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)

 

[FROADER]

If you want to see pics right away before Mr. Hawaii get's back online, check out stic-o's sas thread. I don't remember if he has the Cage mounts but he does have the Cage arms. Petty much the same front end.

 

[mechanix]

Thanks I will, I thought of cutting off the end of the radius arm and welding on a 12" section and putting on a heim joint. I really don't have the 750 bucks for the cage kit.

 

[ohe_boy]

Yes, those are Cage off road radius arms and mount. I got them from a friend who bought them from a group purchase, which comes out a bit cheaper then buying it on your own. It came out to $600 with the group buy.

 

[Burns]

I meant to ask before but how often do you drive you Explorer

 

[ohe_boy]

Every day..its my DD...to and from work

 

[Burns]

Oh yeah good to hear.....i bet that is nice to drive around in.....I love driving mine every day.....so are there a lot of explorers in Hawaii

 

[ohe_boy]

Yah there are quite a bunch of lifted Explorers here in Hawaii. But I never wheeled with any of them. We have local 4x4 forums here and haven't seen any of the other lifted Explorers on the forums so it's hard to meet up with them and invite them to go wheeling. But one day I'll meet up with one and go wheeling with them.

I think I may be the only 1ST Gen Explorer that is SAS'd. I've only heard of a 3rd Gen that may be SAS'd but it may be in 2WD.

 

[Burns]

well thats cool.....

 

[ohe_boy]

what kind of radius arm set up you are running

 

[Burns]

Im running extended radius arms from whildhorse. they are fit for a bronco/f150 so they are wider but if you swap them onto the other side and turn them around they fit....

 

[dirtbro]

it was asked earlier but i dont know if you answered it...but why the body lift...? tires rub at flex in the back maybe? i think the body lift would be overkill...trim them fenders down...sick looking rig though...well done

 

[Positive Vibes]

it was asked earlier but i dont know if you answered it...but why the body lift...? tires rub at flex in the back maybe? i think the body lift would be overkill...trim them fenders down...sick looking rig though...well done

He said he needs the body lift to clear the motor he dropped in.

 

[FROADER]

When I was in Maui last August, I saw a few lifted Explorers. My girlfirend was just looking at me like everytime I said, hey look, another one.

 

[Stic-o]

When I was in Maui last August, I saw a few lifted Explorers. My girlfirend was just looking at me like everytime I said, hey look, another one.

Saw this one about 3 years ago in Maui by the aquarium.

 

[FROADER]

Yep, I've seen that one a few times over there.

When I go this year, I'm going to take some busniess cards and put them on the windshields.

 

[ohe_boy]

it was asked earlier but i dont know if you answered it...but why the body lift...? tires rub at flex in the back maybe? i think the body lift would be overkill...trim them fenders down...sick looking rig though...well done

Adding a body lift because on highway use, this is at a good height. I hit a curb once on a turn in a parking lot and rubbed the fenders pretty good. If a 4" curb will shred up my fenders then I should do something about it. The front fender has already been slightly trimmed when I had the Superlift 5.5 lift kit in with the 33"s. I wanted to avoid doing anymore trimming to the front fender, just to keep the body "stock" like and not look all "hacked-up".

Plus trimming the rear fenders looks a bit challenging with the rear doors sitting an inch or two above the edge. Did anyone trim the rear fenders? ANy pics of these?

Oh and I am adding in a rock slider/step bar welded to the frame. With the body lift, I can come straight off and out from the frame without having to add in a bunch of 90 degrees to get it out and under the body. Anyone added something like this without a body lift?

 

[ohe_boy]

There are quite a bunch of them up here, just never see them on the trails too much.

 

[FROADER]

There isn't any room to cut the rear on a 4 door, unless you do some custom work and re-tub it.

 

[ohe_boy]

There isn't any room to cut the rear on a 4 door, unless you do some custom work and re-tub it.

Yah I thought so, thats why I went with the BL instead of hacking up the fenders.

 

[ld50]

Nice Ex!

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

Just 2 cents here regarding angles and lengths of steering components, and what I know about it.

2 things are essential here:
The angle should be repeated from both mounting locations on your drag link and trac-bar. A link can be be an S shape but it still has two places where it mounts at each end, that is the angle you need to worry about.
Also, the lengths of both your trac-bar and drag link should be as close as humanly possible, again measured from mount points only.
Picture the passenger side tire stuffing upwards, bringing the trac-bar with it, if your drag link is not the same length ,it will not arc the same, and push on your tie rod, or pull it, essentially allowing your suspension travel to steer you.
If the two parts don`t travel as one, it binds it all up -that is bump-steer.

You can visualize the effect by drawing a line (axle) on a piece of paper and putting dots on it and above it to simulate your mount points. Hold one end of the pencil as if you have a protractor and mark the arc the end mounts would make under suspension compression. If the pencil is held in one spot (length) for both points it creates two exact same arcs, even though they may be mounted a few inches apart. Shorten one of your links by holding the pencil shorter, and you can see how the arcs are no longer similiar. That is no good.

-anyway, I tend to babble, sweet truck!

what is the backspacing on those rims again??