Taxxman's SAS

Well since everyone and their brother is starting an SAS thread I thought I would start one for mine.

According to the Fed Ex tracking number the Scout steering box is sitting at my house waiting for me to get home tonight. My 44 is sitting at a shipping dock waiting for me to drag the trailer over there tomorrow to pic it up. I'll get some pics tomorrow or Wednesday.

I am putting a Dana 44 from a 76 bronco under the front of my truck. It will be coil sprung and steered by a scout steering box.

 

[taxx]

Exactly. If your setup works for you then I say go with it!

But you do get leverage with a solid axle that is hard for us IFS guys to realize without really thinking about. The axle is one long straight line all tied together. the force bending it up is putting force down on the other tire. Maybe not as much, but more so than IFS....

Good luck with that bracket shouldn't be too hard.

 

[VonZipper]

Yeah, it should be pretty quick and easy.

I am going to extend the radius arms after that is all straight.

 

[Robb]

You are still running 33s. The TTB setup is great for 33s with pretty good articulation. When you step up the 35"+ tires is where you start to see some of the damage to the TTB and D35. A SAS will handle the 35"+ much better with greater articualtion.

 

[VonZipper]

I started out with 35's. At that time I only had the little 6 banger though. It had some power, but not what I wanted. I put 33's on and have not looked back. Now that the 351 is in there, I have been considering going back to a 35 or a 36. I like the 33's though. Everyone of my friends drive jeeps, and they have yet to leave me behind. Well, I take that back, in the snow there are two guys who can crawl across the snow where I cannot. Taller tires would not effect me there though.

I just ripped the sidewall out of one of my tires, so I have been looking around to see what tire will be next. I like the swampers though, so I am still leaning towards another set of those.

If a ttb is setup properly, the size of the tire is only going to effect the bearings in the hub. the rest of the ttb has been tested and proven in all types of races. The ride quality is so much nicer than a straight axle setup.

I really like this board. There are not many people out there who actually know a explorer as a off road rig. I cannot drive mine anywhere without having all eyes turn. If it is running, everyone wants to know whats under the hood.

Once the front is done, I think I am going to have to put in a cage like that other guy in here just did. So many things you can do with a cage.

Well, thats good for now.

 

[NOTAJP]

Originally posted by VonZipper


If a ttb is setup properly, the size of the tire is only going to effect the bearings in the hub. the rest of the ttb has been tested and proven in all types of races. The ride quality is so much nicer than a straight axle setup.

Exactly. My bigest beef is the bearings. I'm flat tired of going through bearings yearly, sometimes more. I have had a lot of problems with brackets. If it wasn't for the bearings on the D35, I was going to do cut and turned beams this summer. I had a Superlift 6" with extened radius arms, custom springs, and superrunner steering all less than a year old. Now it's sitting on my garage floor waiting for a home.

A solid axle can be set up to ride very well and still take all the abuse. The TTB shines in Baja like nothing else. Walker Evens will be running IFS/IRS this year in AROC. Should be cool to watch.

 

[DasFrem]

IFS, if built right, can walk all over a solid axle, but, in order to get all that travel you need to custom fab everything and get CV joints that can take the abuse, which there's no real products out there for people like us to use. The main problem most rockcrawlers have with going with a custom IFS setup is the A)cost, and b)weakness (for now) in the future though I'm sure they'll be more lower cost options than a SAS.

 

[taxx]

Almost complete... Measured up for shocks today... Here are some ramp pics (pictures do no justice to what it looked/felt like there, also the back wheels are on lower ground than the ramp...) Enjoy..

 

[soupbone]

Nice flex! What kind of shocks are you going for? Have you seen those new Bilstein 5150s?

 

[Texplorer]

Very, very, nice. You did a great job. Still missing a front driveshaft huh?

 

[NOTAJP]

Looking sweet! Did you find any binding?

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

sick! good job man! im glad its all coming together so nice for you.

 

[Lifted95X]

HOLY S**T!!! I am gone for a week and a half and you got a ton of stuff done. WTG Dave!! Looks very nice!

 

[jasonb]

looks great man. ready to see the completed 100% final deal in action.

 

[taxx]

Shocks:

I went in planning on running duals up front with one set of Rancho 5000s and one set of Rancho 9000s, but everyone there seemed to think I should run dual Explorer Procomp 3000s and the price was much nicer so I took them up on that offer. I am going to mount one set and see how she drives then mount the other and see. If I don't like it I will change it up a bit maybe drop one set and get some adjustable shocks for the others. But those springs are so soft I need some what of a stiff ride to eliminate sway...

Front Shaft:
nope not done yet. Need to mount the shocks and the track bar drop bracket and drop pitman between today and tomorrow. Then she gets aligned and rear gearing done this weekend. Then have to get ready for the dunes the next weekend so I may or may not get the shaft in next week. But for the dunes I can run 2wd if I have to.... If I don't get it done then it will be done the next week.

Thx for the compliments.

 

[taxx]

Shock lenghts:

At full compression the length was around 15" and full droop was about 28 inches.

Not the greatest amount of travel, but not bad for only 3" lift springs.

My limiting factors where the stuffed front wheel is pressed against the top of the spring, and my drooped rear wheel was at full droop just about to come off the ground. So I need a bit more travel in the but may need a bit of lift back there too, so may go back to extended shackles or try to get some revolving shackles to match up... JUst want to make sure the front is settled first.

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

At full compression the length was around 15" and full droop was about 28 inches.

13" is nothing to be embarrassed about. its pretty damned good. whats stock 5"? also thats wheel travel at the shock - your actual wheel will probably have more than 15" total travel.

 

[taxx]

bump steer significantly reduced. Will be great when I get my shocks on. And I am puting a bend in my drag link a bit so it is level coming off the pitman arm...

Got a drop pitman arm and a duff trac bar drop bracket...

 

[taxx]

...

 

[NOTAJP]

Have you flexed it with the new trac bar yet? 15" of wheel travel, that's nice! Now I have a goal to shoot for. Not that I think a leaf spring system is better because I really like the EB suspension and Dana 44. I think you did a great job.

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

just out of curiosity why are you getting both drop pitman and drop bracket? it looks as if you could get away with just the drop trac bar bracket to make the arms more parralell... or are you trying to get them both at a lesser angle?

its looking good! keep it up