D35 is in!!
Dad and I got the D35 in in the time allotted. Barely, and only cause I got started Friday evening.
A couple of notes that I don't have pictures for:
1) You can use the factory style slip on spindle seal/slinger/whatever you call it. BUT, you have to use the factory style seal in the spindle itself too. If you don't (what I tried to do) you can't get the c-clips on the outer axle.
2) The passenger side axle has to go in in two pieces. (IDK why I thought it would just slip all of the way through from the outside.) With the c-clip eliminator mod spring in place it's VERY difficult to get it lined up AND to put the spindle back on. I ended up using a couple small bolts through 2 of the stud holes to pull the spindle back far enough to start the studs back in.
Now for some pictures!
Open space.
D35 4.0 (Explorer) springs vs D28 2.9 springs.
Notice the height difference?
However the Explorer spring is slightly heavier:
I have no idea what that translates to in spring rate.
My coil spacer setup.
1" high.
1.5" high. Not enough thread to put the nut all of the way one.
2" high. Not enough of a hole to use a coupling nut. I wonder if one of the factory made stud extenders would work here?
Straight off the jack.
Checking alignment after driving it a couple times up the road. (I really don't trust that gauge though. It reads perfectly level in the house when a marble makes a mad dash for the corner of the kitchen.)
On the bumper for correction factor.
Passenger side:
Looks like 3* from center.
Seems to be dead on center.
All of this was done with the adjustable bushings set a 0*.
Showing the extra width. IDK how much of that is from the camber though. It would have been completely inside the fender before.
And (almost) final ride height. There is like a 1/4 in difference in height of the tires I'm running until I can get aligned.
IDK why but my spindle nut socket was a %!!@# to get on the nuts. I ended up filing the socket and the nuts slightly to make it work. It worked fine with the D28 nuts when i put them on last year.
Also those little locking washers are evil. You have to set the preload very carefully with them already pushed tight to the torque side or they shift and mess it up when the outer nut gets torqued down.
In the end, I need an alignment and a new front driveshaft 'cause the one the junkyard sold me was the same length as the one I had.
Hopefully I don't end up having to have fender flares to be legal around here. Or at least if I do I can use something out of the junkyard. I noticed the ones on the rear of 80's j**ps (cherokee and wrangler) have very similar dimensions.
I wonder if they could be heated a little and bent to work? Anybody tried it? I don't want super wide fender flares if I do have to get them.
This pictures shows how much different the front is compared to the back now. (It was level) Anybody have any ideas on how to gain that much back there and get rid of the stock blocks? I know I should get some form the Explorer springs there. Just because the ones I have are flat. I'm thinking lowering the spring mounts relative to the frame is the only way to do it and keep a reasonable spring rate. Would it work better if I built a custom spring pack with an integrated long block using several overload leaves? Is that even possible?
Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and 
Cause the wheels fell to one side when the g forces hit. I guess I'm just lucky something didn't come apart on the road.
