Lets see if I can pull this off before I leave for college

[zachbiz]

So over the last few months in school, I've been doing a ton of research and getting ready for a solid axle swap of my own. I bought an 89 grand waggy d44 a few months ago at the junk yard. I got all of the steering and brake parts from this axle but ended up selling the housing to be replaced with a 78 f250 d44. I got lucky, I paid for the housing from an auto recycler and ended up getting everything because they didnt want to pull it apart. Now that I'm out of school and have got the money, I've started ordering everything I need. The link DOM I got in the remnants from IMS for a fraction of what it sells for new, the tabs and joints are on order from ballistic fab, the shock hoops are on their way, I have a complete pair of Fox 2.5 Piggyback Coilovers and i have torn down and rebuilt everything and as it stands, its a rolling axle and ready for welding.




The only problem is, I don't have a welding outlet at my house for my welder and some of the parts are on back order. I won't have the tabs to weld on or a welder to weld them on with until about mid-late july and I leave for college on the 24th of august. This is a race to take this thing from perfectly road worthy to a truck without legs, back to roadworthyness in time to drive the 400 miles to prescott, AZ for college.

wish me luck i guess. 

[salad_man]

I think kenny could help   

[theking]

Good luck!  You doing a 3 link or radius arm?  keeping it leaf over for the rear?

[zachbiz]

I'm going 3 link in the front and SOA in the rear. eventually everyone wants to go to coilovers in the rear as well.

and if anyone wants to know, I got my 14 bolt today. Tore it down and cleaned it up. I ordered the gears for both the front and rear with a Timken master install kit for the 14 bolt. I only need a minor install kit for the front.

My spool for the front got here today and my shock hoops get there tomorrow. I added a 14 bolt disk brake bracket set to my delayed Ballistic order and plan on getting the rest of the brake hardware later.

the problem is, I called around and the best price i got for a gear install and set up is $250 for each axle at the minimum. anyone have a better place to recommend? because i sure as hell cant afford a $500 install charge and dont have the experience to set them up myself.

[BlackX]

Sounds like you're well on your way.  Where are you located exactly?  Are you in San Diego?

[zachbiz]

yeah im in mission hills....so by the 8 and the 5 near balboa park.

[gitarboyx]

I'll help dude! Kenny can't though. hes booked for the next year!!! get in line for the KING! haha

[BlackX]

yeah im in mission hills....so by the 8 and the 5 near balboa park.

I've had a good experience with Les at Snappy Auto Service.  He's a small shop in North Park on Mississippi one door south from El Cajon Blvd.  His # is (619) 491-0283

[theking]

I'd do the gears but I'm under the gun for the next couple months! 

What are you doing with your old H233b? 

[zachbiz]

Thanks but after some reading I think I can pull it off. It will just take patients. I talked to a guy at progear and he says wait until I'm done welding to install the gears?


But as for my h233b and front diff I was going to sell them as a pair or individually to someone who wants to swap to 4.9 or just wants a spare

[zachbiz]

14 Bolt gears installed



tubes ground flat and pumpkin painted



look what showed up in my garage today courtesy of Lee 



This one's gonna get the gears this weekend.



Now I'm just waiting on ballistic fab to send me my joints and tabs and I'll be ready to rock.

[penski61]

when you get to Az and settled in we need to go on a run 

[zachbiz]

Yes definitely. Where are you in az? And hopefully I'll be all moved in at school by the time you get back from kenny's

[penski61]

in tempe , its about 2 hours from prescott
we are looking to do a run early september called payett draw in payson which is about 2 hours from ya

[zachbiz]

alright well, hopefully i'll be in a position where i have time. Being so close to the beginning of school, I dont know what kind of work load they'll spring on us so I'm a definitely maybe right now but I'll go if i can for sure. might be a good time to test out the new suspension, assuming i get it all done.

[theking]

You want a upper link bridge for that axle?  I'll trade you that H233 for the bridge, upper link bracket and track bar brackets.  maybe weld them in for ya, too.   

[gitarboyx]

hey kenny, think you could PM me those part number for the tie rod ends we used. and what i need to finish up linking the rear as far as joints go

[gitarboyx]

zac im excited to get started!

[zachbiz]

So I've been playing with the welder. No one makes a heavy duty diff cover for the 14 bolt semi-floater rear end so I figured I would try my hand at a little fabrication. I spent less on metal than I would have on a replacement stock cover (that didn't work in the first place)



the welds turned out pretty nice (even though they zig zag a tiny bit) and the whole thing is water tight. I just need to get the surface machined flat and the holes drilled.

In other news, I got the disk brake brackets in the mail, they are a bit short for the axle tubes and don't reach the rotors. I'll be sending those back to ballistic fab in exchange for some nice weld on ones i can position anywhere.

this leaves me with two questions. Does anyone know where I can get the wheel mounting surface diameter of the 14 bolt's axle shafts machined down about an inch. Or if someone here has a metal lathe they would let me borrow.

and two, How should I go about splicing a line lock into the rear main brake line. Do i need to get a flare tool and fittings or what?

[theking]

pretty good lookin beads there.  I'd use a manual line lock, but you'll have to run the hard line into the cab where ever you mount the linelock.

I'm gonna have to pass on buying your H233b.  I'm buying back my buggy and using Jason's old HP D60.  And, another plane got dropped in my lap today.  So my schedule is totally Fuk'd. 

 

[gitarboyx]

hey kenny,.... i hate planes. hahaha

[SteeevO]

you're gett'n the buggy back!?!? 

[Bobby B.]

So my schedule is full of awesome and win. 
 

Fixed it for you.

[theking]

yes!   

[zachbiz]

New cross member:


Diff cover skull:


14 bolt brakes (calipers soon to come)


Dana 44 Axle bridge, lower link mounts and coil over tabs/C gussets:


ALL done and checked off.