best bolton SAS?

[Kingfish999]

this is a noob SAS question that i know your all gonna say search but there too much to search though and i need a quick answer. the front axle on my 88 apparently needs a 3rd member but it also has crappy tophat lockouts that wont unlock. its a dedicated mudtruck so a SAS id perfer doing but i dont have a welder or much knowledge of doing a SAS. what is the easiest bolton axle to do a SAS with? dont care if its a D60 or a D44, as long as its easy and cheap. does a 78-79 bronco or f-150 bolt on and whats needed and what can be reused?

[catsnw]

Search noob! Jk

D44 from a 78/79 would be easy. Also you can get a james duff trac mount now apparently. I have no clue how well it works though.

D60 from a 05-up superduty (coil sprung) is also bolt on for the most part. Like the d44.

Why not get a cheap ttb from someone who went soild axle? It's would be easier and cheaper. Drop old arms. Put in new arms.

[defcon5]

Wow
Easy and cheap SAS don't go hand in hand. I not even half way down with buying parts and I am up to about 800.

I think you have been here long enough to no the answer to your question.
Good luck

Roman

[CWbronco]

Come on kingfish you know better..

44hp is easiest. You can use the radius arms, lots of ttb parts swap over. James duff makes a track bar mount now, a few of us have used the super duty drop. You can get a superlift adjustable track bar or one from an f350 I think. You can use the ttb coil buckets if you want also, not a popular choice though cause most move it forward and want a f250 shock mount (eye to eye). You can go with a stock tie rod but you have to get a shorter drag link somehow.

There's all sorts of cool parts and upgrades you can do, also lots of money you can spend, but I think I kind of ran through the cheapest way.

To summarize because I realize that was just a jumble of words..

-HP44
-stock steering except for shorter drag
-stock radius arms and bushings
-adjustable track bar or f350?
-whatever springs you like.
-ttb upper buckets and shock mount can be used, other option is 70s ford truck buckets with f250 shock mounts
-custom or purchased track bar mount, IIRC someone has used the stock 70s one.

I think that's it.

[BRONCONUT]

You could just throw in a 78-79 44 in there and then upgrade as you want. the steering setup like I have was $250-$300. I think an sas could be done around $750 and done safely.

[Kingfish999]

i never really looked up anything for doing SAS and never gone through that section of the forum. plus i had a really shitty night last night and am not thinking. i will probably jsut get a new TTB an say good enough. i just want 4x4 to work and to get rid of these shitty tophats. maby ill jsut stay 2dig untill i find a TTB and ad an aussie in it

[81bronco44]

i did my SAS all bolt on with a d44 out of a 76 f100 with little to no knowledge of what i was jumping into but hey got it done and it works great

[BoulderBronco]

Originally Posted by Kingfish999

i never really looked up anything for doing SAS and never gone through that section of the forum. plus i had a really shitty night last night and am not thinking. i will probably jsut get a new TTB an say good enough. i just want 4x4 to work and to get rid of these shitty tophats. maby ill jsut stay 2dig untill i find a TTB and ad an aussie in it

You should be able to pick up a 3rd for under $100 at a junk yard. You can also find some Warn Premiums pretty easy too. I see them all the time on trucks at the you-pull-it yards. I bought some spares once and they cost me about $20 each if I remember right.
As for the SAS what these guys said is correct. The D44 is fairly easy but nothing is "cheap" when doing SAS. FYI Duff is not the only one with a track bar mount. We are coming out with a track bar mount as well. Also have some adapter brackets for the upper shock mounts so you can use a longer shock with an eyelet instead of the stud mount.

[rhauf]

Get a welder, with this hobby it's pretty much a requirement, especially if you want to modify. it's a one time purchase you will use all the time, for all sorts of things (even no automotive related) you'll be glad you have it an the skill to use it.

then go look for a drivers side diff dana 60, and mount it with leaf springs (that is the easiest) ford explorer rear leaf springs are plentiful at the jy, and if mounted over the axle would give you some lift, too (im guessing 4" depends on your shackles and mounts)

might as well put in a dana 60 if your going to go through the work, i see it's a mud truck and your in florida so i suspect bigger tires are in your future as well, might as well have an axle that can support them.

or skip all the street legal junk and go straight to rockwells, you can get a pair of 2.5's pretty cheap i think, use your new welder to build some kind of link suspension system with a couple feet of lift and run tractor tires.

