putting together Dweano's front end (D35)

[bobbywalter]

I usually just left my D35 shafts unpainted, cause I knew they were probably going to snap the next time I went out wheeling anyways.

...i dont paint MY shafts


but stock plow trucks benefit from it

 

[CHKNFKR]

haha if you guys werent all so far away Id be willing to give you a hand.

You'd prolly shoot yourself if you tried setting mine up.

 

[Will]

I need front end lessons...I know like nothing about bearings and spindles and...whatever else is in there

Whatever else is in there is ALWAYS whipped unless it's on a truck that is maintained by someone who knows what they're doing. And off-the-street D35 is going to have seriously bad axle joits--especially the center--and whipped spindle bearings. The shafts are going to be deeply pitted with rust and the yokes can be thin enough to not be realiable except for emergencies.

I'm not sold on the 250ft# thing. I think people don't spend long enough working the bearing and torquing to squeeze the grease out. That, and maybe they are greasing the nuts and washer before they put it together and the 150ft# friction isn't enough with grease in there. I don't like the idea of putting 250ft# on those threads when Ford says 150ft#.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Whatever else is in there is ALWAYS whipped unless it's on a truck that is maintained by someone who knows what they're doing. And off-the-street D35 is going to have seriously bad axle joits--especially the center--and whipped spindle bearings. The shafts are going to be deeply pitted with rust and the yokes can be thin enough to not be realiable except for emergencies.

I'm so glad I'm not in the rust belt... I took a junkyard D35 out of an explorer, shafts look new, joints are in like new shape, even the boot in the middle of the passenger side shaft was fine same with the front axle in my 210k explorer that hasn't been maintained all that well...

 

[4x4junkie]

I'm not sold on the 250ft# thing. I think people don't spend long enough working the bearing and torquing to squeeze the grease out. That, and maybe they are greasing the nuts and washer before they put it together and the 150ft# friction isn't enough with grease in there. I don't like the idea of putting 250ft# on those threads when Ford says 150ft#.

Has nothing to do with working the grease out of the bearing... If you have wide offset rims and/or large tires, the added leverage from that (combined with the narrow bearing spacing) tends to work the nut loose from 150ft-lbs. (IIRC you've been running stock rims on yours? 150 would normally be fine for that)



On that housing dinged by the lift bracket, I'd spray some non-residue spray cleaner over that bump on the inside (brake cleaner, etc) and then smear some RTV sealant over it (I see what looks like hairline cracks that could let some oil seep through).
If it's already back together, then maybe RTV over the outside of it.

 

[-Nathan-]

On that housing dinged by the lift bracket, I'd spray some non-residue spray cleaner over that bump on the inside (brake cleaner, etc) and then smear some RTV sealant over it (I see what looks like hairline cracks that could let some oil seep through).
If it's already back together, then maybe RTV over the outside of it.

already did that

will finish putting this thing back together tomorrow.

 

[-Nathan-]

Truck is all together.

Finished putting seals/bearings in the pig.

went to put the locker in, and it didnt fit...proof:

His truck is a 96, and as such has the smaller diameter side gears, so the locker didnt fit...had to put it back as an open diff. I think with the 35's on it, this is actually a better decision.

NOTE** the pattern you see was (top yellow) is not the final pattern, the actual pattern was the one in the section of yellow marking compound below it.

That one spindle on the passenger side was tweaked, threads stripped, and couldnt turn a nut on it, so had to go to the junkyard and get a spindle. pic of me holding ruined one vs good one.

The splined washers on the truck were the stupid little thin ones, and the old spindle nut actually ruined them, so I had some thick ones laying around and put them together. Pic of thin (original on the truck) vs thick (that I put on)

axleshafts in, all put together.

I also switched out his 4" rough country springs for a set of 6" BDS springs. I adjusted the stock caster/camber bushings as much as I could, but this is how it ended up. He has new fully adjustable bushings, and will have to get them installed an a proper alignment done. I just dont have the time.

needs more rear lift!

All done, and works good.

 

[wahlstrom1]

Looks good!

 

[Dweano]

Sweet looks good man. Yeah I really gotta get an alignment. Haha. I don't want to drive like that much longer. Those treadwright's gotta keep there tread. I still have those shackles I got from you. Original plan was to put them in and take out a block. But now I might just leave the blocks and put the shackles on. Hmm...

Side note: locker for sale. Haha

 

[wahlstrom1]

The updated front end is makin my truck jealous... might have to do some work on the fenders and do an update when the core support gets replaced!

 

[Dweano]

You like? Yeah I spent a surprising amount of time (and money ) on the front end. You don't gotta do anything with the core support tho. If you had the parts I would recommend doing it. Its not too hard (now I say that looking back...while I was doing it I was thinking it wasn't the easiest haha) I gotta figure something out with the bumper tho

 

[4.0B2]

looks like you might wanna address the steering..

but the truck looks dang good. i think i'm gonna get me a set of those tires!

 

[shane96ranger]

That came out nice. I'm impressed with your work Nathan and Dweano. The front end swap looks good too.

EDIT: I actually have a question. My truck came with those thin washers too. I went down to the Pull-n-Save and got some thicky's from an Explorer. BUT... when I tried to put them on, they were so thick that I couldn't get the clip back on. So, were there several thicknesses of washers, or is my truck just stupid?

 

[Sunk]

I'm liking that front end swap.... I'm jealous!

 

[-Nathan-]

That came out nice. I'm impressed with your work Nathan and Dweano. The front end swap looks good too.

EDIT: I actually have a question. My truck came with those thin washers too. I went down to the Pull-n-Save and got some thicky's from an Explorer. BUT... when I tried to put them on, they were so thick that I couldn't get the clip back on. So, were there several thicknesses of washers, or is my truck just stupid?

did you grab the end of the axleshaft and pull it outwards, that should warrant you enough room to get the washers on. Thats all I did with his truck.