mild dana 44 build thread

[coolboarder1231]

doing up the 97 extended cab with a '77 EB dana 44 (disc brake equipped)
here's how she used to sit

now with the axle slung under it after i drilled the holes for the radius arm brackets and got it together with the arms and the c bushings from energy suspension. got the 3.5 inch deaver lift coils in there too.

threw the only tires i had that fit on, than did the brakes up with new calipers and pads.

 

[coolboarder1231]

while waiting on parts for the sas i started building my spare tire carrier

gusseted

on the bumper i built a couple months ago with the a to z fabrication spare tire kit

 

[coolboarder1231]

built this shnazzie trans crossmember

than did the steering with 1 ton TREs and 1.50 ID dom tubing

i bought a trac bar bracket from jeffs bronco graveyard but decided to make my own, not really sure why i just really like fabricating now i guess

 

[coolboarder1231]

i goofed up and posted the same pic twice, heres the one i meant to post

 

[coolboarder1231]

bought some new wheels, just need to get some bigger 35s or 37s to fit them, for now the 33s will do until i get more money, and ill also need the wheel spacer/adapters for the rear explorer 8.8

how she sits now, driveable? kinda..

painted up the steering, only chose white because the trac bar and knuckles came that way when i bought the 44. i kinda like it

 

[wahlstrom1]

Lookin good man, your gonna love wheelin it when your done.

 

[coolboarder1231]

new parts
ballistic adjustable coil buckets

f250 shock mounts

long ass ranchos to accomodate the longer shock mounts

456s w/ install kits and a used detroit for the rear 31 spline 8.8

still need a front locker, debating on going with a lunchbox, prob an aussie, but i found a new OX locker from a guy on pirate4x4 for 400, still trying to decide where im going to put my savings since i still need bigger tires... anyone here in south jersey good with installing gears, if not someone motivate me to do it myself, i have the confidence to do it, im just slightly lazy

 

[exotic_4x4]

im in love with your bumper!

 

[coolboarder1231]

hey thanks maaan

 

[86 slo-vo]

looks damn good

 

[Chance]

Gotta say, it's nice to see some good clean fabwork... in parts 'round where I live... Half of what you see should be on the scary steering page.

Keep it up

 

[yyc_tbird_sc]

In one of your pictures, you had your steering setup for for over-the-knuckle. How come you decided to put it back under the knuckle on final assembly?

 

[coolboarder1231]

Gotta say, it's nice to see some good clean fabwork... in parts 'round where I live... Half of what you see should be on the scary steering page.

Keep it up

-yeah? thanks man, im only 18 so all this is basically my first time around, first real fab project i'd say, but thanks man.

-and yeah i have the steering above the knuckle but when it steered all the way to the right it would interfere with the lower trac bar bracket,so i i just put it below, no big deal i guess

 

[lawmaster891]

i am new to the site and i am trying to gather information for my dana 44 swap. what radius arms did you use? do you know if it would be any harder to use the full width dana 44? also what did you do for driveshaft. Excellent write up btw.

 

[coolboarder1231]

im probably going to either build a square tubing driveshaft (i seen ian johnson make one on extreme4x4 on spike tv) or have my friend shorten mine, he works at a tooling shop near me, and search as hard as you can for a 1966-1977 EBronco dana 44, for me its better on my daily driver than running a full width dana 44, plus it was more bolt on(for me anyway) mine was out a '77 so it still had the disc brakes, i got lucky i guess. i searched for months for one i like at the right price