dana 44 question

[koa's93ranger]

im curious as to why 90% of sas use the EB axle with the wedge style? ive been searching and searching and cant seem to find someone who did a swap with a non wedge mounted axle. if anyone has pics, please help. i have a 79 f250 hp axle and i cant determine how i am going to mount my arms to the axle. so far the only option i found is to keep the leafs or to go with CAGE arms.

also, when the arms are mounted to the axle, do they have to use a bushing and whats the purpose? i was planning on welding the arms directly to the axle and have the arms on heims at the frame.

i need advice from the experts

 

[4x4junkie]

Arms must use bushings, yes. If you weld them directly, the whole thing will then just act like a big giant swaybar, allowing no flex at all (that is if it doesn't twist and break the axle tube welds within the pumpkin first).

The radius arm (wedge) setup is one of the easiest coil-type setups to swap, and is why it's popular. I think James Duff (among others) sell the wedges if you want to weld a set onto your F-250 axle so you can run a set of radius arms that use stock-type C-bushings.

 

[koa's93ranger]

oh thats perfect.i was wondering if someone sold those wedges because those radius arms seem like the easiest ones to extend as ive seen a few build threads where they just incorporated a long dom tube into it. so simple, yet effective.

thanks for the explanation on welding the arms solid, now i can picture it in my head haha.

i have one more idea

could i take this bracket ^^^^^^^^^^^ and set up this arm to it? vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

now....i do realize that this is a rear trac bar. but could the same design work on the front end instead of using the solid single piece CAGE arm like this? vvvvvvvvvvv

i would have the same cylinder bushings at the axle and heims at the frame
im just trying to find the simple way to build this myself instead of having a kit already made. (pride issue and bragging rights)


thanks for all the advice in advance

 

[koa's93ranger]

anyone know if it would be possible to do something like that?

 

[4.0B2]

sure its possible. you could use coil mounts that have an upper and lower bracket on the driver side and just a single bracket on the passenger side. do a 3 link long arm set up...

you could make the arms, or set it up to use some tj rubicon long arms or something.. its possible yes. just make sure to get your geometry right.

 

[Toreadorranger]

Skip the ballistic fab brackets and find a company who makes them who isnt a pile of crap.

 

[cdawall]

snag some jeep brackets the ones for an XJ, TJ or similar would all work. then move to a 4 link instead.

 

[koa's93ranger]

now im lost...leaf spings sound so simple and durable. im 50/50 on which direction to go with. i love the travel you can get with coils. but now people are proving me wrong by showing me what leafs are capable of. and i do love the bare empty look of leafs

 

[bobbywalter]

you poor bastage.










i would say the majority of swaps are not eb with bushings.




and i would fold those cage type arms up like a cheap tent.

 

[koa's93ranger]

Haha ya. Life couldn't get much worse than deciding how to spend all this money I have haha.

Bobbywalter, do you have a full width front end? Did you use leads or coils?
I'm trying to see how people designed their brackets for the front shackle so I can get some ideas.

 

[camshaft01]

the easy way out is the wedges and radius arms, they can be flexxy with a bit of work. now leaf springs will flex better in most cases, however your approach angle is severly hindered,due to the extra frame for the shackle. i went with the wedges and have great flex, and great street running up to 75mph. when i say flex, i mean putting one tire on a rock up to my shoulder and three still on flat ground.
the downside to the radius arm setup is having to run a panhard bar, not to hard to set up, but its really tight ! the bonus on leafs is ,nothing is needed for lateral support.
but i love the setup im running and no jeep has touched it yet in the rocks.

 

[camshaft01]

the easy way out is the wedges and radius arms, they can be flexxy with a bit of work. now leaf springs will flex better in most cases, however your approach angle is severly hindered,due to the extra frame for the shackle. i went with the wedges and have great flex, and great street running up to 75mph. when i say flex, i mean putting one tire on a rock up to my shoulder and three still on flat ground.
the downside to the radius arm setup is having to run a panhard bar, not to hard to set up, but its really tight ! the bonus on leafs is ,nothing is needed for lateral support.
but i love the setup im running and no jeep has touched it yet in the rocks.

 

[koa's93ranger]

that is a really nice setup and far beyond the extent of what i plan to do with my truck. i was 100% sold on going radius arms, till a couple of guys showed me what can be achieved with the right leafs. being from hawaii, all ive ever seen is trucks with massive lifts on rock hard leafs, so i just assumed thats how it always is haha. i always thought leafs were a very stiff and uncomfortable ride, but the chevy leafs seem pretty soft.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZrm0bqVWQU