PlumCrazy's Build

[kris97ranger]

Sometimes i dont read so good...

 

[PlumCrazy]

Cleaned out all the old grease and grime from the new to me hubs, and sandblasted them as well as the caliper brackets. I was thinking about powder coating them, but it would be a waste in this application.lol I just gave them the good ole healthy layer of spray bomb.lol I smacked in the new races too, tonight I am planning on cleaning up the spindles and pushing in the trail gear bushings.

I think I will get the axle under the truck and start mocking up steering this weekend, but I can't get the wheels on and let the truck sit at ride height until my new studs and rotors show up.

I still need to figure out how I am doing the track bar, how I am doing the hydro cylinder, front drive shaft, and how to route the shifter cable. I want it mount in the console with the other shifters, but IDK if my current cable will be long enough. I could convert to air or elctric and just get two matching switches for the front and rear lockers. I am looking at a HD locking toggle like this for the rear.

It needs to be big enough to look like a "shifter" lol. So I can say its Penta-Sticked

 

[PlumCrazy]

Sand blasted the spindles and cleaned all the old grease out, knocked out the spindle bearings (which actually is a total PITA), painted them, and installed the Trail Gear bushings…which are awesome BTW. They just slip in and done…no thrust bushings to worry about. Only concern is that I no longer have the large wiper/slinger seal with the RCVs, so hopefully the grease rings keep the moisture out.

Painted up the hubs and brackets

One rotor showed up?

Got the axle under the truck for mocking up steering and track bar, then Ill pull it out and burn in all the brackets/gussets

Ran into some interference with the stock F150 track bar mount and the poly wedgie bushings…but its getting cut off anyways.

Bolted the knuckles up

The boots are a tight fit in the knuckle too….I might grind down the tip of the BJ a touch

Bolted the spindles and caliper brackets up only to discover high steer arm interference….not sure if its just this brand (Chassis Unlimited) or all arms on the half ton knuckles that have this problem…regardless a little grinder work and they fit like a glove…

I drilled the holes to ¾ for my rod ends and then it was powder time.

Blasted them down, plugged the tapered holes to keep coating out, I wasn’t worried about the straight holes, I can run a bit through them if needed.

Mounted everything back up

Steering angles are going to be nice this time…with my current pitman setup it will be less than a .5” drop….this means major track bar reconstruction. Looks like the engine cross member will be rebuilt based on track bar and SOHC oil pan requirements

Started playing around with one of the 15x8s…it was roughly 3.75” BS

The reduced diameter where the center is welded (the drop for mounting tire) is offset to the outside by a few inches….so I got the bright idea flip the centers in rim

I marked the welds in yellow

Carefully cut the welds

Used a brass punch and a mini sledge to push the center out

Sand blasted a little before the gun iced up. Sandblasting in -2* doesn’t work to well.lol

I flipped the rim and tapped the center back in, tacked it in at 2.5” BS. I used a straight edge and a sliding square to make sure the center was in straight. Not sure if the rib will clear the brakes, so Im stuck waiting for my studs and calipers to show up.

I sold the 12.5” bead locks I was running because they were just too damn wide for these tires. I didn’t like the side wall hanging out and the rim grinding against everything. Im going to weld on some 32 bolt rings to these 8” will make them around 9.25” wide. With the shallow backspace my overall stance shouldn’t be compromised much and the tire will stay off the radius arm. The HP axle will be 1” wider over all and the 8.8 with the conversion bearing retainers will side about 2” wider overall.

Who care is Dot approves? I don’t know who this Dot lady is…..but she doesn’t seem to approve of anything fun.

Before everyone freaks out about welding my wheels, and how straight they are, and how safe they are, and how my wheel bearings will be toasted……keep in mide these wont see the street..or 15mph for that matter.

 

[kris97ranger]

Beadlocks are dot approved either so whats it matter lol.

 

[PlumCrazy]

My old ones were. They had a sticker and all, but they were a store bought bead lock, not weld ons

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[wizkid00104]

Looks fantastic! Its nice seeing all those shiny new to you parts. Is this axle better in every measurable way than the old one?

I might grind down the tip of the BJ a touch

This phrase taken out of context made me laugh for a good while All I can say is this sounds painful....

