i posted this earlier on jeep talk, got some good info....what do you all think?

hey all,
well i know this subject may have been hacked to pieces......but not really?
ive been doing this awhile and searching like non-other.....but no one ever mentions HOW or if its POSSIBLE to remove the cast radius arm mounts off a '79 f150 d44 front.
so rather than hackin me on finding another, like '77, or getting a waggy, i cant. they are not out there. i would like to stick with the high pinion ford too.
or what are your thoughts, who is running a low pinion on a yj soa?? do you like it, or does it hit everything?

as for removing the cast radius arm mounts. i would think torching it off would heat and warp tubes, how bout a plasma cutter??? i saw that insayne just built over them...but i cant get him to reply to my pm's.....anyone else do this. hows it hold up?

thanks to all,
Sean

The axle tube on the cast bracket D44's do not go all the way through the cast piece. There is actualy 4 sections of tube on those axles. So if ya cut the cast part off, the tubes would need extending.

I have a HP Ford housing, how do I know if the brackets are cast on or if they are welded on? They seem like they are welded on and the truck I pulled it from was a '76.

Well, considering ONLY the '78/'79 F-150/Broncos had the 'cast' brackets, I'ld guess yours are welded on.

Are the welded on brackets hollow? If so how thick are they? Sorry to ask so many elementary questions. I'm just trying to figure what method I'll use to get them off.






:)

Sean, if your axle tubes are a two piece design then there wouldn't be much point in removing the brackets. Since it is fairly easy for you to make a HP Dana 44 for your YJ I suggest that you not bother with a low-pinion version. Might be worth selling your current HP axle and getting an ealier model.



;)

I'm not 100% sure, but I seen some EB brackets and they looked cast(didn't see up close, but I'm gunna see them again tommorrow if all goes well), I'm hopin they are regular steel.

Look Here

http://alxsbronco2.homestead.com/axles.html