IF i could get my hands on a set of early bronco axles (44 and 9") how involved would the swap be. I have done swaps before, mainly i am consered with the front spring set up?

Would i run leaves? soa? what ones? the rear i know just weld some perches up and be done.

My buddy got a 96 bronco for $3000 and wants to lift it and wheel it. I may have a line on a set of axles, and am thinking it would be easier to do that than piss with the fuck up of a front axle it has now.

He will prob stick to 33's and like 4" of lift, sound doable?

Would my best bet be to jsut find some springs (leaves) and go soa with them?

front (http://www.soderblom.net/bronco/tech/D44solid)

back (http://www.soderblom.net/bronco/tech/Ford9)

You'll have an issue with the speed sensor tho - starting in about 92, the Bronco no longer gets the speedo information from the TC, it's from the ring on the rear axle. I've heard of people adding that ring and sensor to a 9", that might be an option.

I don't think EB axles will fit on a fullsize. When people run fullsizes on EBs they usually get them cut down, so you would have to do the opposite, which would be hard to do. Look for some axles from late 70's/early 80's fullsize trucks and Broncos...they will have factory discs on the Dana 44 and maybe you'll find a 9" with 31 spline carrier and shafts too.

Oh and I recommend you run BC Broncos coils (www.bcbroncos.com) and National leafs (www.jbg.cc), which should both fit without much mod to the '96.

If you are wanting to use 1/2 ton axles you will want to find a 78-79 D44 to keep the width correct

YEah the EB axles are narrower as everyone has said. I don't think you could even make it work without re-tubing the axles and getting new shafts made, but what's the point? Get axles from a 78/79

Turns out the axles i had in mind are from a 78, so that should be good.

Anyone runnign leaves in the front?

Originally posted by dozernad
Turns out the axles i had in mind are from a 78, so that should be good.

Anyone runnign leaves in the front?

You'll be hard pressed to mount leaves on that truck without cutting off the front accordian sections of the frame and building new. You'd be better off with coils, esp. considering the axles you're getting are already set up for them.

But putting leaves on a 80-91 frame is nearly as easy as torquing the bolts.

if it is a 96 with a E4OD your going to have shifting problems with removing the 8.8 from the rear. The bext upgrade option would be the 10.25 full floater.

If he has a manual disregard this jibberish

Now this guy really knows what he's talking about :D :D

Originally posted by sclemons


You'd be better off with coils, esp. considering the axles you're getting are already set up for them.

That and the coils bolt in. Just add Radius arm mounts. Leave teh rear alone for now.

I did a RC D44 front from a 79 F150 then later followed by a 10.25" rear in my 95 Bronco. The setup worked very well, but if I were to do it again, I would start with the D44 out of a 79 F250 so I wouldn't have to do the 8 lug conversion on the front. Also, be warned, if you do decide to go 8 lug and keep ford brakes you are either going to need to switch to 16"+ wheels or do some serious grinding (although I have heard that using 2.5" backspaced 15" rims will also work)...

It is the best feeling in the world to cut all of the TTB cr@p out from under the front of the bronco. Street handling and off-road performance with big tires will both increase (I was running 38.5" SXs).

-Matt

Originally posted by mtadams
... I would start with the D44 out of a 79 F250 so I wouldn't have to do the 8 lug conversion on the front....
-Matt

But then he would have to convert the front to leaf springs.

Originally posted by emsoffroad


But then he would have to convert the front to leaf springs.

True.... or you just fab something up to fix that :) It still may be cheaper than taking the F150 D44 and making it 8 lug...

-Matt