meatballs 95 straight axle build!

[dirttrackracer]

here's what I got so far done to it.
dana 44's front and rear
5.35 lockers
leather mountaineer seats
infinity speakers with 2 12in JL woofers with JL amp.
stock 4.0 5 speed new clutch
custom driveshafts
diff covers
new master cylinder, brake booster, and all lines
installed a alarm system
national leaf springs in the rear

here's the pics lots more to come






welded the radius arm brackets together to eliminate twisting and minimize movement





lots more to come within the month. rebuilding the whole front end next week when I get a Saturday to myself and prepping and painting the underneath with por15.

 

[dirttrackracer]

tore the entire froint end apart yesterday/today. replacing stock axleshafts with aftermarkets also all new ball joints, tie rod ends, wheel bearings, and locking hubs. pics tomorrow

 

[FordRanger89]

I like how you did your rear shock mounts. I am getting ready to do something very close to that.
Did you use chevy knuckles for you high steer???

 

[dirttrackracer]

I like how you did your rear shock mounts. I am getting ready to do something very close to that.
Did you use chevy knuckles for you high steer???

No, im thinking about switching to heim joints and making new bars as I did for the track bar. I can't get the sob true in the front end.

 

[escort_gts]

Looks good. Just wondering why a 44 in the rear? Not saying anything bad about it, just curious cause its something different

Sent from my HTC VLE_U using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[dirttrackracer]

$150 with the gears in it, my buddy had it sitting around. That's the only reason behind it. I have a ton to learn about axles and geometry with the placement of suspension pieces/steering. But I'm learning.

 

[dirttrackracer]

working on replacing the high steer setup I rigged. I am installing all new rod ends with 1 1/4" tubing with tapered sleeves


This week (if it does not rain) ill be pulling allot of parts off to sand and paint/undercoat

 

[bobbywalter]

I like how you did your rear shock mounts. I am getting ready to do something very close to that.
Did you use chevy knuckles for you high steer???

thats dodge style on the shocks





looks pretty good. nice sound basic setup. the tacks on the trac mount are the best way to go imo as well. i seen way too many steering boxes get rippied off the frame sending trucks into a bad situation. i would have drilled and rosetted a few spots though.


nice rig

 

[dirttrackracer]

thats dodge style on the shocks





the tacks on the trac mount are the best way to go imo as well. i seen way too many steering boxes get rippied off the frame sending trucks into a bad situation. i would have drilled and rosetted a few spots though.


nice rig

thanks! its my first build this extreme. Anything you see that you think will cause issues? right now I don't like my coil buckets.

 

[brinker88]

thanks! its my first build this extreme. Anything you see that you think will cause issues? right now I don't like my coil buckets.

FYI, that IS a chevy or FSJ knuckle...

Only thing I don't care for is:

Lower coil retainers

Track bar bracket at frame needs boxed in ( you WILL rip it off the frame)

Track bar and drag link are not at the same angle.

And you WILL bend those radius arms the way they are now. Cut the cast piece completely off, cut a slit in a piece of DOM and weld it on. Use johnny joints and make a custom frame bracket. Those OEM brackets hand down low and you will get caught on them all the time.

 

[bobbywalter]

FYI, that IS a chevy or FSJ knuckle...

Only thing I don't care for is:

Lower coil retainers

Track bar bracket at frame needs boxed in ( you WILL rip it off the frame)

Track bar and drag link are not at the same angle.

And you WILL bend those radius arms the way they are now. Cut the cast piece completely off, cut a slit in a piece of DOM and weld it on. Use johnny joints and make a custom frame bracket. Those OEM brackets hand down low and you will get caught on them all the time.

this pretty much sums it up....save for i would never run rod ends..regular tierod is my preferance.




running jeep style floaters up top makes the lowers acceptable to me as well.





i would run at least a tie in on the trac bar mount. 1/4 strap or something at least.



but brinker has it nailed.

 

[dirttrackracer]

the progress today. only working on the back half of the truck this week. cut out a cross member. I am going to be boxing in the frame in multiple spots with 2 new cross members

 

[dirttrackracer]

well here is a list of the parts I am looking to buy by Friday.
building 2 new crossmembers
1979 f250 shock towers
early bronco spring retainers and coil buckets
possibly a fuel cell?
radius arms & drop bracket
and I am looking into getting a 1 piece driveshaft but I am not decided yet.

 

[dirttrackracer]

coil buckets are off ready for all the good shit

 

[dirttrackracer]

I have 2 projects going at once. I don't have enough time!
my 1978 f150 im fully restoring it slowly all the work was done by myself.

still have to put all the chrome on the panels


I gutted the interior and replacing everything with new