Project 4x4 Commuter Mazda

[legoms013]

Go full width dude. What are you gonna run for a rear axle?? I'd get a fw 8.8 out of a 150 or a 9 inch.

I'd find a bronco or F150 8.8 and swap all my crap over.

Or if I stay narrow a set of 5 on 4.5 to 5 on 5.5 adapters.

 

[RangerBoy94]

So are you gonna run the stock d44 arms? And what are you gonna do about coil springs?? Deaver, James Duff? I tell you what its gonna be one sexy truck once you get it finished.

 

[kris97ranger]

full width for sure. maybe run fiberglass fenders/bedsides like wahlstrom. another guy i wheel with has a 302 exploerer on a 8.8 rear with eb front on 39.5s and he has the fiberglass front fenders and theyre covered

 

[legoms013]

So are you gonna run the stock d44 arms? And what are you gonna do about coil springs?? Deaver, James Duff? I tell you what its gonna be one sexy truck once you get it finished.

James Duff long arms

James Duff 5.5 coils or some from Bronco Graveyard (probably EB coils)...already have the coli buckets which accept them so that doesn't change

ARB

4.88's/5.13's/5.38's (haven;t decided final tire size)

Mid steer (flip the tie rod the top of the knuckles)....no leafs to interfere with so no need for hi-steer right now. t-link steer

Want to end up like this but with 37's? :

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/787251/1993-ford-ranger-regular-cab/page-10

Remember my goals at the beginning post of this thread. To build a commuter that is a rock solid wheeler. FW does not fit into that picture. Chances are I will have another car by the end of this year, but at the same time I still want to be able to DD this one of need be. That's my reasoning for narrowing this D44.

 

[Kyle M.]

Fw isn't that wide. Buy a good off set rim and run it.

Even with adaptors on the rear, it is gonna space the tires out and you are gonna have to do something to fix that just like in the front...


I don't know why people think full width axles are hard core.

 

[RangerBoy94]

Well sounds like you have a pretty solid plan. JD stuff is top notch and their arms are bulletproof. If you get a 9 inch rear end James Duff has pretty neat bolt on 4 link system that's relatively affordable. They also have it for the 10.25, 14 bolt and d-60 and d-70's.

 

[legoms013]

FW is pretty wide. 6" Difference!

Ok, so if I stay FW, then I have to deal with the lower coil retainers somehow to bring them in 3" per side. I am not about to space out my coil bucks.....to me that is booty fab on such a high stress component.

FW on a 78 1/2 ton D44 is 65" WMS to WMS right? Or is it 67"? I can't google a straight answer.

Puts the final running width at about 78" to 80" wide with a 12.5" tire.

Narrowed would be 72"-74"

 

[Bennybooster]

just get wheels with a ton of backspacing

 

[RangerBoy94]

If you were to to narrow your axles don't narrow it a bunch still leave it a little wider than stock width axles mabey 2 or 3 inches wider?

 

[4.0B2]

If you were to to narrow your axles don't narrow it a bunch still leave it a little wider than stock width axles mabey 2 or 3 inches wider?

gotta keep it w/ an easy to find axle length for parts... don't want an oddball length. it'll just be a nightmare later

 

[legoms013]

I just read through Bray D's narrowed build and I am more convinced than ever to run my HP narrowed down.

From page 13 (when he narrows the axle) to the end he has great pictures, static and wheeling. Plus pictures of the whole build progress.

http://therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12686&highlight=daily+doubler+build&page=13

^That is what I want. Its gonna be hard to convince me otherwise

 

[RangerBoy94]

gotta keep it w/ an easy to find axle length for parts... don't want an oddball length. it'll just be a nightmare later

Oh okay i kinda forgot about that but makes alot more sense to narrow it now then.

 

[4.0B2]

I just read through Bray D's narrowed build and I am more convinced than ever to run my HP narrowed down.

From page 13 (when he narrows the axle) to the end he has great pictures, static and wheeling. Plus pictures of the whole build progress.

http://therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12686&highlight=daily+doubler+build&page=13

^That is what I want. Its gonna be hard to convince me otherwise

I say narrow it... I mean sure FW is nice but if you need to stay legal in dumb ole california.... Then maybe narrow is for you. Bray does just fine..

 

[legoms013]

Gettin' clean with the pressure washer...Diamond in the rough...Spindles appear to be in excellent condition. Rotors and hubs seem fine too.

Rock a by baby in the....

Bucket o parts:

Shafts. Long side measures a hair under 34"....perfect. 34" - 6" = 28" = EB length.

Steady progress until I whacked my finder with a 2lb sledge trying to get the passenger side knuckle off. Ball joints are good still. The driver's side knuckle practically fell off....but the ball joints are obviously shot to hell. My finger hates me.

Plan for upcoming weeks while school starts is to make a complete list of dimensions...check the BOM, determine stock gears, wire wheel and clean every thing shiny, order up an EB passenger side 760 shaft and start grinding on the case wedge weld. I predict I will have it narrowed and the housing painted up perdy by end of Feburary depending on how busy school is. From there....its all downhill as I aquire u-joints, inner/outer bearings, stage 8 lock nuts, Warn hubs, JD arms, coils, gears, locker and then have a seriously fun hay day bolting all this shtuff together I'll have it geared and locked over the summer. Tires and wheels between summer and Winter. Sitting on stands waiting to be swapped by this time next year. Hopefully all goes according to plan.

http://broncograveyard.com/bronco/i-23209-super-flex-coil-springs-4-lift-csh57.html

 

[4.0B2]

i just sold some of those coils... $120 shipped. that's what escort used on his d30 sas till he went to xj coils. i bought them from him till i found some free xj coils! lol. so i sold them to that kinghammer or whatever his name is.