Dana 35 with and without ABS

[ecgreen]

I am Searching for a dana 35 to swap into my 89 BII. Some are listed with ABS and some without. What exactly is the physical difference in in the axle with an ABS model? Can I swap an ABS axle into a non-ABS truck?

 

[Uncle Gump]

I'm not positive... but I don't believe a TTB dana 35 ever came with ABS. The SLA dana 35 has always had ABS.

 

[ecgreen]

I'm not positive... but I don't believe a TTB dana 35 ever came with ABS. The SLA dana 35 has always had ABS.

I think you are porbably right, but the junkyards have some older axles listed that way. In my experience, most junkyards have no clue what parts they actually have or ANY details about them.

 

[4x4junkie]

'95-'97 Rangers had 4WABS available with the Dana35 (TTB).

The differences I recall are:
Dual-piston brake calipers
Adjustable steering stops
ABS sensor & tone rings on the rotors.

So the only real differences would be in the knuckles & spindles (to accommodate the ABS sensors and brake calipers). IIRC you can still swap an ABS spindle onto a non-ABS knuckle & vice-versa (eliminating the sensor in the process), so other than the brake calipers, the differences between them are not real great.
Some people swear the dual piston calipers are better (which very well could be true), but I've no personal experience comparing them.

So yeah, swap away if you so desire.

 

[adsm08]

'95-'97 Rangers had 4WABS available with the Dana35 (TTB).

The differences I recall are:
Dual-piston brake calipers
Adjustable steering stops
ABS sensor & tone rings on the rotors.

So the only real differences would be in the knuckles & spindles (to accommodate the ABS sensors and brake calipers). IIRC you can still swap an ABS spindle onto a non-ABS knuckle & vice-versa (eliminating the sensor in the process), so other than the brake calipers, the differences between them are not real great.
Some people swear the dual piston calipers are better (which very well could be true), but I've no personal experience comparing them.

So yeah, swap away if you so desire.

I think they both used the bolt-on dual piston calipers. The change was made to the TTB axle in 95 so that the Ranger could continue to use the same caliper and bracket as the Explorer.

 

[Shran]

93/94 ABS axles have a larger diameter spindle flange and dust shield, plus the obvious addition of the ABS sensor and the hole in the knuckle for the sensor. The knuckle is otherwise interchangeable with 90-92 D35s.

I don't think the later dual piston calipers are really much of an upgrade... I've never had the older slide clips fail although I've seen them fall out. I've had PLENTY of slide bolts rust up solid and the dual piston caliper has an additional piston to seize up or leak. For those reasons I think the older style brakes are superior... But to each their own.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Before I replied... I looked through the library to see if this information was there. I couldn't find anything about it. If it is there... it isn't easily found. I should have looked it up in a part store online.

 

[ecgreen]

Thanks that is really helpful! So ABS doesn't matter essentially in finding a donor axle. What about SLA? All that has to do with is rotation of the gear correct? So I should be able to swap in an SLA on my 89 BII? What about Disconnect vs. non-disconnect. The tech article doesn't explain it, it just says what years have which.

Thanks guys your the best

 

[ecgreen]

Concerning the SLA, I am only going to 33s

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

SLA is 98+, totally different axle, like forget about it.

My '95 axle had ABS, I tapped out the sensors and just run it without.

Pretty sure my parent's old '94 Explorer had 4 wheel abs.

But anyway, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[adsm08]

Thanks that is really helpful! So ABS doesn't matter essentially in finding a donor axle. What about SLA? All that has to do with is rotation of the gear correct? So I should be able to swap in an SLA on my 89 BII?

SLA is Short-Long-Arm suspension, a pair of A-shaped control arms, one long one short, on each side. It is different enough that putting it in a TTB vehicle requires swapping the entire front frame section. Just a little bit of work.

The Dana 35 TTB axle is a bolt in affair.

It is important to pay attention to the front drive shaft. The pinion of a D35 sticks out a bit farther than that of a D28. It makes the front drive shaft just long enough that you CAN, under the right circumstances, break the transfer case in half just a bit.

 

[scotts90ranger]

.....you CAN, under the right circumstances, break the transfer case in half just a bit.

I like that... I don't know that there is "just a bit" in breaking something in half, but I'm jealous I didn't come up with it...

When I swapped to a D35 I went all out and put a 1354 and corresponding front shaft with it...

 

[adsm08]

I like that... I don't know that there is "just a bit" in breaking something in half, but I'm jealous I didn't come up with it...

When I swapped to a D35 I went all out and put a 1354 and corresponding front shaft with it...

I did mine the opposite of what the OP is proposing. On both my vehicles I had the M5OD and 1354 in place already, with the D-35 shaft. The difference in length at the diff is enough that the longer shaft can be pushed back and break the transfer case when it bottoms out the slip yoke. With the shorter D35 shaft installed on an otherwise stock suspension I have found there is not enough downward flex to over-extend the slip yoke and let it come undone. In fact the D-35 swap on my B2 is still pending me finding an axle I want with the right gears, and I just had it on a lift this week for an oil change, so all four wheels off the ground at full droop, and the drive shaft is still together.