[Kingfish999]

ha if i had the money i would buy a welder. i used up my last week paycheck on this transfer case i pulled yesturday and jsut realized the old one wasnt the problem. im still trying to pay off last weeks trip to Redneck Yacht Club. im too far in the red to do much

i would need more than jsut some warn lockouts. it would be faster to replace the whole ttb than convert the existing to warns. ill go to the junkyard again tomarrow and see what axles i can find. ill probably jsut get a regualr ttb again tho

[silent one]

You don't have money for a welder but you do for a solid axle swap.

Most Likely your going to need to rebuild of freshen up the axle and if you want bolt in your going have to spend some money to buy parts and there not going to be cheap.

[rhauf]

Originally Posted by Kingfish999

ha if i had the money i would buy a welder. i used up my last week paycheck on this transfer case i pulled yesturday and jsut realized the old one wasnt the problem. im still trying to pay off last weeks trip to Redneck Yacht Club. im too far in the red to do much

i would need more than jsut some warn lockouts. it would be faster to replace the whole ttb than convert the existing to warns. ill go to the junkyard again tomarrow and see what axles i can find. ill probably jsut get a regualr ttb again tho

sounds like you need the cheapest way out, for now. and that would be junkyard replacement parts for your existing arrangement.

but before you blow any money on sas kits, if i were you i'd start saving up for good tools. it's the tools that make all the difference, and a welder is high on the list for offroaders. even if you just get a crappy harbor freight mig (they aren't THAT bad, i've used them)

[Audiomaster]

Junk yard parts are the cheapest but you'll just end up where you are now again. I agree on the welder. Learning to weld is pretty fun and it's not as hard as you might think. Of course buying a welder isn't going to fix your axle.

[Kingfish999]

ya i know but ive gotten pretty far without a welder. im trying to get my boss (whose my dad) to buy a decent one cause he ants one also. if i rebuild my existing would mean everythnig from the knuckles out in order to replace these tophats. at least from the spindles out which would mean spindles, hubs, rotors, lockouts. might as well take out whole axle cause it will be easier and cheaper than parts individually. i was just thinking a 78-78 bronco SAS would be easy as pie and i can jsut pull everything at one and bolt into place. if i pull everything as one it will only be like 250$ compared to parts being nickle and diming me

[helirich]

I hate to sound stupid, but what is a top-hat? I have replaced auto-hubs and havent changed all that stuff.

[BoulderBronco]

Originally Posted by helirich

I hate to sound stupid, but what is a top-hat? I have replaced auto-hubs and havent changed all that stuff.

I could be wrong but I believe it's the weird hub that was used on the 87 Broncos. Must have been used on the 88's as well as his is an 88.

[kemicalburns]

87&88 ran that top hat design. I had an 88 with them.

[helirich]

Originally Posted by kemicalburns

87&88 ran that top hat design. I had an 88 with them.

I had an 88' and it had the same hubs as my 90' and 92'. I guess it was early 88's. in any case, Kingfish999, I got the whole TTB works from my 92' laying on the floor. It's yours for $50. I also got the whole works from a 79' that can be yours for $300. But I think you can find the same deal (or better) alot closer than me. I'm up by Panama City.

[Kingfish999]

the tophats were for manula locking 87s and early 88s and they SUCK. good idea but failed concept. and out of the 4 of them i have only 1 works correctly. the brakes make the knobs melt and break. doesnt protect wheel bearings very well from mud and the bearings are soo close together that they go bad faster. if they blow on you, the only thing that will hold the wheel on the truck is the brake line and thats happened to me twice. but they do make easy wheel bearing replacement, even if there blown.

ya u are kinda far but ill keep that in mind. nothin is on craigslist. 50$ plus gas is cheaper for me than 250$ at junkyard