I finally got my rear suspension pretty much done for now:D I might end up tweeking it a bit but I'm gonna have to wheel it first. I tried driving up on my dad's 38"s but front wheel drive isnt' gonna pull that on a slick drive way....made some cool chirping noises and got the neighbors to check it out though:p Hey I had to test my new locker and dana 44 some how:rasta:

Here's the link to some pictures

http://community.webshots.com/album/36615581ecEDsn

looks good, nice fab work. but i think you got a little heim-crazy on the spring to axle mounts :D do you really need a heim there? cause IMO i would have used a shackle for the simplicity and lack of a wear-point.

what did you use for springs?

Well I used hiems on the spring mounts because I thought that would be the best way to do it and they should keep my springs from twisting (A major problem in my mind). The springs are F250 rears I removed a leaf but you would have to mess with them for your own rig. When I go to bigger meats I plan on throwing that leaf back in and I have some adjustment in the hiems on the shackle.....another BIG reason I used them. Without that you would have to guess pretty perfectly on some things and you'd still have no adjustment without fabbing new shackles;)

I think you did a great job. That is a very clean install. I like the use of the heims on the shackles for adjustment but flex when twisting as well. Are those 36 tsls now? Looks like the ol man has 38.5 14.5 sxs huh?

Thanks it took a little while!Yep 36" TSL and my dad has 38.5" SX. I"m wanting 39.5 TSLs but I'm trying to keep my 44 alive until I can afford a 60 or some CTMs and a set of Warns. Ouch that hurts my wallet just to think about:eek:

Looks good dude.

I think I found a cheap recipe for a d60 front.
get these parts
1. d60 rear housing (hd is best with 1/2in tubes),and locker-gears of choice with 35spline spiders(for front axles)
2. d50 front axle(from a hd 3/4ton independent ford truck)
3. d60 inner C knuckles from Partsmike.com for balljoint style d60


Now take all this to a machine shop that will be building your front axle, and have them retube one side of the housing for the long side if you are full width. Then they can install inner axle seals just inside the tubes from the carrier. They can then press on your new inner knuckles that cost 189.00 a pair and are machined for 3in tubes. Have some custom alloy inner axles made with 35spline and bolt up your d50 complete outers that are the same size as d60 outers(30 spline stub shafts and hubs) with big dual piston calipers and 8lug. The only downfall I havent figured out yet is the lack of the ability to run hi-steer. I will be looking much further into that as mine comes together. Some complain of the ball joints but they run them on all the new dodges and fords, so I dont see the problem.


so here is a price breakdown(assumed pricing)

$50.00 to 200.00 for d50 front
$50.00 to 200.00 for d60 rear
$189.00 for inner knuckles www.partsmike.com
$100.00 for retube
$100.00 to 200.00 for machine work(guess)
the rest would be normal purchase after buying a d60 complete front.


so lets go middle of the road on all
100+100+189.+100+150=639.00 and I am sure much more change with gears locker and inner axles besides any worn parts needing replaced on all stuff bought used.Still way cheaper than the norm of 1000.00 to buy one+450 to narrow+axles and replace any worn parts, not to mention hi steer.

Nice job tucking everything up inside the available package space -- good to see a gas tank outside the passenger compartment:
http://community.webshots.com/storage/1/v2/1/57/69/36615769tanGWR_ph.jpg

Nice details, with the brackets twisted inwards to parallel the links at rest... are those just simple tube spacers or full misalignment bushings? Not sure you need the latter....

Randii

wheelinjp, sounds like that would work pretty good. I think that Dynatrac and Currie use the balljoint style anyways. High steer is gonna cost with balljoints though, because it isn't a bolt on arm. Also you might be kinda limited as to how wide you could go...You would have to leave room on the short side tube for a spring perch and shorten the long side to match the width of your frame. That might end up about right although it could be a problem having the diff centered more.Anyways, keep me informed as yours comes togther:smokin:

randii
I think that they are misalgnment spacers but I don't see why normal tube spacers wouldnt' work. They do the same thing. As for needing them....at least I know I can twist my rear end up pretty good before they will be maxed

;)

Good point man I was also looking into notching the housing on the passenger side but I havent measured it out yet. The hi steer is a bummer but I will try to find a way with minimal cost or machining.Sometimes I think the normal way is worth it in the easiness and aftermarket support, but I cant afford 2grand just for a front axle, this is a hobby, not a requirement, like tools.So if I may ask what do you have into your 1/4 elipt. rear all together not counting the rear end itself.I am very interested in doing this to my YJ and retaining the stock gas tank location.

desertcj,
this is not a bust, i am trying to figure this out myself

what are/is the advantages of 1/4 v coil springs (not coil overs)
i want to do one or the other just not sure which one, i have read just about every post i can, any help would be greatly appreciated

i hope this isn't considered rude, to ask on your post

I would say that the rear suspenion from start to finish was about $500. That doesn't include shocks and be sure to include incidentals like drillbits,nuts and bolts and every other little thing you can think of. It ended up costing me way more than I thought, but I"m sure you could do it for cheeper than I did. My rear axle just barely clears my gas tank, I have the axle moved back 1.5" to 2". When I go to bigger tires I want to throw some 44044s on the front to lengthen my wheelbase a little more:D

As for the coil vs. 1/4 ellpitical debate let me say this.... I see a lot of people swapping in 1/4 setups. Most of the guys I see running coils are either swapping to coil overs or to 1/4. I would just rather have the 1/4 over coils:rasta:

Looks sweet. Nice fab work! How does it drive on the highway or
twisty roads?

