckle wont slip on very easily neither will the differential housing )

 

[Kirby N.]

Mine are seamless, if that answers anything. My bet is they are DOM

 

[JoshC]

Here is something that i like.

 

[Yomie]

034x4 is building a Heep that i am helping with and we are using a similar setup, radius-arm style with a single link, similar to Jefe's setup, minus one link. If the coils we are using would have that much flex it would be crazy.

 

[redranger4.0]

how bout something like this

 

[Kirby N.]

I am all about the 3 link with a panard. I think a 4 link has its limits. Even a radius arm setup like that bronc with hummer bead locks has its limits- thats why people wrist them.