Stay ttb or sas for a DD

[dangerranger83]

I did a D30 SAS to my truck and its my DD. Its as reliable as your fab skills and the time you put into researching on it.

Could be wrong on this but the after market on the ttb d35 doesn't seem a big such as finding new axles, gears, etc... as a d30, solid d44, etc...

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[4.0B2]

It's not as big, but there's no problem getting parts either.

 

[AllanD]

Write this down somewhere so you remember it:

If you ever hear that I'm building an SAS 4x4 truck you may assume,
From God's lips to your ears, WITH a commerative stone tablet carved
by the finger of god in your presence, that I'm dong it to a Ranger that
started life as a 2wd...

There is no reason to chop up a perfectly good 4x4 when if doing an SAS
a 2wd truck has a narrower, less in the way, engine crossmember.

There is ONE exception to the statement above.

IF I have an F250 I'd convert it to an F350 front axle in a heartbeatt if one were available.

AD

 

[brinker88]

I personally love my TTB. Love the way it handles and its predicability. BUT, I'd rather have a monobeam over TTB for pure strength (d44), alignment issues, not needing crazy expensive specialty parts to make it work properly (skyjacker pivot brackets, FA600 pitman arm, custom steering, etc).

 

[4x4junkie]

You will have to fill both proposed axles with aftermarket parts to make them stronger than what you have. Right now they are comparable.

It's interesting the number of people that don't realize this.
I've lost count how many people I've watched break their D35 and then swap it out for a D44 only to continue breaking... Finally they get frustrated enough and swap in the D60 that I originally suggested they swap in in the first place (because toning it down on the loud pedal was something they would hear absolutely nothing of lol).

TTB goes through wheel bearings fast with large tires, is hard to keep aligned, and always have to check the lift bracketsand mounts for cracking...

SVT

I have none of those problems on mine... I examined where there was an issue and fixed it (rather than condemn the whole suspension).
Like was said a few posts up, it's as reliable as your fab skills and the time you put into researching it. TTB or solid axle makes no difference whatsoever here.

Could be wrong on this but the after market on the ttb d35 doesn't seem a big such as finding new axles, gears, etc... as a d30, solid d44, etc...

There is some lack when it comes to chromo shafts (there's no middle-budget options, just RCV's chromo CV kit which is $$$$$), however choices in gears & lockers seem just as good as with any other popular axle.


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To the OP:
If you simply want just the wider stance, I would say go for the swap. However, know that what you have now is also plenty capable if it's setup right.

 

[racer1044]

Thanks to everyone for there input. I think I am going to stick with ttb setup. I already have the skyjacker brackets and a few other mods done to it, plus plenty of spare parts. Seems to me it would be easier to modify what I already have then start from scratch. Any pointers on where to reinforce and plate the beams? I did a quick search on here all I seemed to find is pictures of beams that are already done.

 

[kroussinoffroad]

Well i just stumbled on this so I figure i'll give you my first hand experience.

I bounced back and forth in my head ALOT about lift/build the ttb or SAS the conclusion i came to is obvious. HOWEVER i did not DD my truck nearly as much as you. this was to be a semi DD/ weekend wheeler. so I went with the D30. performance was well worth every dollar and every minuite. I have neer regreted going SAS or starting with the d30. I now consider it my learning curve. It did everything i wanted it to offroad and was manageable down the highway, however it wasnt weak shafts or small R and P that got to me. It was the constant changing of wheel bearings. I was running stock offset wheel's aligned several time's and eventually swaped out for another axle with the thought of a bent housing. nope still went thru them. Then I had a 77 44/9 pretty much fall in my lap. so the dicision to go fullwidth with servicable bearings was made. i have not looked back since i went SAS but i think i would if i DD'd mine more and didnt play/work with it as much. I still cringe at the thought of when we toyed with the brother in law's B2's ttb yeah it ended up with a waggy44. again tho it's not his primary vehicle even tho he does DD it. ALOT of work made it flex close to what my 30 could but was way worse down the highway and at speed down rough or whooped roads . bottom line is i think a ttb can perform like a sas but at what cost and how much time. everyone says to not go 30 and 44 cuz they have the same size shafts but i'll take less moving parts any day with improved OFFROAD performance and larger hubs of the 44.

I have broke less since I went SAS and 33/37's then when i was stock on 30's. with loud pedal control and restraint from getting in too deep its been proven that a 30 can hold up behind a 350 I can honestly say i Thrashed on my 30 with the 4.0 and 33's and never broke a shaft or R and P (cant say that with the 44 on 38's)

 

[4x4junkie]

Unless you plan to be jumping the truck or running it at high speed (doesn't sound like it), I'd say just box up the open backside of the passengerside beam with some 1/8" plate and leave it at that (also open up the window wider for the axle shaft). The rest of the beam seems pretty sturdy in my experience. A brace run across the frontside of the driverside beam can keep it from bending if you tend to bump into tree stumps or rocks blindly (in which case you might want to brace the pivot bracket for that side as well).

Some discussion of reinforcing/plating the beams in these threads:
http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80176
http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112737

bottom line is i think a ttb can perform like a sas but at what cost and how much time.

I'm sitting on about $700 that I've put into mine (that obviously doesn't include the locker, cost of which doesn't change regardless of the axle you use, but does include the steering, springs, Bilstein shocks, and other materials used).

As for time... I guess that depends on how much you enjoy tinkering with your truck. Fixing up a TTB or doing a SAS... neither one is going to be an afternoon project.
I built the extended radius arms & brackets for mine and did some plate reinforcements on the axle brackets, also modified my spring buckets for taller shocks and coils... However I actually enjoy doing stuff like that. It would have been nice had the Superlift steering kit I bought worked properly straight out of the box, however making it correct only took me a couple hours, not including repainting parts of it.

I think much of it comes down to knowing what you're doing, though there's plenty of info on this site and others that can help if you need it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I would love to have a solid axle under mine. Having the leading edge of the undercarriage of my truck a vertical flat plate that hangs down pretty low has screwed me up before.

However you can't do a SAS without raising the ride height (I don't want to go much higher) and since a D35 all but falls in there it is likely what route I will go.

 

[joxracing]

A whole new chapter to the ever popular "will Ben SAS" saga was started today.


Inside sources say he could be switching over to the 44/9"

(which is the better idea IMHO)

I love TTB, but to me a SAS'd ranger would be way sweeter. This "go-slow" TTB stuff isnt doing it for me. TTB shines in the jumps and whoops, and thats about all.