Narrowed D60 front axle and Sterling 10.25 rear axle builds

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Yea dug up some posts on Pirate with pictures of how guys have cut back the cast housing there an inch to make more room for links/shock mounts. Ballistic also makes a neat one piece mount that ties it all in.....decisions...

We are officially committed now....I cut the inner C off the long end tonight. Just gotta grind the weld all down and press the chunk of axle tube out of the inner C. Probably do that monday with the press at work. Will have more pictures soon.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Ok...Inner C cut off the long side, cut the weld off of the inner C

Ground the weld all smooth until I could see the fracture line between the weld and the Inner C. Then I took a sawzall and cut two slits into the piece of axle tube that was still inside of the Inner C. Pounded it out with a hammer and punch.

got a new disc for the chop saw...measured and measured again for my final tube length and cut it to length.

Just have to clean up the weld remnants on the tube left from the leaf spring perch that used to be there. Then the Inner C will get tossed on the BBQ for a hour or so on high and then put back onto the tube, and set the caster. Tack it it place...double check measurements and then final weld. Slowly but surely it is coming together.

 

[--weezl--]

this is a sweet build!

 

[86 slo-vo]

nice build, just picked up a BJ 60 myself today.

 

[kris97ranger]

looks nice. i gotta ask though why go with a 60 in the front and the 8.8 in the rear? seems kinda unbalanced (strength wise) unless you do plan on getting a bigger rear eventually

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

With the super 88 kit apparently you can run 40's with little issue. I only ever plan on 37-38" tires at the most. Plus the ground clearance will be nice and I've already got a Detroit in it.

 

[wahlstrom1]

I never really had an issue with the 8.8", but I pretty much destroyed the D44 up front. Seems like everyones goin D60 here lately! Mines a hybrid, but the parts that count are HD...

Mine axles are built to Chevy 1 ton width (69.5 wms-wms) and with H2's I'm sitting at 78" to the outside of the wheels, no rubber....

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Alright. Got the tube cleaned up, and put the inner C on the BBQ for a hour on high.

Got my axle all set on jackstands to set the caster once the knuckle was put back on. Using the drivers side cast leaf spring perch, I found that it and the drivers side inner C were both at the same angle. I set them to 0*, ran to the BBQ and grabbed the inner C with the some welding gloves on and ran back to the shop. The C pretty much slipped back on with a few taps from a hammer. Set the caster to a matching 0* and let it cool. Checked the caster again and tack welded it on. Checked it again and proceeded to final weld the inner C back on. I did 3 passes of weld with .035 wire.

 

[wahlstrom1]

You've got more done in a couple hr's then I have in the last month.... ugh! Hope that short/longside shaft treats ya well. It was beat on with smallblocked landcruiser on 39.5's.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Hah!

I've probably got about 8 hours of effin around with it at this point.

That axle shaft will probably be right at home with my v6 and 36's then!

 

[legoms013]

I'll be watching this build and taking notes.....when the D35 breakage catches up with me I'll be doing the same swap (hopefully).

(Grabs popcorn and sits back).

Keep up the steady progress

 

[--weezl--]

what was the length on the short side, before you cut it, and what about now?

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Cleaned up in the shop a bit tonight, got the axle back on its bench and put the knuckles back on just to get an idea of what this sucker is gonna look like.

Stock length long side shaft next to the shortened shaft.

Stock length shaft

Shortened shaft

The shortened shaft is 7 5/8" shorter than the stock shaft, so 7 5/8" was cut off the long side tube.

These are the 3 chucks that made up the 7 5/8" that were cut off

And this kinda gives an idea of where the long tube used to end

Stock width WMS to WMS for the ford D60 is 69.25", so mine will end up being 61 5/8" WMS to WMS.

 

[--weezl--]

maybe that will make more sense tomorrow... i just read jibberish... i'm quite sure the error is on my end though

 

[Boggin]

looking good dude, cant wait to see it under the ranger!