Explorer axle swap - brake question

[fastpakr]

I've had an '01 Sport Trac axle floating around for quite a while and it's finally time to swap it into the '99 Ranger. Spring perches and shock mounts are moved and there's a new Torsen all set up inside. However, at some point in the last few years I misplaced the hard brake line for this axle. Does anybody know if the hard line on the 7.5" axle will work as is? I'd love to be able to reuse that when I remove the old axle if that's a possibility. The Sport Trac is a drum axle, so it should at least be -close-.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I've never done it... but I can't imagine they're so different they won't work.

The only thing is... are they the same width?

If you have a double flaring tool... pretty easy just to make a couple lines if they don't fit.

 

[fastpakr]

From memory they're the same width, but I need to go back and confirm. Certainly very close.

I've had a couple of people mention that making brake lines is easy - and I'm all for learning the process, but if I can deal with that down the road on another project I'd love to skip it for now. Enough things on the plate as it is.

Edit - I think the ST axle is 1 inch wider, so .5 per side.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I totally understand an over full to do list... no shortage of things to do in the new house. I've had a set of heavy duty bumper brackets for over a month and still don't even have paint on them.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I take it you have to engine in and running?

 

[fastpakr]

Honestly there's a strong chance I'll be bringing the '99 to Indiana without the new axle at this point. Every step of the way with getting it running has been madness. Yesterday I had to rent a right angle drill so I could drill out the end of the crank and tap it to a larger bolt for the harmonic balancer... In case you've ever wondered what happens if you forget to put the cap on the end of the puller after a long day of wrenching, I now have first hand experience. It can thoroughly destroy the threads of the crank. Good times.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Oh my... that isn't good.

I didn't even know you had a second Ranger... but I've been not following along on here very close. To many other things going on lately.

 

[fastpakr]

I don't - been down to one for a long time now. Badly written post on my part.

Crank issue is fixed now other than needing a slightly shorter bolt. Tapping it to 3/4-16 sorted the problem out nicely.

 

[fastpakr]

Now that the truck is running, I'm back on track to install the axle before the roundup next weekend. Brakes are fully assembled with new parking brake cables, so it should be a pretty easy swap into the truck. The only lingering concern is the hard lines. Can anybody confirm what size fittings and approximate line length I'd need? I'm going to back the truck into the shop tomorrow night to start the swap. If I can have everything on hand to make the lines, that will help immensely. Thanks!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Now that the truck is running, I'm back on track to install the axle before the roundup next weekend. Brakes are fully assembled with new parking brake cables, so it should be a pretty easy swap into the truck. The only lingering concern is the hard lines. Can anybody confirm what size fittings and approximate line length I'd need? I'm going to back the truck into the shop tomorrow night to start the swap. If I can have everything on hand to make the lines, that will help immensely. Thanks!

Actually a rather boutique metric triple bubble flare fitting... happy hunting.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I used the original Ranger soft line at the top, I think it needs 10mm flare nuts. I used the same soft line when I did disc brakes, I think I just went to the auto parts store and got two nuts when I made that work...

 

[fastpakr]

Follow up/AAR...

The 7.5 splitter bolted right down in the same spot on the 8.8 axle and the lines fit just fine. Except for one detail - the 8.8 wheel cylinders had 7/16 thread fittings rather than the 3/8 fittings from the Ranger lines. Figured this out 15 minutes before the closest auto parts store closed last night and got back to the shop only to discover my borrowed flare nut kit didn't have the die for 3/16 lines. Back to the auto parts store 5 minutes before they closed to rent a different flaring kit.

In a non-brake related area - the spring plates on the Ruff Stuff kit weren't drilled out large enough to fit the nuts on the bottom of the Explorer spring pack. Found that out in the middle of raising the axle up and had to yank it out to drill the center holes up a couple of sizes.

The axle is in and I drove it home and to work this morning. Still haven't gotten the parking brake cables linked up. I may hand that bit off to a shop this week so I can attend to other things. At least the axle is in and the truck is drivable, so Indiana is still looking good for next weekend.

 

[sgtsandman]

I had to bring the old lines with me to the parts store and even then it was an adventure getting everything matched up. I think I ended up having to reuse the old one next to the front of the fuel tank. Nothing was standard