CP's SAS

Have a long running thread on another site but since the number of offroaders there is very limited I thought I could start one here as a clearing house of my work thus far and questions. I'll be kinda breif...

SPECS (SO FAR):
Dana 44
Ford 9"
3.5" wild horses eb coils
Full spool in rear
open in front, will put a lunchbox in it though
5.13 (d44)
5.14 (9")
will be running 35" tires.

A few pics:

9" bolted in, not the final position, still need to set the pinion angle and weld the perches on.

The evil one has been removed

full size bronco buckets, cut down to stock explorer size. And a test fit of the spring...

Test fit of the buckets, with 2" spacer. Also have had to redrill the lower buckets to bolt in. and a couple of plumb bobs

I'll be replacing the stock sterring components with better parts, 1ton chevy TRE's, tie rod flip, etc.

That is all for now. I am going to weld caps on my spacers this week, and do another test fit. If all looks good i'll drill them for the bolts. Next weekend i'm taking some 2x6x.25 (stupid beefy) back to my parents to use the band saw to cut it up. Going to have to go above the drive shaft with my crossmember, it's also doubling as my RA mount....uhhh mounts haha (I have to outboard them for this axle).

 

[CodePoet]

fe fi fo fum lol

BTW
If any of you guys see an issue with what I have done please let me know! I want this thing to be built right the first time so I don't have to screw around with it and can have it on the trails more than in the garage haha!

Again, the trac bar mount WILL be welded to the frame.

 

[CodePoet]

Would a set of bolt on 8.8 disk brake brackets work on a 9" with d44 rotors? It looks like my d44 rotors around about .375-.5 larger than my 8.8 rotors. I would re-drill the 8.8 rotors but the hat isn't nearly large enough to fit the 9" axle flange. Is there another rotor that would fit better? : :scratch:

 

[sn0border88]

use dodge ram 1500 front rotors and turn down the shaft flange to fit

 

[CodePoet]

Cool, thanks snoborder i'll take a look at those. As long as the hat is somewhat close to the size of the flange and it's an 11.25 or so inch rotor i think it'll work.

 

[CodePoet]

Is there a way to adapt the entire 8.8 disk setup to a 9"? I know that the rotor will not fit. I'll have to find something else for that. I'm trying to figure out a way to install "stock" disk brakes on my 78 9". I know that the 9" came with disks in the versallies along time ago but I want to stay with something more current for parts avaliablity.

Possibly the brakes off of a f150 8.8?

If not it's no skin off my butt, i'll just make brackets to use GM parts

 

[CodePoet]

Ok have another brake question. I have a set of calipers that came with my 79 d44. They are shot no question. I was browsing around the auto parts websites today and found a rebuild kit for a few bucks (includes new seal and dust boot). I would have to of course put new bleeders in and banjo bolt as well. Is there any reason NOT to just rebuild what I got? I looked through an online manual and there is nothing that is out of my mechanical reach. One of the pistons had actually fallen out of the caliper. But all in all it was still OK looking. Just curious. I'm mainly just bored and want to dink around something. I don't care if I have to buy new calipers in the end.

 

[lifeguard379]

should be ok as long as the piston is ok. be a good time to dip them in some cleaner as well. and a re-build wright up.

 

[CodePoet]

Ok cool, I didn't think that there was enough to them to make them "unsafe" to rebuild at home. The piston did not have any rust of any consequence, but could use a good cleaning. It's pretty cruddy inside. The diy guide I found kept saying to use alcahol. Is there a reason I shouldn't use brake cleaner? I have a case of that on the shelf.

 

[lifeguard379]

any updates?