Originally posted by desertCJ
wheelinjp, sounds like that would work pretty good. I think that Dynatrac and Currie use the balljoint style anyways. High steer is gonna cost with balljoints though, because it isn't a bolt on arm.


Where is there a arm for these at all? I have a set of these D50 knuckles myself, and would like to make use of em, but the stock steering location sucks :rolleyes:

I'll let you know next week. My rear shaft should be here by Wednesday:) So far I have only had it to about 30mph with front wheel drive. Just making sure the gears I set up myself aren't gonna :nuke:

I think that a dana 44 style high steer arm can be made to work on the balljoint style 60s:confused:

Looks great dude! I've been considering the same setup myself.

A couple of questions though.

First. How long are your springs? I'm guessing that you cut them, but how long?

Second. Did you make your mounts for the spring eye to the axle? If not, where'd you get them?

Thanks man! And great work, looks awesome!

You know what's even more impressive than your very clean fab work, ......is your ability to take a decent photograph. Nicely done.

I have a couple of questions

- can you list the tools you used in the fab...what saw, welder, etc?

- why the unusual shock lower mount, and if the shacle moves laterally, how will the shock accomodate?

- Have you considered bracing / gusseting your over the diff truss where it attaches to the axle?

- how much room vertically is their between the upper and lower links? Have you gotten it all twisted up in testing and confirmed no binding or inteference?

Thanks,

nice work

IndyCJ, I cut the springs 3" past the centerpin. I made the shackles using the stock Ford part and a 1/2" plate.

BillaVista, I'll let my dad know that his pictures were appreciated:) Besides basic hand tools, I was using a oxygen-accetalyn torch and a Lincoln 110 volt mig welder.:flipoff2: to everyone that says those little machines cant' weld. It is all technique, and although I am using it on the edge of its capability...it worked fine for everything I tried to weld.

I know that my lower shock mounts are not the norm...but who likes to be normal:D It was the most obvious thing to do and with that setup one of the nice things about it is that I dont' have to worry about the shocks binding at all. The hiem on the shackle should take up all the twisting of the axle while articulating. Is that what you were saying?

As for bracing the axle hoop thingy:p I really dont' think it needs it, there isn't very much force from side to side. I may consider it in the future.

My upper link mounts are 5" apart and the the upper and lower links are seperated by 7" at the axle. This should produce a little bit of antisquat. This was something I spent a lot of time thinking about so dont' think I just slapped it together. At first I was going to make the links perfectly parallel but 5" at the axle had me worrying about axle wrap and applying too much strain to everything to control it. So I made the decision to live with whatever antisquat this setup produced for the time being. Time will tell...like I said my rear sahft will be here this week sometime and then I can tell you better how it will behave:D

Look forward to me flexing it on some rocks down the street and possibly getting arrested if I can't make a quick gettaway;)

Originally posted by JEEPRZ



Where is there a arm for these at all? I have a set of these D50 knuckles myself, and would like to make use of em, but the stock steering location sucks :rolleyes:

I dont think there is. I was going to take one to my machinist friend and see what he could come up with. I am hoping that we can machine a flat spot big enough for a hi steer arm.

If you could post a list of what size tubing, heim size, tabs where they connect to the axle and where you got the parts it would be much appreciated.

Looks good.

Pat yourself on the back Desert, cause that is some very clean
work you've got there........ looks very nice, great execution,
and very simple...........

--nice work..


Sherpa where/how much/size were the heims you used??

Thanks for the props. I can't wait to git this thing on the trails and try it out. The hiems I used were 5/8x3/4 from QA-1. I got these from Avalanche for about $30 each. If I have problems with them I will think about going to some 1" or 1 1/4" monster joints.

desertCJ....thanks for the info....and congrats again on a very fine job.

Smack me if I'm talking for you...but I'm going to guess the tubing is something like 1.25x.095 DOM?

You guys can see a bunch of info on these types of rod ends and weld-in threaded bungs in one of my steering articles at:

http://billavista.tripod.com/Steering/SteeringV1/SteeringV1.html

SMACK!:D

No, I'm just jokin. The tubing is 1.5" DOM with a .250 wall thickness. .095:rolleyes: that stuff would fold like tin foil:rasta:

Originally posted by desertCJ

As for bracing the axle hoop thingy:p I really dont' think it needs it, there isn't very much force from side to side. I may consider it in the future.


There are A LOT of side forces (can you say cornering).

I would definitly recommend the bracing.

Other than that it looks really clean, and use of heims for the spring to axel mount is a good idea.