Ttb cut-turn-extend

Hello again ford enthusiasts haha. Ive been posting on here a lot latlely and have noticed that a lot of you are very interested in the TTB and I-beam cut-turn-extend procedure. I am a big explorer fan and have built a few, the one before I have now was a full on prerunner 2WD. It had 86 ranger beams extended 8'' per side, fully caged King shocks, and it was strapped at 18'' of travel front and rear. Anyways now that Ive finished my bagged' 93 I have recently picked up a clean little 88' Ranger 4X4 ext cab 2.9. Ive lifted it with a 4'' drop bracket lift for now. I am going to do away with this lift and cut, turn, and extend the dana 28. I know I know...why the 28? well simple, I cant afford a 35!! the steel however, to modify the 28 is within my budget right now (Im currently unemployed). So anyways I was wondering if anyone would be interested in me posting step by step pics on how I am going to do this. If anyone would like to see this thread please post a reply here, I need all the motivation I can get, THANKS!

 

[410Fortune]

My beams are cut and turned for 3" of lift, cut and turned on the pivot side.
We also built in an additional 1.5" of track width into the beams
A custom passenger side axleshaft is used to make up the new difference in width.
With my setup, I think I am getting about 14-15" of usable wheel travel

20+" would be oh so much better

 

[baggedexploder]

The secret to a ton of travel is extending the beam.... For tight technical trails I wouldnt want a beam extended over 2-3''. On this ranger I plan to extend it 6'' per side.

 

[410Fortune]

increased track width is cheater wheel travel But it does work well!
lowers your center of gravity, more traction, more stability, more travel, only downside is stress on parts and of course skinny trails

 

[Tbars4]

......Any updates on this???...I know a guy with a Ranger that is interested in doing the cut and turned D35, 4" lift, say 2" extended..:scratch:

 

[corkey]

weird idea ?? maybe, ? maybe not ??

just a weird thought here, , ,
i was wondering,. , in the back we use a solid axle on most of if not all of the older explorers,,

what would be wrong with trying to adapt say a ttb type thing for the back of an Ex, ??

it seems 16 to 20 inches of travel are there,, so !!
why not put one in the back too ????
than you would have lots of travel, and independant rear suspension

 

[mounty71]

I realize you have been working on this for a few months already, but i think a guy named R.J. on here has a set of cut and turned and maybe extended D28 beams, he bought them thinking they were D35 but has no use for them.

 

[robmurt04]

Hmmm... if you want I can send you some Dana 35 beams you can cut/turn/extend blah blah blah and then ship them back and I'll test them out for you?

 

[divedeepdivelong]

I am a bit new to this forum, but have been reading all the great info on the site. I bought a 1992 explorer (4x4) from my sister and am in the process of figuring out what I want. Ever sicne seeing Zimmerman's project I have been drooling over the write-up. I don't want to go as radical as he did but like the extra travel. I have been buying supplies to attack my project and am setting up to do just that during thanks giving and christmas break. I am looking at a 3" lift cuting the TTB and gongi thru the entire drivetrain. I have bought an aussie locker for the front, an Eaton Elocker for the Rear and am waiting for my next paycheck to buy a super axle kit and ball joints. My list seems endless but manageable in small bites.
What I am a little worried about is cutting the TTB and Fu$%# it up. Can you (or anyone that has done it) tell me on a scale 1 to 20 with 5 being rebuilding a trans or engine how fussy its is.

 

[blue88b2]

I did 5" of lift all out of a beant Dana 28. it has a Lengthened passenger side shaft slip joint.

and flexes good too!

if your on a budget, just do the d28, just be easy on it. and keep some extra parts around! It'll be good!

 

[divedeepdivelong]

nice rig!

Well this weekend I cut a check for an elocker on the rear, and 4:10 gears bearing etc for both front and rear . Found a place in San Diego that cuts and bends the front so I beleive I'll give them a call. I'm going with a 4" super lift too.

I know what I'm doing this chrismas shutdown. usting knuckles

 

[little x]

Blue88, that thing is nice.

To op: D-35's aren't that expensive, you just have to look around. I bought one yesterday, hub to hub for $100. And I didn't even have to pull it!