help me plan my bulid. some qustions.

[jarfly]

So i'm steeping up in the off road world with my beloved ranger. shes a 97 with a 6" lift and 3.slow. So any how. I blew it up, my lift bracket is cracked, ever brake/bearing is out of it, u joints needless to say I'm starting with a cab/frame and a set of new 34 swampers.
So any how i'm going to v8 it with a 5.0 auto out of a 90s f150. and going to use a dana 44 axle in front and the 9" in back.
So I want to bob this thing, trails are very tight around here. I'm thinking of doing a cheap 3 link on some coil overs(been looking at homemade) or just a coil and shock set up. I want the frame to end about 5" from the coil mounts so this will call for a tube bed or just a truggy back half. not sure yet.
Ok now on the front I'm not sure what I want/need. I want to kick the front axle out about 4". I thought about just radius arms but not sure on how I would kick the front out? allso if I push the axle up what do I need to do about steering.
The rest is pretty simple bulid a nice exo cage some tube/half doors gut the inside a set of nice race style seats and a lot of gauges/toggle switchs. Painted a nice copper with black cage and black rims. Ill start a bulid very soon.

 

[SeanWilson]

well if your going solid axle like it sounds, the only option to keep your steering working (with out being backwards/opposite) would be to move the steering box basically to the very front of your frame rails right where your bumper will mount to the frame, thus keeping all your geometry.
i would defiantly do a inboard steering box, like off the f150 your getting all your parts from, stay true and do a histeer, at least in the passenger side. remember to keep your panhard bar and steering arm (from the box to the passenger knuckle) at as close to the angle as possible. this will keep your steering true through out all of your axle flex.
If your confident on building your own coil overs go for it! but remember that sumbitch is going to be heavy with a v8 and auto trans combo, personally id run 6-8’’ 4door jeep cherokee coils. (the 4door body plus that engine combo will be veryclose to the weight youll be at, so it should perform well)

also look into ruffstuff.com for they brackets and such, they have good prices and i and alot of other members use them. and you can get ideas from there pictures on the stuff you can build on your own to save cost.

if it is going to be a strictly trail rig like it sounds, for the ass end look into half/quarter elliptical suspensions.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/suzuki/466274-quarter-elliptical-suspension.html
http://www.zukioffroad.com/Tech_Library/quarter_elliptical.shtml

It is popular in rigs where the rear tires are basically as far back as possible and where having coils could be problematic. i have a shop teacher at college right now doing a old 70’s jeep body/frame with full width dana 60 front and rear, beffy chevy 350 motor and running 38'' or 40’’ swampers using the elliptical in the rear. its a monster he is doing paint prep as of now