Pirate 4x4 banner

my home brew 609 build( lots of pics )

25K views 62 replies 28 participants last post by  bronco75  
#1 ·
Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image
 
#3 ·
well I finally got to work on my 609 again

Image

look at the old dana 44
Image

complete 609
Image

another pic of 609
Image

empty spot
Image

goodbye bent ole 44
Image

609 installed flexed to left
Image

609 flexed to right
Image

marks on rotator flexed to left
Image

marks after flexing to right shows how much movement can be gained my way of doing it instead of a wristed arm

now all I got to do is finish trak bar mount and steering and she will be good to go for this weekend
 
#10 ·
nice..cool little jig you set up for cuttin the tube on the lathe
scared the sh!!t out of me but got the job done
Nice. What did you end up getting the overall width down to?
I haven't done a final measurement but it should be 63" its 4 " wider than stock and thats all in the in the knuckles and hubs the distance from the inner c to the wms is 2 inches more than on the 44
Give me heads up next before you start and I will send you some quarters for the carwash.
BTW looking good.
I kept washing it after every trail ride but then I kept waiting on getting inner axles back from resplining and last trail ride it was to dang cold to wash it
Did you put a grease fitting or anything on that rotator? Sweet axle!
yep there is a grease fitting to keep it packed full
I did this on a jeep for a buddy it has been on there for 2 years holding up pretty well so far
 
#12 · (Edited)
SaWeeeat! I am looking for help with one. I don't have the equipment. Curious where you got the outers, knuck out? Who did you order axles from? I didn't see a pic of the jig used as you welded the tubes?

I have bought a used sunray for the outers and 35 spline N-case detroit lockin' frickin' drop out. Now I need to rework the housing to fool-size and get new axles. I was lookin' at Currie for the axles and have three local sources to get help reworking the housing.

I like that you went all the way with shaving and back errr front brace!
 
#13 ·
fordnut said:
awsome work are those ford dana 44 caliper brackets ?
yep they are ford 44 bracket bored out to fit 60 spindles and redrilled to match bolt pattern then flipped around to oppiside side with 5/16 spacer to make them fit up the rotors/hubs ( thanks highonda) correctly
 
#14 ·
Blown said:
SaWeeeat! I am looking for help with one. I don't have the equipment. Curious where you got the outers, knuck out? Who did you order axles from? I didn't see a pic of the jig used as you welded the tubes?

I have bought a used sunray for the outers and 35 spline N-case detroit lockin' frickin' drop out. Now I need to rework the housing to fool-size and get new axles. I was lookin' at Currie for the axles and have three local sources to get help reworking the housing.

I like that you went all the way with shaving and back errr front brace!
bought used inner and outer knuckles with about 6" of tube from Highonda here on pirate and also got used long side axles from him to have cut down to my custom lenght the ended up building diff to use stock chevy short side axle so only long side is custom
had a local guy spline my axle but ussually use Moser
a buddy that has a 4wd shop here in dayton helped with getting the tubes lined up and all the welding of tubes and internal gussets and brack brace. Then I machined out the the inside diameter of inner c's to fit dana 44 axle tubes and also machined out the 78/79 ford cast c's to fit over tubes then lined it all up and started welding also found part # for a seal to fit 44 axle tube and the 60 shaft here on pirate
also found a used 35 spline arb here on the list the bought the strange eco 3.25 n case and daytona pinion support
and after about a year of plannig and 3 months building it is almost done
 
#15 ·
That is a very cool buildup. Did you make the jig to keep everything lined up? That is the only thing keeping me from attempting the same thing. The way i was thinking of doing it, was to use the whole d60 axle tube and machine a 9" housing to accept the 60 tubes, then adding gusseting similar to yours.

Btw, the lathe cutter thing you rigged up looks scary as hell!:eek:
 
#16 ·
most of the line up was based off a 3" angle iron that we welded to the bottom of center housing and measured everything to it along with a alignement bar that to inner seals fit snug on

if we make anymore we will build a better jig system but for a one time thing we just made due and did alot of measuring and used a digital angle gauge it all came out very true

some slow stich welding to prevent warping and draw
 
#17 ·
Very cool! I saw a jig on ebay to shorten 9" housings for drag racers. It was a Rod with aluminium bushings mounted on it with set screws the size of the bearings. The jig was mounted in a cut down 3rd case and you'd bolt it in the housing to keep it all lined-up. Then you still got to set the knucks for castor and proper pinion angle. Looks like you did great!
 
#20 ·
well after first day out with new frt end it falled its test but only because I falled it in the money department I didn't have the cash to get 35 spine stubs and didn't want to buy lock outs or flanges for the 30 splines so I borrowed a set of old stock ford lock outs and the pass side internal spline to the stub axle was pretty loose and after a hr or so of good snow wheeling it stripped out while pulling a broken truck up a hill
so now it time to save some pennies and get some stub and flannges
I guess that will be my christmas for myself
 
#23 ·
Fordman500 said:
Thats really cool man. Now dont bash on me but why didnt you just use the whole 60?
2 things really I didn't want the added weight or the lost ground clearence
besides I bought cut off knuckle and c's I never had the center section