Stabilize/Lengthen TTB

[acschilling]

My heart wants to keep the TTB in the 92 but my brain is struggling to understand. My TTB is lifted about 2 inches with Rough Country springs and the back has AAL and WAR 153 shackles; I don't mind it, it's a little rough to be honest though. The camber is maxed out with largest available bushings and still sits + \--o-/ .

If I had the choice between desert/hills and rocks to play with the Explorer I would go desert/hills and build something like a go fast bronco that I could still take to the mountains. The thing is $3k on cut and turned beams is certainly not an option.

I want to correct/lengthen/stabilize/whatchamacallit the geometry without having to go any taller but I am struggling to find how. I think I read on here somewhere the James Duff long arm kit with cross-member can be applied from stock height to 4 inches of lift. What I am trying to figure out is if the decreased angle of the longer radius arms would relieve any of the + camber situation or is that going to be axle pivot bracket dept?

I could not gut putting on a 5 inch lift with stock radius arms and only pivot brackets. Looks goofy to me. Long arms would be required, but for that $$ a leaf SAS is waaay simpler.

Is this making sense?

 

[acschilling]

This thread highlights the issue!
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=213424

 

[acschilling]

Simply cannot find a 2 inch axle pivot drop bracket for a Dana 35 TTB. Would 4 inch drop brackets work and then just adjust for negative camber?

 

[mounty71]

You can do the cut and turn without extending the beams, or really changing anything else at all. All the cut and turn entails is cutting off the lower ballpoint "ear" on the end of the beam and moving it out slightly and welding it back into place to correct the camber. I think I've read it can be done by certain shops for a few hundred dollars. BTF is one shop that can do it for you. Contact Brandon "nodnarb" on here.

The cut and turned beams with lift springs, longer radius arms, and a good shock (rebuildable, i.e. Fox, king, swayaway, etc) will give you a really solid, reliable, fun setup. Travisfab, for example, is a member on here who started out with a simple setup on his that would probably be perfect for you.

 

[RangerX]

My TTB is lifted about 2 inches with Rough Country springs...The camber is maxed out with largest available bushings and still sits + \--o-/ .

Something doesn't seem right with this. The common wisdom here says the factory bushings can correct almost 2" of lift before you need to go to a greater degree bushing. They aftermarket bushing go up to 2.75 degree I believe, and that is good for 4" lift, or more.
How positive are you that you have the largest available bushings? Did you install them yourself, or did a shop do it? If a shop did it, did you see the bushings before installation?

Maybe you should think about getting a full lift kit. A kit will drop (lift) everything the same amount. The axle beams at frame pivot, the axles via coils, and the radius arm ends.

 

[DymondD]

Tuff Country makes 2-3" drop pivot brackets pn#20813. Specialty Products makes shims up to 3 1/8 degrees. moog has one up to 4 degrees Pn# 5253-07031965

 

[acschilling]

Thank you for feedback; input! So much to kick around!

RangerX I know how you mean; I had a shop put in the bushings and unfortunately did not get to check them out beforehand. To myself they all kinda look the same. Was told they were 3.5°.

I was trying to poke around BTF's website but nothing was clicking..I wish I could look at what they offered and for how much.

Did find the Tuff Country brackets; thank you for that #. Found a different part # on the 0-4 degree bushings. Those are adjustable-4x4? Federal-mogul website says they fit first gens.

 

[DymondD]

Yes they're 4x4 according to the catalog. Haven't used the MOOG. I have two sets of the SPC Bushings, One in my Ex and One in my B2 with 2" Skyjacker springs, turned (drop 1"on front bolt,3/4"second bolt, stock rivet rear) radius arm brackets.

 

[acschilling]

Is that your chop-top ex? What's done under there?

 

[DymondD]

Its got Tuff Country 2" Drop Pivot Brackets. 0 Degree Shims, Cut, Turned, Narrowed Dana 44, With 39" Radius Arms, has FA400 Skyjacker Steering Arm. 4" super lift B2 Coils.
Another Option to you Camber issue is cut and turn the Beams inboard, I've seen a couple on the forum. I did to a stock 28 housing on my last B2, Cut a line in the housing inboard of the diff and the axle hole on the right, left the top web, let em sag til the camber was in spec on the alignment machine, then welded in a pie piece and plated it on the bottom of the beam. It worked really well, not pretty though!

 

[acschilling]

Its got Tuff Country 2" Drop Pivot Brackets. 0 Degree Shims, Cut, Turned, Narrowed Dana 44, With 39" Radius Arms, has FA400 Skyjacker Steering Arm. 4" super lift B2 Coils.
Another Option to you Camber issue is cut and turn the Beams inboard, I've seen a couple on the forum. I did to a stock 28 housing on my last B2, Cut a line in the housing inboard of the diff and the axle hole on the right, left the top web, let em sag til the camber was in spec on the alignment machine, then welded in a pie piece and plated it on the bottom of the beam. It worked really well, not pretty though!

That looks fantastic.

Tho I have to let BTF or someone do the fab work for me.

 

[mounty71]

I don't think BTF's site is updated all that often, but Brandon (haven't talked to Travis much) is super nice and helpful. You can give him a call and he will help you out. I really think just relocating the lower ballpoint ear is the simplest and most effective of all options. I never understood why more people on here don't do it, rather than using drop brackets that will eventually crack from the added leverage.

 

[Maniak]

If you supply the beams, the cut/turned Dana 35 beams are only $250+ shipping.. It's under the Ranger 4x4 and I-beam section (not in the explorer section)..

I'm running a set of their Cut/turned beams on our '92...

I have other mods like Extended Radius Arms with ballistic joints, f-250 shock mounts with 32" shocks so I'm getting all kinds of travel now..

I did modify my stock axle pivot bracket on the passenger side to give it a little more strength, but otherwise the pivots are the same..

A few shots in case it helps...

Raw beams as they showed up...

You can see the extra metal I put on the side of the bracket, similar to how the James Duff lift bracket was designed..

Duff versus Stock Passenger side drop bracket -3 by maniak_az, on Flickr

Here is a shot of my front end as it sits now, with the cut/turned beams. You can see that not having drop brackets gives me more ground clearance...

Custom Tube bumper with d-ring and lights 1 by maniak_az, on Flickr

~Mark