pingpong Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Hey Pete... I need a favor.. can you take a pic of your radias arm mounts, as this is what I am going to do with project Casper. I all ready have the axle, radias arms, and I just ordered a set of radias arm brackets from Wildhorses4x4.com Heck the brackets were even on sale If everything works out right, I will have casper road worthy and safe by the weekend :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 brackets? mounts? which is which? Do you want a pic of the stuff on the axle or the stuff on my truck? The stuff on the truck are just Ford van radius arm brackets cut and welded to a flat crossmember. What was your plan for the axle coil buckets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted July 17, 2006 Author Share Posted July 17, 2006 Well like I said I odered a set of radias arm brackets from wildhorse, and they were only 75 bucks, so that wasnt too bad. For the coil buckets, I am going to use stock f150 ones that came on the radias arms :D The plan is to position the axle where it belongs and the weld the brackets on. Hopefully it will work out great. Cause the only thing I will need to do is cut some of the hookey/ spooky crap off the current axle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Unfortunately, the chances of the Bronco brackets lining up with the MJ frame in any significantly way are minimal. I mention the coil buckets because this is what happened when I mounted everything up: side shot: front shot: So to fix that I fashioned wedges made from steel bar stock: http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL91/512 ... 251275.jpg[/img] And that resulted in this: side front I tried cutting off the lip of the bumpstop, but it still made some contect with the coil so eventually I just removed the end as a stop-gap: My eventual fix came when I had my rocker guards installed and I cut the bumpstop towers and used some extra DOM tube to angle them out to follow the coil. I can't seem to find a pic showing that though. Be careful about welding the bucket to the radius arm, and the bucket bolts to both the front and rear halves of the radius arm: Oh, and don't forget that the Ford radius arms give about 2.5" of lift just by using them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted July 17, 2006 Author Share Posted July 17, 2006 I got a question after looking at your setup. How come you just didnt locate the bracket where it would have allowed the coils to sit right? Or was that not possible? I hope that I can get rid of the 2" spacer the PO put on top of some skycrapper coils. Also the way your coils look in those pics is the way mine look right now... To think this guy was auctually trying to get this thing inspected to drive on the road Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I know a guy who got his truggy to 'pass'. But that's because he in turn, knows another guy, who just happens to do VIs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted July 17, 2006 Author Share Posted July 17, 2006 I could get Pong to pass if I removed my windshield bars :eek: all I would need is a set of mud flaps, and a drivers side mirror Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Some of it was space concerns, some of it was ease of building, but mostly it was the fact that I didn't have the means to fab up that kind of stuff. Plus I have a 78 axle so the cast steel is everywhere. It was simple to get a local steek shop to cut a piece of steel diagonally, then I trimmed the small one one to fit inside the coil cup and drilled holes for the longer bolts. Now that it's all said and done, I've very very happy with it all. :D (except for the track bar, it still shifts around a bit and makes banging noises when offroading) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted July 17, 2006 Author Share Posted July 17, 2006 The axle under casper appears to be out of a 78.. I am not sure of that though. I know the arms I have are from a 78 :D Pete can you get me a couple of close ups of how you did your coil buckets? Also did you mount the bottom hoop of the shock to the radias arm, or did you buld a mount? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 To tell if there axle is an 'undesireable' 78, look at the arm mounts and the coil mounts. If you can see they are welded to the axle tube, and you can still see the tube, for the whole length from pumpkin to knuckle, it's not a 78. If the tube dissapears into a casting that holds the arm mount and coil buckets, it's a 78. If you cut the 78 ones apart, things get ugly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted July 17, 2006 Author Share Posted July 17, 2006 Dirty.. I have read Mr. N's guide to D44 as well :D It really don't matter if it is a 78, cause I have another to thrash on :nanner: Plus Casper is for the wifey to have a DD. otherwise I would have stripped the thing all ready and sold off all its parts. I figure the skid plating would have brought me a couple, the roof rack 150, the blue top 100, the running Ho motor and comp 300, the celica seats and mounts 150. A good ax15 250, not to mention some mud rovers for 350, 5o for the coil springs 125 for the tracbar setup. I would have made a few bucks, and been hapy, instead I am further butchering a XJ to make the wifey happy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 I just used the stock Ford shock mounts. They lined up perfectly. Theoretically, you should be able to move the pads directly below the Jeep coils, but be careful how you do it so you can get the stuff back apart if needed. What were you going to do about the steering? The wedges are cut from 1x4 steel stock. A 3inch section is cut then turned upright and the cut diagonally with a saw. I had the shop do it for me. Cost me like $20 for the whole deal. I drilled my bolt holes through and trimmed the upper wedge to fit inside the coil. What sort of shot were you needing of the coil buckets? From what direction? Oh, and I have no need for an antisway bar, if you were trying to work that in somewhere. the ford suspension does a fine job of controling everything on such a small rig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Oh, and I swaped the buckets left to right also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted July 18, 2006 Author Share Posted July 18, 2006 Pete, so the wedges were used to just level the spring buckets out? or were they used to recenter the buckets in line with the coils as well? The steering on it is pure beef. I am not sure what ends the guy used, but it appears to be 1ton ends, or some yota stuff. It is all ready flipped over the knuckle, and seems to work fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Swapping the buckets left to right helps center them by an inch or so. Yup, the wedges lean the buckets back by 12-15 degrees so the coils don't bow forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted July 18, 2006 Author Share Posted July 18, 2006 Good stuff here. Once I get the brackets in.. I will get to work on this project and do a small writeup on it. Cause you find lots more radias arm D44's out there then you do leaf sprung ones.... at least of the HP variety. This could end up being pretty informative for those contemplating this swap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Simple in concept, Complex in execution. I very much like how mine turned out, but I hesitate recommending it to others if the rig is a daily driver. The strength of the assembly is entirely dependant on the builder's engineering skills. With a insufficient design or bad rust or bad luck, a harsh freeway bump could break the suspension free of the body. And that would be bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted July 18, 2006 Author Share Posted July 18, 2006 The rig I am working with is Rust free I think my skills are up to the task ;) I do agree this is not a project for a novice, but niether is any type of non-typical axle swap that requires welding/ fab work :brows: If it wasn't for the fact that the axle is all ready under said ride, and I have all the parts, except the mounts.. I would not be attempting this either :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 the axle is all ready under said ride, and I have all the parts, except the mounts.. Ok, I need a photo of this. It's under the Jeep, but without mounts? :hmm: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 the axle is all ready under said ride, and I have all the parts, except the mounts.. Ok, I need a photo of this. It's under the Jeep, but without mounts? :hmm: bungee cords :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinnaevd Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 i think some red-green tape would be the best bet. seems to fix everything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 i think some red-green tape would be the best bet. seems to fix everything I wonder how many here will understand the reference to the handy man's secret weapon? :brows: :rotf: :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinnaevd Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 true true, i forgot monstly american... for all those interested in knowing, Red-Green is an inventor, pioneer, and canadian hero of ductape. you would not believe the solutions this guy can come up with. lol. I recommend researching him ASAP. :bowdown: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comanche38 Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Hey guys. I also have the ford radius arm setup. I used costum frame mounts for the arms. I have 9.5" Rustys lift coils and all I did was flip the coil mounts from one side to the other. It looks almost perfect. I have had good luck with this simple setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted July 20, 2006 Author Share Posted July 20, 2006 The PO welded D30 brackets to the axle :eek: and used angle Iron to make the drivers side UCA mount. It is some truly poor fab work, not something I would even think of drivng on the road. I will take some pics before I start cutting the crap away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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