 

[PlumCrazy]

Looks fantastic! Its nice seeing all those shiny new to you parts. Is this axle better in every measurable way than the old one? :

Yes


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[wizkid00104]

I just noticed you won truck of the year 2014.... not sure when that was posted but congrats!!!

 

[prerunner]

Congrats on getting truck of the year, Plum. Great truck, even if it doesn't look like your avatar anymore.

 

[PlumCrazy]

Hell....I just noticed. I missed the voting completely.

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[PlumCrazy]

Some more goodies showed up yesterday..EBC pads for front and rear. Little disappointed that such expsensive pads don’t fit with out modification. The inner front pas has one tab that is too large to fit in the caliper bracket. I am not sure why….just a touch with the grinder should fix it.
Front (78 F150 app)

Rears (06 Explorer app)

Thunderbird calipers also showed up. Still need to knock the shoulder around the inlet down a bit. Thought I was in trouble when I first tried to install them…The Reid knuckle is way beefier around the caliper indent and the larger piston caliper didn’t fit at first. Luckily I was able to just grind a small tab off and it fits with no room to spare.

Hard to see, but he tab hits and pushed the caliper out .25”

Here is the caliper I modified next to the other side.

Tight fit

Looks like I have to ruin my pretty powder coat job too….the back corner needs clearanced for the brake line fitting

7/16 Banjos

Shoulder that needs knocked down a touch

Also finally found studs….took about 5 hrs of research and part number searching. I never liked the way the standard replacement studs were shorter and didn’t have the pilot tip like the stockers. So I figured I would just get some longer ones…..wrong. ARP offeres 3” studs with the large shoulder required for D44 applications….but the shoulder is actually .25” too long (and 5 studs run about $80)…So I found a part number for Dorman studs with the dimensions I thought I needed…nope, shoulder is also so too long (610-277 BTW). Hopped on Pirate to see if this is a common problem…turns out it is. The Chebby guys want to upgrade from 7/16 studs but the beloved 610-165 stud has been discontinued… After a few hours of browsing Dorman catalogs..I found the 610-162 has the dimensions of a stocker D44 stud with the pilot tip and all. I wanted a touch longer for more thread engagement but they don’t exist.lol

A common solution is bumping to 9/16 studs which are available in the longer flavors, but I am stuck with ½” since the rear axles us a thread in ½” stud not just a simple knurled press in. Id rather not ream the holes out in my brand new $500 chromos.

I also got a chance to test fit the rim I recentered. Its close, but the caliper clears the drop in the rim by about 1/16”…..Not sure how I feel about the caliper hanging out and exposed. The tire will balloon out about 1.5” on either side, so It should be ok.

Tire should poke 3” or so with this setup. I don’t have the track bar on, nor do I know if the axle is centered right now.lol The rear will poke 4-5” Im sure

I started looking into weld on beadlock kits so I can one tire mounted and use to set steering stops etc..Damn things get pricey by the time you add anti-coning rings and ¼” plate. From my research so far… DIY Bead locks are the best bang for your buck. Anti-coning rings, ¼” locks, and some decent patterns to keep rocks out of the rim and under $300

Stopped by 1Badex’s place and scored a Ranger front shaft to retube and replace this turd…

Splines are twisted and locked in the yoke too…

BTW… Stage 8 wheel bearing nuts are the shit..super easy to get torqued and llocked in. No stupid jam nut, no keyed washer stuck in the treads, no sheared pins…

(FYI snap ring not installed)

 

[kris97ranger]

Ive got the stage 8s in my f350 great product. One thing im kinda confused in you narrowed the axle then get rims with such little backspacing the calipers hang out why not just leave it full width?

Just didnt think this far ahead sorta deal?

 

[PlumCrazy]

I want to keep the tires off the radius arms. FW would be just as bad. Ideally I would like to suck the wheels in 1", but the rim will hit the caliper.

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[Robert_1967]

Did you look in to the Mopar Lugs that they use when they need longer studs on the old Hemi Mopars??



Robert



posted using a ruler and 100mph sticky tape.

 

[PlumCrazy]

The issue is the way Dana axles press the studs through the rotor into the hub. The shoulder is .75" long. Typically they are .4" on most setups with a hat rotor or full hub/rotor assy

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