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Robb's SAS

Hey Guys!
OK, I was trying to put off starting a thread like this until stuff got closer to done, but I have been asked so many questions in the middle of other threads, I thought I should.

This is the plan:
-SOA
-HP YJ D30 SFA
-35"s

As a lot of you guys know, I had the oppurtunity to have the work done by an expert at one heck of a good price.:D The SOA and SFA are being done by Cory at CRL Customs So, as far as the really technical stuff, I will have no idea since I am not the person actually doing the work.

OK, the first obvious question. "Why a D30?" I know most people instantly think of a D44 when they think of a SAS for an Explorer. The idea of a D30 hit me when I was planning on doing the project myself (which would have never become reality). I liked how the YJ D30 was about the same width, bolt pattern was the same, I thought leafs would be pretty easy (Wrong!), and $$$. So I started looking into the pros and cons of the D30, and after a lot of research, I felt it met my requirements for what I was looking for out of an axle. And to be honest, I think stock D44s (especially LPs) are a bit overated (yep, I said it). They aren't the strongest things on Earth like a lot of people seem to think.

OK, enough yapping for a starter post. Let me throw a few pics of the progress.

Robb

Start with a stock pic:
 

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YES! The "Yuppie" made it home this weekend! :D

MY ADVICE: Don't tow a truck through the mountains of W. Va!!! 9 hours out there with empty trailer, 11 hours back loaded. Not a fun ride!

Next plans: Shocks, tires, and some minor "tweeking". I would put off tires til the end, but the thing just looks silly sitting out front with the little tires on it. Cory left Josh's tires on it until I got there so I could see how it would look.........um..............KICKASS!!! I am pretty sure I acted like a deer in headlights the whole time I was at Cory's cause I was simply in shock the whole time.

Hopefully the financial "god" will quit kickin my a$$ for awhile so I can get some stuff done on it soon. To get it "done" is going to take a bit and will prolly take quite awhile.

Robb
 



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congrats bro! i cant wait to see pics of it all finished!


btw - i know the feeling:D ;) :eek: :confused: :) :) :)
 






Originally posted by morrisey0
YES! The "Yuppie" made it home this weekend! :D

MY ADVICE: Don't tow a truck through the mountains of W. Va!!! 9 hours out there with empty trailer, 11 hours back loaded. Not a fun ride!

hahaha. Welcome to my world!

What did you tow it with Robb?
 






Well, had the truck out on the trails this past weekend, I really put a beatin on it, 30+mph offroad rough trails for 3 hrs strait, it held up great, gotta get used to that front locker tho. its a bit hairy on the road above 65mph, so I gotta work on that. I got alot of compliments on the truck on its first ride out since the SAS. Ill be taking it out again this sunday.
 






So no breakage huh Chris? Had me a little worried for a little while! Did it perform good?
 






Originally posted by JoshC
So no breakage huh Chris? Had me a little worried for a little while! Did it perform good?

Nope, the steering is a bit screwy but other then that, just a loose shock. It performed great, only got stuck once at Paragon, I was trying to get used to the locker and accidently threw myself off the trail into a ditch, and nailed a tree with my pass side door.
 






Originally posted by lizardtrac
Well, had the truck out on the trails this past weekend, I really put a beatin on it, 30+mph offroad rough trails for 3 hrs strait, it held up great, gotta get used to that front locker tho. its a bit hairy on the road above 65mph, so I gotta work on that. I got alot of compliments on the truck on its first ride out since the SAS. Ill be taking it out again this sunday.



So what is the reliable or should I say "safe" on road (highway) speed for the SAS on the X after all the tweaking?

Does it feel like it'd make a decent say 50-75 mile a day daily driver?
 






Depends on where you go, if you're driving 50 - 70 miles around Brooklyn you're never getting up that far in speed so it would be fine. Whenever I drive to Brooklyn/Queens/City I always use the lifted truck because it rides on the rough stuff better plus its quite intimidating to the cabbies and such since I'm not affraid to dent the hell out of it.

EDIT: Woo Hoo 500 posts! it only took me 3 years to get there.
 






if you do it right there shouldnt be any problem. many stock trucks come with solid axles. it is not the solid axle that is going to limit speed it will be your suspension setup and TIRES
 






Originally posted by DasFrem
Depends on where you go, if you're driving 50 - 70 miles around Brooklyn you're never getting up that far in speed so it would be fine. Whenever I drive to Brooklyn/Queens/City I always use the lifted truck because it rides on the rough stuff better plus its quite intimidating to the cabbies and such since I'm not affraid to dent the hell out of it.

