LD50 Full-size axle thread `93 Ex

[james t]

That setup will be plenty strong for 35's. Nothing is unbreakable, and alot of it has to do more with the driver than anything else, but 37's are considered the "generic upper limit" for a built front D44.

 

[wanderer351]

I got some 5-760 spicer joints from napa..its the upgrade HD joint..$22ea

fully welded the caps in the axleshaft yokes...(little bit at a time to keep from cookin the grease out of it..

the needle bearings were 40% larger than the stock joints I replaced them with..a good cheap upgrade from stock..

I also put a lockrite in mine..but an aussie is almost the same...(I think the aussie is probably better designed..but I got a GREAT deal on the lockrite)

I wouldnt worry about runnin 37's on it...and I've got a doubler..

but then again..with havin the HD axle (big lockouts and slightly diffrent length over 1/2 ton)...I've already found a vendor for alloy shafts...I know Im gonna need them... ..eventually...

 

[Mud Bug 94]

lockrites long term performance matches the first time use...f-ing awsome...

 

[ld50]

Still waiting for steering parts and I made another order.
I was so close to getting an OX locker or other decent selectable but for close to what that alone would cost I have an automatic Detroit to match the rear, and a 5.13 gearset with install kit and a video to help me do it myself. Gotta watch my debt here so I gotta keep it realistic.

I intentionally have been bolting my axle on to keep me from chickening out and not installing the gears and locker myself, should be fun!

Wish those fricken steering parts would get here, I`m gettin antsy.

 

[sn0border88]

dont tell me you got an ez locker. The labels on them say they are not to be used with tires 33" and up.

 

[ld50]

I never knew it said that but anyway no, Full carrier Detroit for me.
I don`t have tons of experience with those lunchbox lockers or anything, I had one in the TTB 35 as I mentioned, and wasn`t impressed, however, I also have never run an automatic full carrier locker in a front end.
I just don`t trust the lunchboxes, but that`s a personal thing.

Not that it matters now, but I think my d44 was geared at 3.73 when I checked. The D44 open carriers come in a 3.73 and numerically lower design, and a 3.92 and higher design. I couldn`t put 5.13 gears on that carrier, so it is of no use, even though you need an open carrier to use a lunchbox locker.

I did specify a Detroit locker for 3.92 and higher gears, and my axles are 30 spline, which was also important to know.

 

[james t]

dont tell me you got an ez locker. The labels on them say they are not to be used with tires 33" and up.

I am one of the few people to have good luck out of one. I bought one back in '99 before i really knew anything about lockers, and ran it for 7 years in the front of my rig with 35's and a stout 351w. Now im going to put it in the fullwidth axle ive built and run it until it blows i guess. I really dont know why its lasted this long.

 

[sn0border88]

mmm, full carrier detriot. Its either that or an OX for me, probably a detriot.

 

[ld50]

Those Oxes look awesome, as long as you don`t kink the cable, and having that knob on the floor next to the other sticks would be cool looking too.
I almost went ECTED, thinking, well if the limited slip wore out it would just be open or locked, but I read somewhere that it works by tightening up the limited slip clutches, and when it wears out it starts slipping, so wear it out and it`s useless. The ECTED just seems cheap to me. But there`s always good and bad reviews for everything I guess, like you James with your locker lasting so long.
If money were no object I would have probably gone OX, that diff cover oil drain feature is an added bonus too.

 

[sn0border88]

my diff cover already have a fill plug and a drain plug recessed into the diff ring. I am coonvinced this is the best cover you can get for what I paid (120 shipped)

http://www.greatlakeoffroad.com/diff.html

Mine has the drain plug option and the 1/2" plate option. I reccomend them for business as im very impressed with it.

 

[ld50]

Thanks for diff cover info, possibility for the future, but I`ll stick with stock for now due to budgetary constraints.

So I needed to get a "rough" guesstimate for tie rod end to end length. First I strapped the axle in such a way that I could center it without compressing the springs, as you can see in some of the pics I went corner to corner at the radius arms. Needless to say it is quite important to have your axle centered during this stage

I borrowed a laser level (just a level with a laser built into it) And I put it on each knuckle pointed down. I moved the knuckle till I figured I had it set enough to make an accurate pencil mark on the floor, which when done on the opposite side would give me a measurement from knuckle face to knuckle face.
The width turned out to be 59 1/8"
To get a rough center idea at the rear I put the laser on the frame on each side and marked the floor.

