d30 sas steering?

[dangerranger83]

The brake calipers DO bolt to the knuckles, its is a NON disconnect axle, I did get the axle shaft for it came as a complete front end minus the steering linkage, and it DOESNT have the tone ring for ABS and it DOESNT have the u-joints, it has the CV joints but I'm running a 2.8 liter engine so its not going to be seeing high torque or power let alone much off-roading.

I'm not that comfortable at the thought of cutting the bearing off but its a good tip, it did run across my mind to do it.. I dont own a puller or a press, got any tips on there being a poor mans press?

The TRE's are brand new and have no play in them plus are greaseable.

I'm told using the steering stabalizer shock takes away your "return to center steering" that a vehicle does automaticly and not to use it. I hope the guy sent out my steering linkage yesturday, I need it soon, I want this ready to put under my truck.

I'm going to be using rusty's off road coils springs that were given to me for my coils. They have a 150lb spring rate and give an XJ 6.5 inches of lift. I'm going to have to cut them a little to fit into the upper coil bucket and then to help hold it in fab up a J-clip and bolt it to my coil bucket to hold the coil in place, I dont trust a hose clamp to do the job. I've heard to run dual shocks if I plan on driving on the highway , which my truck isnt going to be doing.

From what you are seeing and knowing my set-up how long do you think my driveshaft is going to be leigthed?

If you need anymore info., pics, etc... please tell me and I will get it to you. This is really helping me out alot.

 

[Mudhound]

Wow. Those coils are going to be interesting, and probably have a nasty "re-bound" to them as the XJ is lighter in the nose than the Ranger. With yours having a 2.8, though, it "could" work out right. Just make DAMN sure to use a quality shock, preferably gas. The CV axleshafts are the mark, normally of a V8 ZJ, but the really eraly XJ used them also. Don't worry, as they will be plenty strong for your truck. You say that the TREs' are good, but you haven't recieved your steering yet. Are you meaning the balljoints are good? As for the steering damper affecting the return to center, don't you think that the engineers would have designed the system to run with out it, if they thought that it was a better idea than using it? I have always run them on the XJ and on my MJ Comanche, never once with RTC issues. BTW, Advance offers a much heavier duty damper that is actually alot cheaper than the factory replacement. I am trying to remember who made it, esp. since the strore manager bet me my money back that they didn't have one like that. He lost.
As for the Driveshaft, honestly, I don't know on this one. Mine is totally different than yours, due to the way that I am building mine. I am actually going to be running a 2 piece shaft for the front.

 

[dangerranger83]

Ya I meant the ball joints not the TRE's, stupid attack. I think I'm going to get some stiff gas shocks to help make up for the coils being the way they are. I read in another thread that you are using f-150 coils for yours, will you go into detail about that such as the year and whatnot, might try to got that rought, how much lift did it give you with those coils and what shocks are you getting?

Ya I will go with the steering stabilizer just to be safe. I hope he sent out the steering linkage to me, said Monday he was but never pm'ed me if he did or didnt.

Cant wait to see pictures of all this you should bump your thread so that I can read it.

 

[Mudhound]

I am getting my steel for the C/As' tomorrow, so I will be updating the thread, including the info on the F150 coils, my thoughts on them and some more pix. I have put off the updates too long. I apologize for this.

 

[dangerranger83]

No problem. My brother in law said he would take the pinion shaft to his work and pull it off and press the new one on that I order today, much cheaper off the internet then going to autozone or anywhere else plus everywhere else had to special order it.

It says in your build thread that you are using an EB D44 but you say here your using a D30, thats the only confusion I have but your build is going great so far, mine is still creeping along slowly.

 

[Mudhound]

Good to hear that you had some luck on your pinion troubles. A good shop press ( about a 20 ton) is on my list of "still need to get" for my garage.
Yeah, I changed my mind about the EB axle, after thinking on it for awhile. I decided NOT to use it as some of the parts are hard to find, even for me. The axleshafts weren't in as good a condition as I had hoped as the passenger side had "egged" out the Ujoint location. I priced another set of shafts, and after picking my jaw up off the floor, I thought about what to do for a front axle. I all ready have a TON of XJ parts, as I wheeled one for years, they are cheap to get most axle parts for, as compared to the EB D44, and I had one that was recently gone through, rebuilt, and 4.10 geared. I know that I said that I am looking using 4.56's in my thread, but things have changed (that's normal during a build, right?) and after refiguring my final crawl ratio, it is still acceptable to me. The rear 9" will still be used, however, along with a factory parts conversion to the small wheel pattern, and disc brakes.

 

[dangerranger83]

You will always be able to find Jeep parts. As for the coils springs I want to see what the f-150 ones look like on your truck before I go with them, although might be able to trade off current ones I'm going to be using for f-150 ones. Is there a differance in EB and f-150 springs and what year are the coils you are using?

Sorry for all the n00b questions, I've never done this kind of mod. before. You seem like one of the few people that doesnt give me sh*t about using a D30 and you are very helpful too. Cant wait to see the pictures of yours.

 

[Mudhound]

My thread will be getting updated shortly. I had to re-order my steel for the arms, but, what are you gonna do? The answers that you are looking for will be in the thread.

 

[dangerranger83]

I'm going to use the stock arms, well the ones it came with, as they are. I've seen guys use the original arms, the weaker box style, and make mounting brakets and weld the brakets to their frame, I'm might weld and bolt mine for safty i dont know yet. Brother-in-law is a certified welder too, basiclly my special tool for this job, wish I could keep him in my tool box.

 

[Mudhound]

Ya, I'd LOVE to have a cert'd welder in my toolbox, but I at least have ME. remember what I suggested about boxing the frame where the UCAs' go. Basically, just like Jeep did when they built the XJ.

 

[dangerranger83]

I'll be sure to do that, im curious on your drive shaft and what it will look like.

 

[Mudhound]

Watch the thread...

 

[tomahawk350]

For the steering, simply use the Cherokee stuff, except where it connects to the pitman arm. Use the Ranger TRE from the old passenger side knuckle. It connects to the XJ steering, and the Ranger box. As for the control arms that the Dana 30 uses, you can go several different ways with that. You can use aftermarket bracket kits, homebrewed longarms, factory style mounting, or a cmbination of Ford studs on the frame, mounted to a long arm kit. I am using a homebrewed mid-arm kit that attaches to the lower mounts on the axle, goes back 33-34 inches fromthe bolt and then mounts to a new Xmember. The upper arms are going to tie on to the lowers at a yet to be decided point. I still need to measure for them, along with chopping down the engine cradle due to possible axle travel interference.

Can you provide a pic of your steering setup?

Here is the XJ steering on mine

I'm having problems with the drag link connecting to the pitman arm. I'm thinking of swapping to a YJ setup with a custom drag link. Anyone do this on a XJ D30?

 

[escort_gts]

Can you provide a pic of your steering setup?

Here is the XJ steering on mine

I'm having problems with the drag link connecting to the pitman arm. I'm thinking of swapping to a YJ setup with a custom drag link. Anyone do this on a XJ D30?

You can check out my build, I used the stock XJ draglink but modified it to fit the stock ranger TRE. Here is what I did, Cut the the threaded end off the ranger draglink and welded it to the XJ draglink.

 

[dangerranger83]

I used the XJ steering on my setup. Just wish it had the sway bar mounts on the axle still.

BTW, nice B2, love the color.