[[486]]

I'm working on making a solid axle outta a couple old D50 beams. Going in my piece of shit '90 2wd ranger as a stockish width and height sorta thing. Maybe getting a plow if I happen across one for cheap. Already got a narrowed 14B in the back. Anyways, was gonna stuff a sterling 10.25 between the knuckles, but couldn't find one for $100 with 4.10s, so screw it. All credit to pushing me to actually starting this project goes to spidr and his 569 axle build thread in gen4x4.

Got them all cut up and stuck back together so far. Ran outta MIG wire really early on, so I stuck a stinger on the TIG and burned the rest in with some 1/8" 6011 at 95 or so amps DCEP. The long side axle shaft [the longest part of it] was perfect in length, but 31 splines where EVERY OTHER SPLINED BIT ON THIS FUCKER'S AXLESHAFTS ARE 30. :mad3: So hey, now I get to use that '70s taiwanese JET lathe in the background of the first pic.:smokin: Gonna be machining the long side axle shaft for a press fit into a hole bored into the stub shaft looking thing that goes into the side gear, then it'll be tigged. Was thinking about tearing into the slip yoke, turning it down and boring out the side gear and pressing them together and welding them, but then I'd have to weld a bunch of metal onto the axleshaft for the seal to ride on, and re heat treat the side gear as the teeth on them look amazingly wimpy. Really should have took pics of the inny bits I'm talking about, but the shop is 10 miles away, so it can't be helped.

Enjoy the pics, or don't. :flipoff2:

 

[PROFABBY]

Nice

Keep up the great work. Maybee I'll be the next to dig into the pile of 50 ttb junk. Please keep the pics. coming

 

[1sicbronconut]

Didn't someone else here already do this and had a write up on it??

 

[Ramboss429]

Didn't someone else here already do this and had a write up on it??

I remember this happening a while back as well.

Either way it will be interesting to see another one done!

 

[BennyBooster]

A guy named Gwaii on The ranger station did a similar build on his ttb 50, he also has a rear engine 460, 2 transmissions and 3 tcases. Its pretty intense but he is swapping a real d60 into it right now

 

[WHITE RHINO]

pretty sweet

 

[f350n4.6ranger]

Sweet build. Might just inspire me to buy a Ranger and a JY D50. Is there going to be enough oil pan and engine crossmember clearance for the driveshaft? Aw fuck it, slam some lift on and just do whatever to make it work. :smokin:

 

[[486]]

Sweet build. Might just inspire me to buy a Ranger and a JY D50. Is there going to be enough oil pan and engine crossmember clearance for the driveshaft? Aw fuck it, slam some lift on and just do whatever to make it work. :smokin:

[blackgirl]Oh HELL no.[/blackgirl]
I'll cut the frame, move the axle forward, rework the li'l 2.9's oilpan, and remove crossmembers before I'll have it higher up than stock 4x4 height.

On the rear I made spring perches like on an MDT so I wouldn't have the height of the shackles. Rebuilt the whole rear frame too because the fuel tank held leaves against the left side framerail. Got soaked with saltwater and rusted completely through.

A guy named Gwaii on The ranger station did a similar build on his ttb 50, he also has a rear engine 460, 2 transmissions and 3 tcases. Its pretty intense but he is swapping a real d60 into it right now

Yeah, one of the reasons I finally just decided to stick the TTB together.
Gwaii is one of the coolest guys I've run into on the internet. The shit that comes out of his mind (and tarp shed) is just amazing.

I dunno if I'm gonna be able to remember to keep taking pics, all my gun builds, my truck build, my refrigeration builds, all that shit I always forget to take pictures while making it... As you can tell by my crappy pics in this post.

 

[beefdawg]

Didn't someone else here already do this and had a write up on it??

This, but good luck anyhow.

 

[[486]]

I'd really like a link to the other build. Might learn something.

Oh hey that reminds me, anyone got a set of 4.10s for one of these? I could trade a complete dropout assembly with 3.55s for a similar one with 4.10s if need be. Cleaned out mine in the parts cooker at my work, so that's a little incentive.

Northwest suburbs of the MSP area in MN

 

[[486]]

Stuck the shaft bits together. I'm leaving the little C clip knob on the end, it decreases my spline engagement, but the shaft will be weak anyways, so what do I care? Root pass TIG at 90A DCEN with a 1/16" tungsten, 2% thoriated. First thing I've tigged, and 2 times I forgot to turn on the gas! So I was burning it a while to try and get the bubbles out. Probably should have just got the die grinder out but hindsight's 20:20. Anyways, then I filled in with 1/8" 6011s at 90A DCEP. We'll see how it holds up.

Gotta find a different seal to put in it, or bore the seal holder bit in the housing to line up better... Shaft didn't fit with the roller bearing in the right side of the housing [if you've had a TTB apart you know the one I'm talking about] so I pulled that out and it seems to fit nicely other than the seal issue. No idea how I'm going to measure the misalignment to bore it the correct amount off center, maybe I should just get a seal with a wide bit of rubber so it'll flex well... The current one [that is all torn up] has about 1/16" of rubber between the seal body and the shaft.

