Help! With Dana 35 with 44 outers

bbbc3 · Nov 14, 2017

For those who have done the Dana 35 with 44 outer conversion I need help. I'm about to pull my hair out!

So I reemed the passenger beam and placed the axle, spindle, hub and locking hubs with no issues! But the driver side beam is giving me some problems. I can place the axle, spindle, and hub but when I try to install the warn locking hub it will not push past a certain point. I think I have the problem narrowed down to the axle shaft pressing hard to one side (bottom) of the spindle. The axel end is not centered in the spindle and has absolutely no give.
I'm thinking that the axle is still not centered in the knuckle. But I do not feel comfortable to reem any further than I have. Also I think the lower ball joint is out of room to reem any further.

Any advice here?

4x4junkie · Nov 16, 2017

That looks to me like the knuckle actually needs to go down further for the axle to be centered. I don't know how much you got left, but I would suggest keep reaming.

Captain Ledd · Nov 16, 2017

If it's pressing against the bottom of the spindle, I would figure that you've already gone too far.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the knuckle slides into the beam from the bottoms of the ball joints. If it's sliding up too far, the shaft would bind on the bottom on the spindle.

Sorry

alwaysFlOoReD · Nov 17, 2017

If you are reaming out a cone shaped hole and have gone too far; I'm sure I've seen a cone shaped shim. I don't remember what application it was for and don't remember where I saw it.
Maybe that helps?

lvwill · Nov 17, 2017

I would loosen the nuts on the ball joints and see if lowering the knuckle a little corrects the problem. If it doesn't then you need to go deeper.

4x4junkie · Nov 17, 2017

I had to go out and look at mine again... I think you may be right Ledd, I guess I had in mind the ball joints were in the other direction.

Yeah, on further thought it does look like you might already be too far with it (op).
Maybe you can cut from something else another piece of metal having an original (un-reamed) hole that you can start over with (cut from another beam or maybe from part of an old knuckle or pitman arm), then weld that in place of the one you over-reamed (much like you would do while doing a cut-&-turn on a beam). Just an idea to maybe help you salvage what you got.

alwaysFlOoReD said:
If you are reaming out a cone shaped hole and have gone too far; I'm sure I've seen a cone shaped shim. I don't remember what application it was for and don't remember where I saw it.
Maybe that helps?

I've seen shims that go into a straight hole that allow you to attach a tapered stud (TRE, etc.) to it (often used for "flipping" a tie rod to the other side of the knuckle). Maybe this is what you saw? (I'm not sure if I've seen a device specifically made for a hole that is reamed too far, though that isn't necessarily to say one doesn't exist).

pjtoledo · Nov 17, 2017

shim stock, trimmed to fit? rolled up like a cone.

alwaysFlOoReD · Nov 17, 2017

4x4junkie said:
I've seen shims that go into a straight hole that allow you to attach a tapered stud (TRE, etc.) to it (often used for "flipping" a tie rod to the other side of the knuckle). Maybe this is what you saw? (I'm not sure if I've seen a device specifically made for a hole that is reamed too far, though that isn't necessarily to say one doesn't exist).

That may be what I'm remembering.

Captain Ledd · Nov 18, 2017

Tapered insert sleeve.

Alternatively, you might be able drill out the hole to a much larger size, and have a machine shop make you a tapered sleeve if you can't find the correct one to fit. It'll need to be the right diamaeter and obviously, the same taper as the balljoint. Though, you could probably ream the insert out a touch and be fine, but I wouldn't go very far and let the sleeve get too thin.

All things said and done though...

It'll be pricier, but I think the better/easier/SAFER option is to source a new-to-you beam.

dirtcowboy · Nov 23, 2017

I feel your pain.

http://www.broncoiicorral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=152582

bbbc3 · Nov 26, 2017

Update:

Crap guys... I kinda forgot about my thread.
I actually had not gone far enough. When I loosened the ball joint nuts and lowered the knuckle slightly, it did not make the issue go away. This made me realize that I had not gone far enough. I went back through the step by step directions and realized that I completely missed the part about cutting away the metal on the upper inside portion of both beams. Once I did this and reamed the caster/camber alignment sleeve it gave me the slack I needed to complete the install of the locking hubs.

All of your reply’s will help someone along the way! Thanks for the responses!!

Captain Ledd · Nov 27, 2017

OOOK, I see what was going on now. So the extra roller bearing/bushing in the spindle was forcing the stub shaft down at an angle, binding on the bottom on the outer end.

Hadn't thought of that, well I learned something out of this.

bbbc3 · Nov 28, 2017

Captain Ledd said:
OOOK, I see what was going on now. So the extra roller bearing/bushing in the spindle was forcing the stub shaft down at an angle, binding on the bottom on the outer end.

Hadn't thought of that, well I learned something out of this.

Exactly!

Help! With Dana 35 with 44 outers

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