Solid Axle Swap BS Thread

I have seen his a while back.

The axle trac bar mount is a modified Artec mount. Upper I had to make to get the angle to match the drag link

 

The steering box is as far forward as I could get it without removing the radiator mount. I used that rear hole just to get the axle forward the extra 2 inches. although if I can't find another solution I will have to do that.

 

Yeah you need to go through that core support or go to a forward swing box. Or like I used a box that mounts inside the frame from a jeep tj. A big bore psc box.

Other option is bend the trac bar around the pumpkin or move the axle back.

 

It’ll be a crawler around here. I’m just curious what folks are pulling out of the front and if it’s much more than long travel.

 

I’m a first gen but after raising the motor and frame several inches and notching the frame, I’m able to use the full travel of a 2.5x14 in coilover angled back at about 10 degrees. 6.5 inches of uptravel at 23 in frame height. I’m guessing I’m pulling 16 inches of travel with the angle and have it strapped because steering binds at 13-14 inches. An angled pitman arm would fix the steeeing but I haven’t needed the extra travel yet.

 

Nice. If I out wheel what I have it’d be nice to SAS for a stronger front end and a bit more travel, but I’m ready to ride and be done with projects for a while.

 

Time to cut the core support out for sure. I’m a first gen and incompletely removed the stock LF body mount for the steering box

 

I gave it a little bend just to see. Got rid of a lot of binding so Im going to tack in the coilovers and see what it does.

 

For perspective..

 

More perspective. You can see how far forward my box is to my trac bar.

 

If you do end up having to move your steering box forward some more, you will probably see a little improvement in steering since your can move the steering link forward on the Passenger side knuckle and get it aligned over the draglink. Should help decrease weird steering feedback.

 

What weird steering feedback could it cause?

 

Just run a forward swing scout box, then ya dont have to cut anything out of the rad support, plus you get a bigger, beefier box.

 

The issue with a forward swing box is it gets in the way of everything it seems. Mainly shock towers and bump stops. I have a big ass Ford forward swing box and it's a PITA to work around and leads to some weird bump stop landing pads and what not, especially if you are on leafs.

Hacking up the core support would have been less work than all the fabrication I have had to do working around the forward swing box.

 

Need to stop spending time in this section, Keep pricing decent suspension to only run 33's and now looking at Waggy 44's etc etc

 

Some of the most fun I had was wheeling my 1st gen ifs on 33s. Amazing what they can do with a locker, crawler gears and a winch.

Waggy 44s aren't much of an upgrade over the stock IFS and rear axle.

 

Just coming from my last Toyota truck was back halved with 16" coilovers, had a Toyota buggy, then two 1 ton jeeps. Just feel like dumping money into IFS is a waste but I should give it a better chance.

 

I'll go waggy44 any day over 7.5 IFS.

 

If I'm doing all that work I would get a better axle than a d44. It may be marginally better than the IFS, but not enough to motivate someone to cut the IFS off, IMO.

 

Anyone know whats up with the barnes perches and the huge gap with the little tabs? I feel like I should grind them off and bevel but wanted to make sure there was not something I was overlooking.