 

[dahoyle]

Stuck the shaft bits together. I'm leaving the little C clip knob on the end, it decreases my spline engagement, but the shaft will be weak anyways, so what do I care? Root pass TIG at 90A DCEN with a 1/16" tungsten, 2% thoriated. First thing I've tigged, and 2 times I forgot to turn on the gas! So I was burning it a while to try and get the bubbles out. Probably should have just got the die grinder out but hindsight's 20:20. Anyways, then I filled in with 1/8" 6011s at 90A DCEP. We'll see how it holds up.

Gotta find a different seal to put in it, or bore the seal holder bit in the housing to line up better... Shaft didn't fit with the roller bearing in the right side of the housing [if you've had a TTB apart you know the one I'm talking about] so I pulled that out and it seems to fit nicely other than the seal issue. No idea how I'm going to measure the misalignment to bore it the correct amount off center, maybe I should just get a seal with a wide bit of rubber so it'll flex well... The current one [that is all torn up] has about 1/16" of rubber between the seal body and the shaft.

This thread actually had a little bit of merit, right up until this post

 

[[486]]

Eh, the thing is just a glorified dana 44 pumpkin. The narrowest bit on that shaft is 1.25" in diameter. If it breaks then hey, I'll replace it with a factory shaft, but for now I've got $100 into this build not including welding rod/wire/gas, and I'll put another $50 into bearings and seals by the time I'm done. If I can't find used D50 gears for under $50 shipped I'll throw a D44 pumpkin into the thing and run that.

I'm having fun, fuck everything else. :flipoff2: But that isn't to say I don't value your input, what exactly is the thing that flies out as wrong with how I did that?

ETA: Oh, and try to not quote pics if they are on the same page. It just multiplies the scrolling that has to be done.

 

[DB_1]

Cool build

 

[billybob_81067]

This thread actually had a little bit of merit, right up until this post

I think he may be referring to the fact that you cut the axleshaft and then sleeved the outside and welded it... It'll last for a while but will probably be a serious weak spot...

But it's a low buck build... carry on!

 

[[486]]

I think he may be referring to the fact that you cut the axleshaft and then sleeved the outside and welded it... It'll last for a while but will probably be a serious weak spot...

But it's a low buck build... carry on!

It ain't a sleeve, there was a U joint on a stub shaft in the diff case right there for the TTB center pivoty dealieo. I turned that stub shaft thing into the cup shaped bit that got pressed onto the other bit-o-axle. 4 plug welds and a nice fillet weld should hold up to the abuse I plan.

Looking at the pics, my phone camera has a way of making all my welds look twice as crappy as they are...

 

[[486]]

Well now, bit of development here, I'm gonna post them here so that I don't forget them. Also consider this a "this project ain't dead quite yet" post.

The right side seal isn't going to work, I welded the beams together off by 2 degrees or so. The axle isn't aligned to the seal bore, and the stock seal for that side is designed around having zero misalignment due to the bearing 1/4" away from it. I'm going to bore the housing out to the diameter of the left side seal [which is larger than the right one that I'm not using, btw], off center so that it is centered around where the axle goes into the diff. Making sense? I hope so.

I haven't been able to find used gears for it in 4.10 and my price range [read $50], so my idea is to run some 26" tires I've got in the front, and the 30"s in the rear that are on it. Threw both setups side by side in the grimmjeeper calculator
http://www.grimmjeeper.com/gears.html
and the rpm/vehicle speed figures are so close that it would be fine for part time use.

inb4 What fevered crack addled mind came up with this?

 

[Hyde]

Kinda reminds me of something of mine im ashamed to talk about. Anyway, no U Pull It yards near you? I picked up a 4:10 chunk for mine for like 20 bucks and 10 minutes of my time.

 

[4x4junkie]

The right side seal isn't going to work, I welded the beams together off by 2 degrees or so. The axle isn't aligned to the seal bore, and the stock seal for that side is designed around having zero misalignment due to the bearing 1/4" away from it. I'm going to bore the housing out to the diameter of the left side seal [which is larger than the right one that I'm not using, btw], off center so that it is centered around where the axle goes into the diff. Making sense? I hope so.

So that the axle is cocked inside the diff and you trash the splines?

I'd either start all over again or find an axle that was straight to begin with.
I also agree with dahoyle, I doubt it'll be very long for that welded-up shaft.

 

[[486]]

So that the axle is cocked inside the diff and you trash the splines?

I suppose if that happens I'll have to either fix it properly, stick a proper axle under it, or weld the other side's spider gear to the carrier and make it a 3 wheel drive. Probably the last one once it breaks, then the first one when I get a different diff housing with 4.10s in it.

For a laugh, here's a look at what I was going to use as a seal until the boring the hole offcenter thing came to me.

Had an aluminum sleeve all threaded and was gonna clamp a piece of 1/8" rubber sheet in it.

Yes that is a chuck in a chuck. The inside jaws for the big chuck are too large to fit inside the opening on that washer. Also shows my centering tool, you clamp whatever loosely in the chuck and run that against it to get it running true. Tighten the chuck and start taking cuts off.

Had the mill all apart trying to get the power feed working, ended up having to make the lever that actuates the depth stop. Old one was cracked in half.
First time using the boring head too, it is an aptly named operation.

I suppose I am just determined to make a pile of shit. I'll get it figured out eventually that there is reason that people make effort to do things the right way the first time.