solid axle made outa a ttb?

[PlumCrazy]

I would throw a D35 under there and run D44 TTB knuckles.

-PlumCrazy

 

[4x4junkie]

I think it's a bit pointless trying to do anything with the alignment until that jacked up linkage is taken care of.

I've dealt with screwed-up linkages like that causing a severe disturbance in ackerman which in turn causes the suspension to jack itself during turns, causing the caster (and of course camber) to go all out of whack, which finally makes the thing not want to return to center (if those coilovers have a spring rate less than what the stock coils would be, then that only further exacerbates the issue).

Again, I stress that your linkage needs to be fixed before anything else (you'll need to fix it anyway if you want those tires to last... I already see the passengerside tire starting to wear funny because of it). I'm not going to say anything more about it.

 

[85broncduece]

Tire wear didnt start till the steering issues came up. I think I may have a bent knuckle or beam on the pass side. pass tire barks real bad at full lock while makin u turns. I beleive its a d28. And the reason for the d44 ttb would be track width increase. Id go with a full sized rear aswell. 4x4 junkie any sudjestions on how to do this I have a droped pitman arm heard horrible things about the stonecrushers street maners, and k link seems ok but I do alot of moderatly higher speeds in the desret and single swing is beyond my finances at the moment? Should I spend the $ on the box eating fa600? Im just lost on this one. No one arround here seems to want to mess with a lifted ttb, letalone one with custom parts They just tell me its gonna be crap no matter what I do. I did find one shop but they want $250 just to find out the issue. Seems extreemely high to look at somthing.

 

[85broncduece]

Is it a possibility that the rear end is causing the front to roll under? it almost feels like a bad ball joint. And how hard would it be to fab a k-link or sringer set up? I have moderate fab skils/tools and access to a bender.

Any one near the pomona ca area wanna take it for a spin and give me their thoughts?

 

[PanamaExpat]

I am in full agreement with 4X4junkie on this. You need to get rid of the stock tie rod assembly. Just yesterday I reinstalled the steering linkage under my 94. Since I haven't reconnected it to the pitman arm I was thinking about this thread and grabbed on to it and observed first hand just how much the toe in toe out changes from simply moving the linkage up and down. It also looks like you have way to much positive camber on both sides. In viewing some of the info in the tech library I noticed that with some of the more extreme lifts that they seem to have modified the knuckle angles on the TTB. That would make sense as you could only drop them so far before no matter what camber bushing you installed it would no longer do the trick. I also really like the look of the crossover style steering linkage over the K style. It doesn't look as if it would be that difficult to fab up you would just need to be a bit more creative.

Edit: I was also going to ask if you had checked the ball joints on the passenger side. They are a bit of a ball buster to change but they are not overly expensive.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I would swap a D35 in before I fabbed a new steering setup. The steering isn't interchangable between the two axles (D35 is wider), it would be a shame to put that much time into a D28.

Not saying the D35 would fix anything at all, just IMO if you are going to upgrade axles the time to do it is before you build new steering.

 

[PanamaExpat]

^ Agreed. I wouldn't do this on a Dana 28 if I were planning on upgrading to a Dana 35. Head to the junk yard and grab a 35 first. That way anything you buy for it ball joints etc you are only buying once.

 

[sbsrlewis]

PanamaExpat is that your steering setup? If not, who's is it and where can I learn more about it?


Steve

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Its hard to tell in the avatar photo, but it looks like you have some camber \---/ problem

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/Spring2003/TTBTuning.htm

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/winter2008/steering_tech.htm

PanamaExpat is that your steering setup? If not, who's is it and where can I learn more about it?


Steve

Behind door number two

 

[sbsrlewis]

85_Ranger4X4 thank you for the link of where the picture came from. Do you or anyone else know anything else about that setup? I would like to learn more about it if possible.


Steve

 

[brinker88]

It's called swingset steering, and it's best used w/ a cut/turn beam setup.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

85_Ranger4X4 thank you for the link of where the picture came from. Do you or anyone else know anything else about that setup? I would like to learn more about it if possible.


Steve

Nope, I had just saw it when I was checking out those links a couple days ago.

I had seen it before, but since my truck is pretty much stock height I never really paid much attention to it.

 

[adsm08]

I would swap a D35 in before I fabbed a new steering setup. The steering isn't interchangable between the two axles

That isn't exactly true. You can use 28 steering parts with a 35. My shop foreman has an 89 that started life as a 2wd and now has a 35 under it, all he did was bolt the axle in and align it.

My truck had some bad links and the 35 I bought had some bad ones, and I had no money. My steering is a hodge-podge of the two systems and works. I have no more toe in adjustment on the passenger side because I had to bring it in to the very end where the inner and outer links are almost touching, but that is from something else that I did that was really supid.

The point is, if you fab up something for your 28 it will work with a 35 as long as you leave enough room to toe it out.

 

[Andy D]

Wow, I think the Rat has a D35, and an 8.8 rear. I run 235 15s and use the truck just for stuff I can't carry in my car. Right now it is 200 miles away hauling furniture for my son. All my previous front ends have been solid D44 s on leaf springs. I never had to do anything to the diff. Far as I can tell, there is no big difference in ride or handling. What makes the D35 a mechanically better front end? Right now, it leaks from the rear cover. Changing it doesnt look like a fun job, so I check it every so often.

 

[adsm08]

What makes the D35 a mechanically better front end?

Over the Dana 28? Better brake options, bigger axle shafts and bearings, stronger u-joints, etc.