Then I put the laser level back on the knuckle so it shot back towards the rear, and marked my 59 1/8 measurement on the floor, using the frame center to keep it square.
Now the knukles supposedly would be at 0* toe.

This is where Izwack helped out.
http://http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=184079

(when I say helped out I guess I mean he supplied all the math )

I won`t duplicate all the math here, essentially if my toe-in for 35 inch tires is to be set at 3/32" , then 8 feet rearward from my front axle, the math calculates a hair over 1/2" deviation from 0* for each side.
So for my rough estimate I aligned the knuckles 1/2 inch from my 0* toe marks on each side, giving a measurement of 60 1/8" -8 feet back centered on my frame marks.

This will hopefully make any tie-rod adjustments needed minimal enough so that I don`t have to over-compensate adjustment into my final tie rod length and end up with a lot of threads left on my TREs.

 

[ld50]

The tubing I used is DOM 1.5" 1/4" wall

DOM stands for Drawn Over Mandrel and it is actually ERW tubing that has gone through a second process that shapes and smoothes the tubing so that the walls are more uniform.
What does that mean? It`s strong, that`s all that matters really.

My tube length for tie rod was 44"
My tube length for drag link was 19 1/2"

I bought the tubing at the local machine shop, and my go-to guy there gave me a suggestion I am willing to try, but if I don`t like it we have extra tube.
He suggested putting a bend in the tube on the pitman arm side.
this will keep the TRE at 90* where it is engineered to remain.
I calculated my straight angle at 12.5*, which I guess theoretically has your TRE continuously operating out of it`s ideal range. Also, when the passenger side tire hangs, you have that much more offset in the TRE.

I was worried about strength loss in the tube, but he ensured me a minor bend like that would do nothing to it`s strength, and he would allow it to cool slowly in some kind of tank full of flux or fairy dust, which would help retain it`s original characteristics.

So I tried it, the ends aren`t welded in that piece yet, and I still have to ream my pitman arm, before I can see it in place, but The tie rod lines up nice.
I also am having trouble getting jam nuts for everything (PMO) I thought I could get them from town rather than ordering them with the threaded ends.

I will come clean on the reamer. You have to be precise when using them, I would suggest finding a way to hold any and all things you must ream in a drill press. My first attempt was on my passenger side TRE hole for the drag link connection. I butchered it and basically ruined a 60$ part just to throw out (#@$@#@!).
I did it again on a drill press and then did the knuckles free-hand, the driver`s side knuckle hole gave me a little grief to where I almost screwed it up, but thankfully I noticed early on and saved it before it was too late.
It`s hard to do this free-hand, and I wouldn`t do it again, I`d even find a way to hold the knuckles in a drill press even though it would be hard to. I still have to take my pitman arm into the shop to ream..

 

[ld50]

I also managed to pull off a borrow of a welder again, hehe. This one is a brand new Miller with shield gas and perfect for my engine crossmember work. What a scammer I am, I`m the first one to use it.
It trips my garage breaker if I operate it for more than about a minute continuosly though, I gotta get that upgraded one of these days..

 

['97 V8]

Slowly but surely its getting done . I like your upper coil mount too.

 

[james t]

What exactly was the problem with the reamer? I could not come up with a way to get my knuckles clamped to my drill press, so i threw them in the big vice and drilled them all by hand and had no problems with the reamer walking.

Anyway, looking good there.

 

[ld50]

It was just hard to keep straight, and it cut so well it would start angling quick. With the tie rod end hole I just screwed up and got the angle wrong.

My damn pitman arm is being a *****, too. I brought home a puller from work and it wanted to slip, so I went back for a bigger one that has bolts you can tighten to clamp it to the pitman arm, and it stripped those bolts and slipped off.
Going out pretty soon to get some better clamping bolts because they were obviously crappy.

 

[ld50]

Once I replaced the clamp bolts with something of quality, it was like pulling a sick ***** off a toilet seat. Just fell right off.

-Out of town for a week so this is where we at.

-

 

[zainyD]

lookin good!

 

[Dignan]

... it was like pulling a sick ***** off a toilet seat. Just fell right off.

You have a lot of experience with this?

 

[ld50]

Actually I`ve never done it, I just imagine it would be easy. If you calculate strength compared to leveraging ability over a sick ***** in a sitting position, pulling one off a toilet should be a snap.
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