Starting full width D44 SAS...B4 I order, what do you guys think??

Starting full width D44 SAS...FINALLY!!! (Update)

Like the title says..I feel that I am ready to begin my SAS and have compiled a shopping list. I'm wanting some opinions/thoughts/ideas about the list before I continue on. Also note anything I may have left out. Your help is appreciated.
There are a few things (in red) that I will need your help on, any ideas?
Things that I have/received are bolded!

D44 Front
-1978 Ford Bronco HP D44 Full Width (Moved Forward 2")

-78-79 Coil Spring Towers Pair (Broncograveyard Fab 1/4" steel brackets to space it out 2")

-Stock 1978 Bronco Lower Coil Retainer/Spring Cup (Turned around?/moved 1" in?)

-Wildhorse Rock Crawler 5.5" Black Coil Springs (Wildhorses4x4)

-Rancho RS9000 adjustables. I 've heard they give you 13" of travel

-Front Shock Towers F250 Shock Towers #E5TZ-18183-A

-Yukon 4.88 Ring and Pinion Gears

-Detroit Electrac Locker (DrivetrainSpecialists)

-Master Overhaul Install Kit (Broncograveyard)

-D44 Yukon Chrome Moly 4340 Front Axle Set (Broncograveyard)


-Extreme Outer Rebuild Kit (Broncograveyard)

-Caliper Left/Right Rebuilt (Local Napa)

-CAGE Offroad Tubular Radius Arms CAGE Offroad

-CAGE Offroad Radius Arm Mounts (Fab 1/4" Steel Brackets to space out 2")

-1994 Explorer Drag Link (Ford Parts Network)

-1978-1979 Stock Tie Rod (Broncograveyard)

-SuperLift Adjustable Trac Bar (Broncograveyard)

-78-79 Bronco Trac Bar Drop bracket (Broncograveyard)

Ford 9 Inch

Yukon 4.88 ring and Pinion Gears (Broncograveyard)
Detroit Locker (Randy's RNP)
Spring Perches (4WheelParts)
Master Install Kit (Broncograveyard)
WARN Leaf Spring Shackles (4 Wheel Parts)



2" Body Lift (liftkitdepot.com # PER792)

Wheels
15x10 Steel Rock Crawlers (Series 97) (4WheelParts)

Tires
36x13.5 IROK Radials (4WheelParts)

 

[ohe_boy]

Just a quick reply since I'm at work right now!!

But IT IS FINISHED!!! THE SAS IS FINALLY DONE!!!!!!


I got some real minor issues to work out before I test it out but it looks real good and I'm happy with it!!!

woo hoo!!!!!!

 

[ohe_boy]

SAS IS FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's a few shots of it.....

Just waiting for the 3" body lift kit to come in then I'm gonna fab up some Rock Sliders/Step Bar.....

 

[Burns]

Nice looking 1Gen....Looks great...

One question tho why are you using the steering stabilizer shocks? I do not have them and i was just wondering why you are using them....

 

[ohe_boy]

Thanks Burns!

Just using them to avoid bump steer. How does it perform with out them?

 

[lifeguard379]

that thing looks sweet!! great job.

 

[zainyD]

Why the bodylift? It looks like the tires fit fine without it?


Looks great though!!

 

[Burns]

Thanks Burns!

Just using them to avoid bump steer. How does it perform with out them?

I dont have a prob with mine at all...I mean you can feel a few things but nothing to bad

 

[james t]

Looks good.

Your trac bar and your draglink are at different angles. Get them both at the same angle and you wont have any bumpsteer. Then you can take the stabilizers off. It looks like it would be really close to being right if it had a straight draglink on it.

Either way, sweet ride man.

 

[sn0border88]

looks exactly like mine but on coils, and cleaner.

 

[ohe_boy]

When I drove it home right after I got the lift done, the truck's steering was all over the road. It needed an alignment and figured a stablizer would also improve the steering. So I bought a kit and installed it so I could drive it around easier and safer until I got wheels aligned. After the install, it improved a lot. The next day I got it aligned and it drove perfectly fine and so I just ledt the kit on. It seems like it would get hit by a rock when wheeling, so I might take it off and see how it drives without them on.


With that angle in the explorer draglink, thats the best angle I can get it at. You think a straight draglink would be better? Would a Bronco draglink fit?


Thanks for all your comments and suggestions guys. Any ideas on fender flares? tires sticking out this far is illegeal here in Hawaii.

 

[ohe_boy]

Flexing the new axles...

Here are some shots of the X and a forklift:

 

[ohe_boy]

And more flexing pics:

 

[Burns]

OH what a beautiful site to see.....I bet it feels good to sit back and see what you have created......I like very much.....

 

[FROADER]

Looks great man. Getting those angles the same will help a lot. Mine are slightly off and I can feel it in the steering.

 

[james t]

With that angle in the explorer draglink, thats the best angle I can get it at. You think a straight draglink would be better? Would a Bronco draglink fit?

I dont think you're going to be able to use an off the shelf draglink. Yes, the draglink and the tracbar are supposed to be at the same angle... or at least really close. You can change this by going with a straight draglink or raising the tracbar mount at the frame.

If it were me i would leave it as-is for now, and start rounding up stuff to do the GM one ton tierod flip in the future. All you need is a reamer, 4 TRE's, and some tube for a draglink and tierod. Thats the bad thing about the F150/big Bronco knuckles... the steering arm is really low. This makes the tie rod very vulnerable. Flip the TRE's to mount over the knuckle and this gets everything up out of the way. If you plan on wheeling it in anything other than mud then i would take the stabilizers off as they are going to get torn off.

Here's what your angle should look like with a straight draglink-

 

[Positive Vibes]

SIC!!!! Those rear tires stuff up there nicely. Great looking truck!!!!

 

[mechanix]

Did you use the stock radius arms and mounts?

 

[FROADER]

Arms and mounts are from Cage.

 

[mechanix]

Arms and mounts are from Cage.

I assume Cage is a manufacture of parts, I did a Google and found 15+ places with the term Cage in them maybe a link or a pic of the setup please.

 

[FROADER]

http://www.cageoffroad.com/solidaxleswap.asp