D44/D35 mod

[dirtcowboy]

When adapting D44 TTB knuckles etc., to Exploder D35 beams, the common practice is to remove the inner layer of steel from the beams lower ball joint location. Why is this done?


https://www.flickr.com/gp/140157233@N08/6Ca68P

 

[4x4junkie]

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/winter2007/44knuckleswap.htm

Right here (just over 1/3 the way down) it says:

To accommodate the 44 upper ball joint inside the 35 beam some material must be removed from the inside of the beam. Depth of cut is easy to see from the pictures. Basically the thinner layer is ground off flush.

My guess is it's because the D44 knuckle is just a very slight hair wider than the D35 knuckle... That or maybe it's something related to the different type camber bushing used (tapered-stud vs. straight-stud).

 

[dirtcowboy]

So, using that tutorial as an example, it appears that the lower ball joint location, by virtue of reaming the D35 lower, is the predicate for all clearances between the D44 knuckle and the D35 beam?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/140157233@N08/shares/HZ9Po7