Ok ford guys, I know you are the best people to help me out with this question. Here goes...

A buddy of mine has a 92 Ford Explorer and he wants to do a SAS in the worst way. He has easy (and cheap) access to complete front EB Dana 30s. He has 5 Broncos to choose from to take the axle out of. I would like to know what axle ratios are likely to be in these 30s, and what axle ratio he likely has in his explorer stock (he has a slush box). I was thinking of pulling everything off the donor including radius arms and hooking it up in a fairly stock fashion to the explorer. Is that a good idea? Have I been :smokin: too much? Is the drag link likely to work, or should he just plan on buying a new one? What would he have to do if anything to his stock steering box? Are the spring mounts going to line up at all? The guy is a poor college student working his way through college so he wants nothing fancy, just functional. He blew one of his front hubs wheelin one of the harder trails around here and he is getting super tired of the TTB. Any web site you could point me towards with this info would be awesome too. Has anyone done something like this? Basically tell me what you think.

Thanks in advance for all ya'lls help. Sorry for being a non-ford knowledgable Toyota guy. ;)

If you want a 4.11 ratio look at the EBs with the Inline 6, if your lucky you could find one with 4.56. The EBs with 302s, will have 3.50s or 4.11s The best way to tell, is there should be a tag. Is this going to be a trail only rig? The Drum brakes would really suck on that new of a vehicle. The radius arm mounts are welded onto the axles, so you can grind the welds and remove them, and then move the mounts or fab your own.

Originally posted by StoopidMonkey
If you want a 4.11 ratio look at the EBs with the Inline 6, if your lucky you could find one with 4.56. The EBs with 302s, will have 3.50s or 4.11s The best way to tell, is there should be a tag. Is this going to be a trail only rig? The Drum brakes would really suck on that new of a vehicle. The radius arm mounts are welded onto the axles, so you can grind the welds and remove them, and then move the mounts or fab your own.

I believe that some of the axles have Disc brakes on them but honestly I don't know for sure. I really don't know much about EBs except that I like them. :p If they are drums, how hard is the conversion? . Ideally he wants to get an axle with a ratio that matchs his current one and I was wondering if that was even a possibility. Anyone know if it is? This will be a DD too...

None of the EBs with a D30 came with disc brakes. Barely any with the D44 came with them until the last 2 years they were made. Ive heard of people putting disk on them. But i dont know who or what they did. I think www.wildhorses4x4.com they have a kit i think that works on it.

I wouldn't waste my time on a D30 swap. It's a step down if you ask me, straight axle or not. It wil be the same amount of work as doing a D44 swap so why not do the D44 right away? For tons of info on Explorers got to www.explorer4x4.com and the message board for that site www.explorerforum.com Your friend should be able to get an idea of what he is up against.

For ratios the codes are on the door tag or the actual ratios are on the diff tag. I don't mean to sound harsh but if you guys can't figure that out are you really prepared to swap an axle?

Originally posted by Paul Gagnon
For ratios the codes are on the door tag or the actual ratios are on the diff tag. I don't mean to sound harsh but if you guys can't figure that out are you really prepared to swap an axle?

You know if the junk yard was in my back yard, that is probably the first thing I would have tried, but seeing as it isn't, I thought I would get an idea of available ratios before I even went over there and looked for myself. I actually have a SAS in progress on my truck already so I am very prepared to swap an axle, thanks. Just here looking for some simple ford info, if only someone would tell me the info I am looking for... :rolleyes:

On that note, what is a good Dana 44 to fit into an explorer? I am guessing a 76 or 77 EB front, but is there anything else that makes for good swappin?

EB axles are nearly bolt on. If you did the dana 30 swap, it would be easy to swap in a 44 down the road. Of course you'll be wasting any money you put in the dana 30 for gears etc..... Personally, I would just keep the Dana 35 until I found a 44.

There's no way to say what the exploder gear ratio is, you'll have to find a tag or pull the cover...If I had to guess, I'd say 3.73.

I used a 74 EB dana 44. I'm still running drum brakes, and its not that bad. Better than my stock disc brakes. I'll do a disc brake conversion someday, but it's low on the priority list. Drum brakes would have never been used if they didn't work.

Anyway, check out this page

http://www.snort4x4.com/~4xford/dana44.htm

Also, the short side tierod on the dana 35 should work for a drag link. That's what I'm currently using.

Originally posted by 44Runner


You know if the junk yard was in my back yard, that is probably the first thing I would have tried, but seeing as it isn't, I thought I would get an idea of available ratios before I even went over there and looked for myself. I actually have a SAS in progress on my truck already so I am very prepared to swap an axle, thanks. Just here looking for some simple ford info, if only someone would tell me the info I am looking for...

Okay let me be even less helpfull then. The owner's manual decodes the axle ratios. My point was that the info is right there in front of you and you can't find it.

Here is the info see if you can put 2 and 2 together. :p
http://www.users.qwest.net/~ntrpriz/Axle.htm

3.27 is one of the most common ratios for the early years.

ratios for the 8.8" are available from 2.73 up to 6.14 with a similar range for the D44 so again you will have to figure out what ratio you want on your own.

Originally posted by Paul Gagnon


Okay let me be even less helpfull then. The owner's manual decodes the axle ratios. My point was that the info is right there in front of you and you can't find it.

Here is the info see if you can put 2 and 2 together. :p
http://www.users.qwest.net/~ntrpriz/Axle.htm

3.27 is one of the most common ratios for the early years.

ratios for the 8.8" are available from 2.73 up to 6.14 with a similar range for the D44 so again you will have to figure out what ratio you want on your own.

I really don't know what your problem is. You seem to know everything, but tell me nothing. Nobody, on the other hand, answered my question. I asked what was likely to be in the rear of the Explorer, and he answered. See how simple that is? I asked how easy the swap was and he answered, mega easy. Thanks Nobody! He even told me that the short side tie rod will work as a drag link, PHAT! Man I love helpful people.

Also thanks to stoopidmonkey! You were very helpful as well!

I know Nobody, Nobody is a good guy he chose to hold out for a 44, smart man learn from him. That being said, don't waste any time or money installing an EB 30 in anything. Theres many reasons, small R&P, small axles, kingpins, weak tubes and punkin, drum brakes and more. All but the R&P can be upgraded but by the time you do you will have paid twice for a 44 and still have a 30 R&P. Just don't do it. If you got EB's to pull parts from trade them for an EB 44 or find a HP 44 and narrow it.

Originally posted by FearMe
I thinks it's been said before. Don't waste any time or money installing an EB 30 in anything. Theres many reasons don't bother asking just don't do it. If you got EB's to pull parts from trade them for an EB 44 or find a HP 44 and narrow it.

Yes, this is what I have told him, to hold out for a 44. I think he is stoked about how very cheap this swap is when he sees me having already spent close to $1000 on my own. I mean if he found one that could match his rear close enough in gear ratio, he could do the swap for under $300, that is damn cheap. I think he will end up holding off and searching more.