EDIT: Woo Hoo 500 posts! it only took me 3 years to get there.

OMG!!! Exactly my thoughts!!! :D :D

I drive in Manhattan on a daily basis...one thing I noticed- the rougher it looks the further away people stay!

I had a hitch step in the back that got banged all the time. Got tired of buying new ones...the last was my third- put a tow ball in there and man does it get respect. Even though a cop car banged into me this morning. :D He was parking, don't think he saw the ball.

But the streets here s#$k!! To say the least...but I do go to Florida with the truck occasionally and I like traveling at like 70-80mph- that said I WANT THE SAS!!

That's the only thing that's gonna cure the KID in me!:D
 






I had it up about 80mph on I81 the other day, it was a bit hairy but since I never tested it out b4 it went very well, I now know what modifications to make so the truck will handle the high speeds much better and safer. Trial and error, thats what it takes for doing something that hasnt been done b4. I drove the truck untested for 400+ miles accross PA and back on AND off road, and it performed far beyond my expectations as beginner fabricator.
 






You guys doing the SAS conversions on the X are freakin Pioneers!!!:thumbsup:

You're also bad on the freakin wallet too!:p

I've been reading these threads counting the doughnuts and stalking e-bay for axles!

I'm looking at the Leaf Spring conversion because it looks like it'd take a better beating, but I'm not ruling out the coil yet...I wanna see what Cory comes up with for JoshCs X.

I'm looking for something I can just pretty much buy a bolt on kit. Up here in NYC I had a hard time finding a shop that'd do the SuperLift- AND THEN- you SAS Guys- got me fiending like a crackhead in a room full of broken sheetrock! :D You guys are killing me!

I think if I saw one your SAS's next to an Expedition I'd have to retire to the bathroom with a paper towel. :confused:

Sorry didn't mean to get graphic there, but damn...the picture of yours on the snow mountain had me drooling- then Gabe went and did with his X in front of his wifes car- that one just killed me!

I can't wait to see pics of Robbs finished.

I'm curious about how much wider the front track is in comparison to the rear with the front axle at stock length, I'm sure that coud be evened up with some backspacing in the rear...or is the wider front track better?
 






I think if I saw one your SAS's next to an Expedition I'd have to retire to the bathroom with a paper towel.
I already got that pic planned out. I got a buddy with a green Expo EB with a mild lift and looks just like my X EB, only bigger. It will be interesting to see them together when mine gets close to done.

Robb
 






speaking of expeditions, I love it when I pull next to one and im able to see clear over his roof....
 






Robb if you dont mind tellin' what is your total expenses, for you SAS?

Ryan
 






Hey cdsl227, Namitey(Doug) and I are also looking at doing the coil route. From the looks of it all, it might be easyier than the leaf route since there should be less fabrication involved. I'm also anxious to see what route Cory takes with Josh's truck.

Here's what I have planned so far.
Get a HP D44/9" from a 78-79 Bronco/F-150 and get them shortened to EB width (I want to go 4.88 or 5.12 gears with Detroit rear ARB front). Also get the coil buckets from that vehicle.
Get the James Duff Stage 3 tubular extended radius arms (see pic)
5350.jpg

And use some sort of 5 inch Broco lift springs and then custom fab a trac bar.
Steering would be the same as Lizzard and Robb's with a Ranger box

The advatages to this set up would be that it would be primarily bolt on with as little welding as possible, it would place the weight where the old IFS was hooked up on the frame and would flex like a mother. It will be a bit pricey, I know that, but I'm saving every penny right now to make this thing happen
 






that is what i am doing, using the EB suspension, you will have to make drop brackets for those RA. if you look at your frame there is not the large in the front like the early broncos. I have every thing ready just waiting on the coils.

there are some pics of all the EB pieces under seals sas.
 






Robb,

Now that your X is back in town, when are you going to bring it out and show it off? You may want to pick up a Trading Post and look for some used tires. You may also want to call the local 4x4 shops to see if anybody has tires for sale.
 






with both sway bars hooked up i can cruise all day long at 85mph... with jus the rear unhooked its squirrely as hell!

ide like to see the coil set up too. with some nice coil over, long travel, remote resevior shocks....:D
 



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DasFrem- That sounds like a nice setup using the extended radius arms.

Bolt-on sounds gooooooddd!!!!

I'm try to do this without having to chop axles down and all that...I can live with the wider track up from if it's not a problem on the highway.

And hell, if I can run at 85mph Gabe I'd be happy with that although, after the speeder I just got coming home from skiing about a week ago, maybe I should consider doing something that'll slow me down a little. :(
 






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