WEll, i e-mailed the guy who Ryan gave me the ling to yesterday and here is his responce with my e-mail to him at the very bottom. Some good info and they guy seems supper cool. I am going to do some more research and i will keep this updated as i get more info.
Hi! Well, it ran me about 20K to do mine. But, it won't cost you QUITE that much.
Its easier to do the Fords then it was to do my Mitsubishi. Or so I've been told.
The bigest reason for the high cost is because everything is brand new. The only used parts were the radius arms, spring buckets, and the front housing. Everything else is brand new and extreemly heavy duty. The shop I had didn't kid around.
The bigest thing you have to watch for is shops that think they can do it with band-aids, twisties and duct tape. I had a shop here in Denver that quoted me 12K max, but they started out with "Well, we can use '74 Cadilac disk brakes and rig those up one one end and then somehow jury rig an emergency brake cable if you really want one...". The LAST think you want is a hacked togather set up. It'll drive you nuts if this is going to be a daily driver. Keep everything SIMPLE and as consistant as possible. That makes maintainance easy and predictable. Keep custom fabrication to a MINIMUM. If possible on non-wear items only. That way you'll be able to get replacements from 7-11 if you have to. I only have two fabed parts that are "wear items" and can't be picked up at Napa or Checkers for 15 bucks. The pitman arm (only kinda. I don't have a joint on mine) and the transmission mount. Don't let them talk you into anything fancy that isn't tested and proven.
Make sure the shop you go to has lots of experience in working with the suspension you plan to use under your Ford. I picked the Ford radius arm set up because I STILL think that's the best and simplest street/trail configureation you can put on. You get the most bang for the buck AND it has a minimal impact on the rest of your drivetrain design. ie. t-case. But, the shop I picked has been doing Fords for 30 years. They know radius arm suspensions better then anyone I've ever seen or talked to. So, putting a set up into my Mitsu wasn't that big a deal for them.
Your t-case uses a slip yoke like mine if I'm not mistaken on the front output shaft. That'll need to be changed to a fixed yoke set-up. This is not on my page yet. Just ran into this last week. The CV and my slip yoke are not happy. Too much weight. Too soft a yoke. Just need to convert to a fixed yoke and smaller CV with a 5" slip drive shaft and that takes care of that. But, you have to make sure the clearance is there for the CV, yoke and stuff and that when the new axle droops that'll everything will still clear. I needed about a 34 degree CV and I STILL have limiting straps for that and to keep from pulling the yoke out too far.
A high pinion reverse cut Dana 44 is mandatory in the front, too. Don't put one in the back if you're planning on running 35s. They're about 30 percent weaker then the standard 44. OH. And I ended up with F150 springs in the front. They worked out wonderfully. I like the ride, but the shop says they're too stiff. ?!? Well, what do I know.
I wouldn't let them change 'em. I LIKE the way it rides! I did Iron Chest a bit on the fast side this summer and people couldn't believe how the suspension could soak up rocks the size of large beachballs.
Oh, and put a steering stabilizer on it. Don't let 'em put it underneath either. Put it on top like the Bronco. You WON"T regret it. 35 inch tires on a cross-over steering is wicked even with powersteering. You will probably have to replace the steering box, too, BTW. I can't remember exactly but I believe so. They relocated mine forward 2", barely, and that was that. Looks like stock.
If you have leaf springs in the back, you're good. On mine a spring over in the back gave me 7" of lift which was EXACTLY how much the new axle in the front needed to fit. So everything fit like it was stock. If you're coil over in the back you've got problems. Simplest is to convert to leaf. Otherwise you'll have to rebuild the entire rear assembly. You DO NOT want to go there. That's bad even for people that know what they're doing.:-(
What size tires and what is your current gear ratio in the diffs? I went to 5.39s in mine to drive 35s with a 3.0L and a 1.92 t-case. I realize you have a tad more torque then I do.
Make them widen the axles. Mine are 3" wider then stock. I went from 4.5 inch backspacing to 3.75 inch and then they widend the axles 1.5" (actually a tad more but close). Check for stuff. I lucked out. SOMEHOW a 35 inch tire fits in my wheel well. ALL the way in. God only knows how. I still don't believe it and I've seen it. Anyway, you may want to have them move the axle forward or backward a tad (front/rear or both) to give you better clearance. Don't scrimp here! This is NOT the place!!! Riping out a fender is a LOT more expensive then moving an axle an inch either direction.
Do NOT let them talk you into Jonny Joints for anything. Ok. Maybe ONE end of the track bar. Don't let them con you. They don't last that long. On a daily driver in Chicago (I have relation there and in Michigan so I know) in the winter...forget it. They won't last more then a month or two at best.
If you do get to do it here's what to expect - With my F150 front springs and soft Mitsubishi leafs in the back with 35" Geolandar M/Ts it rides like a Cadilac. Not kidding. I have no sway bars front or rear. Have no need. It actually handles MUCH better then it did in corners then with the IFS and now sway bars. Doing 60 on a cloverleaf is not big deal at all. Its a LOT more stable off road. Believe me, if you're running IFS with bigger tires and no sway bars you'll be stunned. I have 25" of clearance between the lowest part of the chassis and the ground. About what you'd end up with. That makes this a high profile vehicle. Wind is anoying. Also, any blind spots you have will be multiplied 10 fold. Semis can hide in my blind spots now. ANYthing short is impossible to see on the passenger side if its close and slightly behind. If you don't widen the axles to compensate for the lift it will be more prone to rolling over. Believe me, 3" doesn't sound like much but it is! And 12" of lift might not sound like much but it is too!
I know there's more but I have to run. Do you have pics of yours? Like to see 'em!
Edward
Austin Staunton wrote:
Hello my name is Austin. I found your website, and was hoping you can give me some info. First off I have a 98 Ford Explorer. I am looking to do a SAF in the next year or so, but want to try to do a little research. I know I will be using a Dana 44, and running 4.10 or 4.56. My main question is what was the cost if you don't mind me asking? I have done a little research on shops here in the Chicago area and I believe I have found a good shop to do the work. Could you fill me in on any detail you think I should know about? Our sports are 2 different makes, but the basics are the same. Thanks for your time, Austin
Do you happen to know the differences between the D44 and D44HD TTB's? I'm looking into a fullsize TTB swap, and if it doesn't weigh a whole lot more, the HD may be a better choice. :smoke:
