[Redwagon]

Well I have had the front parts and the 14 bolt for the rear of the bronco gathering dust in the garage, now that I have finished up the beadlocks, I figured it was time to get started on the swap....so on a whim I threw my tires and rear axle up for sale, and damn if they didnt sell quick...

Kinda wanna cry with the bronco looking like this right now...

so this weekend I will begin the front swap...I am going to replace the ball joints on both sides for safety sakes, ( I was beginning to get a bad wobble on the passenger side and before removing the tire I could shake it pretty good)

More pics to follow as it progresses.

 

[Redwagon]

Planning to bump to 37s eventually, or are you just gonna run 35s until you put a 60 in the front and then step up to something really big?

It always is kinda sad for me to look at something I'm about to really hack into and know it'll never be the same...

I have a set of 35's for now, and a buddy of mine just approached me with an offer to buy his 85 ford dually 4x4, but does not want to sell it until he can sell his toy box, so if all goes right I will grab that after the first of the year and swap the 60 under the bronco, thru the D44 with the 8 lug back under the dually and have both a 1 ton bronco and a decent tow vehicle.

 

[Redwagon]

So whats keeping you from getting the rear axle in? :rockon

time...I want to get the axle cleaned up and regeared before installing it...

 

[Redwagon]

Looks great but sad at the same time.

I know it has been ask before and i tried searching but nothing. How did you install those lights on the A pillar? I would love to install mine there!

-Curtis-

custom made brackets using nut inserts into the A-pillar...theres pics on my supermotors somewhere.

 

[Redwagon]

Doors and top back on, Did a cat jump in and piss all over?

Na...just wanted protection from the weather while I work on it..

 

[Redwagon]

Tim it's going to be nice when it is all said and done with.


How are those leafs holding up in the front from years of wheeling on them?

So far so good....

 

[Redwagon]

parts gathering....

update, mainly spent the weekend gathering parts and cleaning and painting the ones I already had....

new Moog ball joints...

all new inner/outer bearings and seals...

pass side torn down....

it appears that I have a leak in one of the plug welds....

so now I get to yank the whole axle out and weld up the plug holes, since its going to be out I am going to weld the tubes to the housing and pull the carrier and replace the inner seals.

more pics to follow.

 

[Redwagon]

why so much work if you are just going to replace it with a 60 in the spring?

I'm bored....


:histerica:histerica:histerica

and shit I already started, so now I gotta finish....:banghead

 

[Redwagon]

im still trying to figure out my camber adjustment.... you have an eccentric on yours tim ?

nope...did not need them. the last alignment everything was good, with using the pellet in the tires for balancing, my front tires wore awesome....

 

[Redwagon]

what do the tires sound like with the pellets in them? ive always wondered that

Haven't really heard them over the exhaust.

 

[Redwagon]

nightly update

drivers side torn down....

well shit....now there is no front axle either...

front carrier removed to change the inner seals

old balljoints....ones on left are generic autozones...garbage and the rights are Moogs, still in good shape so I will save for trail spares....

new ball joints installed....

inner housing seals...the one on the left is from the passenger side you can see it is oblong...which probably explains the oil leak in the tube.

 

[Redwagon]

lunch time update...

more progress...

reamed the front hubs out with a 39/64 bit to be able to use 9/16 wheel studs. (same as the back)

one hub/rotor back together....had a buddy turn the rotors at also

more parts....damn parts alone will kill ya....spindle bearing kits and inner dif seals....

carrier reinstalled...

and fresh coat of rattle can while I have the axle out....

more to come tonight. Axle to go back under the bronco...

 

[Redwagon]

Lookin' good Tim.
Wish I worked as fast as you.

nice having the ability to work on it during lunch...actually took last night off to take the kids to the LA County Fair.

 

[Redwagon]

Lookin good, glad to see you got the studs figured out

pain in the butt....no fluke reamers around here, but got lucky with a tool shop that had offsize bits...never would have even thought of doing the larger studs if I hadnt come across your post. Thanks Crazed....

 

[Redwagon]

whats the pn# for the 9/16th wheel studs?

purchased at pepboys...part # 98718.1 finding 16 was fun....had to go to three different pepboys.

 

[Redwagon]

little more progress...

got the cover and xtreme ring back on....

yes that is a brick holding up one side of the axle...ran out of jack stands...

comparison of spring plates..

1st is off the 79 D44, the second is factory 9 inch and 3rd I grabbed at pic a part off a 1 ton ford axle....

I tossed the D44's and used the 9 inch plates in front

and its back under the bronco

and more goodies in the mail....ruffstuff rear 14bt disc brake brackets....

Dan makes a killer product...these things are hard-core.

and pass side knuckle back on....

 

[Redwagon]

little progress for the day

well back at it today...got the drivers side spindle installed and ran into a little problem...the spindle was pinning the axle shaft in so tight that you could not turn the knuckle, so after scratching my head for about 3 hours trying to figure out the problem it seems that the aftermarket inner drivers axle shaft was about 3/16 th's of an inch longer than the factory shaft and was jambing up against the locker in the carrier. So the quick fix was to grind down and re-taper that inner shaft.

now on to pics....

passenger side all together....

installed a wheel to check clearance...

rear of wheel....

front of wheel

so tomorrow I should be able to button the front up completely and start on the back axle....:chili:

 

[Redwagon]

sundays progress

drivers side back together....

front shot of complete axle....

shots with tires back on and off the jack stands.....

only thing left to do on the front is bleed the brakes, get it re-aligned and top of the front dif fluid.

 

[Redwagon]

Looks good and all, but you should have just swapped a 60 under there when you had it torn out.

ya ya ya....just didnt have the funds for it right now

 

[Redwagon]

very nice.

It's hard to tell with the pics, but the hightsteer does not look like it's going to have much clearance with the leafs?

the high steer is original...never had a problem hitting the leafs...it does catch the spring plate a little, just need to grind the plate down.