SOA Begins

[DJForrestA]

Well got started on the SOA today. I only had a few hours to work on it so I had to leave just as my brother was fabbing the spring mounts. So cool things we found is that it had the same yoke as my 44 and looks like the extra length on the pinion is gonna allow me to you my same rear driveshaft. I'm sure I'll want to up grade to heavier yoks and u joints but for now it will save some time. This baby is a big mother though. I guess I didn't realize how wide until it was sitting under the scout. It measures 84 inches from hub to hub and wms measures 72. My front Measures 69 wms to wms. Anyway here are a few pics from today. I used 57 inch chevys for the rear. Check out the spring packs that were on this axle. Pretty stiff mothers. My brothers lifting the scout himself. Can anyone ID what axle I have for sure?

[ihojeff]

Well got started on the SOA today. I only had a few hours to work on it so I had to leave just as my brother was fabbing the spring mounts. So cool things we found is that it had the same yoke as my 44 and looks like the extra length on the pinion is gonna allow me to you my same rear driveshaft. I'm sure I'll want to up grade to heavier yoks and u joints but for now it will save some time. This baby is a big mother though. I guess I didn't realize how wide until it was sitting under the scout. It measures 84 inches from hub to hub and wms measures 72. My front Measures 69 wms to wms. Anyway here are a few pics from today. I used 57 inch chevys for the rear. Check out the spring packs that were on this axle. Pretty stiff mothers. My brothers lifting the scout himself. Can anyone ID what axle I have for sure?


Looks like a Dana70u.

[RustoleumWhite]

With a 3" wider than the front rear axle, on already full-width that things going to look dumb.



Is the rear done yet?? From your original schedule you should be done with the rear now....


I am jealous of your front axle though…. Been looking but haven’t found that deal around here yet.

[DJForrestA]

The rear is done. These spring perches were about 4 inches wider on each side than the scout ones so we had to do alot of fab work. I like the wider spring stance since I tow and its my DD. Its gonna be tall though. With 8.75x16.5 tires it sat a little higher than my front with 33's. Funny thing is it looks like I'm gonna have to shorten my rear Driveshaft. I don't know how that happened other than this rear has a pretty high pinion and its alot longer than my 44 pinion. We also fabbed it so my original scout spring mounts are still in place if I ever want to put it back stock. I've got to get some big tires on so I can see how it will look before we finish all the welding.

[Bill usn-1]

Why not drill an extra hole in the spring perch and move the axle back 1"
When I do my SOA's I drill 3 sets of holes. centered, 1" forward, and 1" back.
Let's you fine tune for articulation and tires.

[Mechanos]

The rear is done. These spring perches were about 4 inches wider on each side than the scout ones so we had to do alot of fab work. I like the wider spring stance since I tow and its my DD. Its gonna be tall though. With 8.75x16.5 tires it sat a little higher than my front with 33's. Funny thing is it looks like I'm gonna have to shorten my rear Driveshaft. I don't know how that happened other than this rear has a pretty high pinion and its alot longer than my 44 pinion. We also fabbed it so my original scout spring mounts are still in place if I ever want to put it back stock. I've got to get some big tires on so I can see how it will look before we finish all the welding.
Wouldn't it have been a lot less work to cut the spring perches off the axle tube and reposition them? Fabbing all new spring hangers, etc. to match the axles existing perch spacing seems like the extreme hard way to do it.

[DJForrestA]

We would have had to build new perches because the springs are wider than my scout springs and locate completely differently. I don't mind the extra width because like I said I tow and its a DD. The fab work only took a couple of hours. My brother is magic with that stuff. Its nothing compared to the 75000 dollar sander he is building from scratch right now. Time is my issue. I want to get it done before he gets busy and my work space and help disappears.

[DJForrestA]

I came up with a set of tires today. A friend of a friend had some 37 12.5 16.5 Goodyear muds. The military OZ ones mounted on rims. He was feeling generous so he sold me the set for 100 bucks. They have a little over half tread and will work great for setting up these axles and for spares when I get my other tires. Anyway the front axle is next and I'm not sure how soon till I'll get that project started but hopefully next week.

[Blair]

Technically they weren't mounted! At least not all of em. You gotta get some pics so we can see how those look especially the rear end width. Should fill your fenders quite nicely. Then we can go play in the snow. Later, Blair

[DJForrestA]

I got the other two mounted today so I just have to get to Burley and stick them on. Three look really good but one has had a rough life. Thanks again Blair for the deal. Maybye I can help you out if I get something you need.

[Snoopy]

Got more pics?

[DJForrestA]

I'll have some this week. My scout is about 50 miles away so its kind of a pain. I'm gonna work on it all day friday and Saturday and hopefully I have it finished. The owner of the local truck parts store asked me why I was buying the ubolts, perches, etc and I told him about my project. He wants my scout axles for his jeep so he is just running a tab on all my parts. He said he'd trade out up to 300 bucks in parts for my axles. So I haven't had to buy anything but the dana 60 front. I have the braided steel extended brake lines for my skyjacker lift but I'm still coming up short on the rear. The brake line attachment is on the opposite side on this dana 70. Should I use a cheater line between the axle and my stainless line or just use one long line? Anyway I hope its sitting on both axles by Sunday.

[REDDMANIAC]

Just swap the side, weld a nut on the tube for a bolt or vice versa, to bolt the T. No big deal really. Dont forget to run the vent lines.

[DJForrestA]

What a newb I am. I should of thought of that. Also I was looking at this 60 and I was wondering about the front spring plates, I didn't get them when I got the axle should I go get them or will they be easy to fab? How do the inside u bolt mount?

[ChiScouter]

Ive seen those Chevy plates go for as much as 50 bucks on Ebay. Id go back and get them if you can for free, use them as templates to make new ones, and then sell them. How about some update pics.

[Mechanos]

...How do the inside u bolt mount?
If by "inside u bolt", you mean the passenger side inner u-bolt.... there isn't one. There are two tapped holes in the pumkin casting where studs are threaded into the casting. The plate goes over the studs and they get a couple nuts.

[DJForrestA]

Thanks bro thats exactly what I was talking about. Yea I'll hit the wreckage and see if they have the plates around that were on this axle. With my brothers mill we could punch them out like crazy. He also took a look at the Hi steer arms I ordered and said it would take about 10 minutes a piec to build them. I ordered the ones to relocate the tie rod behind the axle. Is anyone running these? Sorry about pics but like I said its 50 miles away and I had a ton of New Years gigs and weddings plus Costco and the club so spare time has been non existent. I'll have some this weekend though.

[DJForrestA]

Hit the wreckage today and they had the spring plates. They were still attached to the sway bar. They said they'd get them off and I could pick them up tomorrow. Found a could IH's while I was walking around. I'll snap some pics and post them up tomorrow.