[reptillikus]

603762-1 sounds like the BOM #, but i cant find a listing for it anywhere.

We already know its a low-pinion D44 (your info confirms it), but heres some other stuff...
The 4 09 means its got 4.09:1, and an open diff. The D6 in D6 TA means it was made in 1976.
Doesnt sound like anything special to me. Seems unlikely it came from one of the trucks that had hydro assist as i thought all those trucks had kingpin axles and not balljoint ones. The factory assist was junk anyways.

 

[bronco boy]

BOM #603762 shows from a 1976.5 F250.

 

[AuroraBronco]

Did you buy that from a guy in chesterton, IN? Cause there is a guy out there selling one if you need any spare parts from it. I bought a dana 60 from him about a month ago, nice guy. Scott 351 Wins, I am in Aurora, IL not down the street but close to you and I am also SAS my 85 bronco. We should get together and see if we can help each other or give some hints. Ok, its more for me, I dont know about you but this is the first SAS I have done so any help or advice would be appreciated.

 

[muddybronco]

I have two requests for the GOD thread. First, has anybody tried to get the rearward hangers lately? I exhausted FORD dealers (even powerstrokeshop.com who can get anything said it's obsoleted even for a 97). The only upulllit where I found them said their torch would destroy the bracket so I eventually went to a they-pull-it-and-ream-you yard and paid $120 worth of shop time for their guy to go out there with a torch, grinder and air hammer and beat on it for 2 hrs to finally get the damned things. I have a set now but if anybody has a source then please speak up for the folks who will eventually read this.

My second question is whether anybody with a crumple zone can tell me how far below the frame their spring mounts to get good caster angle? I have looked at every swap mentioned in this thread about 10 times over the past year and I have deduced the fore/aft position to shift the axle forward and still give a good shackle angle but I'm having to guess that it's roughly 4" from the pivot point to the bottom of the crumple to get proper caster. Sound right? If I buy an angle finder is there a reference point I can use to do it by the numbers? The bronco is not sitting level but I suppose I could measure it's rake and subtract that. DaveC's forward bracket measurements would be of particular interest :smokin:

 

[Dangling_Dave]

Not sure where you want a measurment from, but when it gets a little warmer outside I can try and get numbers for you. It's about 10* above right now and there is a pile of snow out there.

dc

I have two requests for the GOD thread. First, has anybody tried to get the rearward hangers lately? I exhausted FORD dealers (even powerstrokeshop.com who can get anything said it's obsoleted even for a 97). The only upulllit where I found them said their torch would destroy the bracket so I eventually went to a they-pull-it-and-ream-you yard and paid $120 worth of shop time for their guy to go out there with a torch, grinder and air hammer and beat on it for 2 hrs to finally get the damned things. I have a set now but if anybody has a source then please speak up for the folks who will eventually read this.

My second question is whether anybody with a crumple zone can tell me how far below the frame their spring mounts to get good caster angle? I have looked at every swap mentioned in this thread about 10 times over the past year and I have deduced the fore/aft position to shift the axle forward and still give a good shackle angle but I'm having to guess that it's roughly 4" from the pivot point to the bottom of the crumple to get proper caster. Sound right? If I buy an angle finder is there a reference point I can use to do it by the numbers? The bronco is not sitting level but I suppose I could measure it's rake and subtract that. DaveC's forward bracket measurements would be of particular interest :smokin:

 

[Dan Theman]

My second question is whether anybody with a crumple zone can tell me how far below the frame their spring mounts to get good caster angle? I have looked at every swap mentioned in this thread about 10 times over the past year and I have deduced the fore/aft position to shift the axle forward and still give a good shackle angle but I'm having to guess that it's roughly 4" from the pivot point to the bottom of the crumple to get proper caster. Sound right? If I buy an angle finder is there a reference point I can use to do it by the numbers? The bronco is not sitting level but I suppose I could measure it's rake and subtract that. DaveC's forward bracket measurements would be of particular interest :smokin:

I've never heard of anyone using spring mount height to determine caster angle, only amount of lift. The only real way to set caster angle, and still have good pinion angle, is to cut and turn the axle.

 

[Shadofax]

I've never heard of anyone using spring mount height to determine caster angle, only amount of lift. The only real way to set caster angle, and still have good pinion angle, is to cut and turn the axle.

you havn't? I'd much rather figure out what your final caster will be doing it this way than cutting and turning an axle. The spring pad should already be in a good place relative to the outer C, and the pinion angle should also be reasonable at this point, so it's really just a matter of fine tuning with height of spring mount one side to the other.

 

[Dangling_Dave]

Muddy, did you get those pictures that I e-mailed you?

Here are some pictures that I just added to my superford site. The last two pictures are pretty poor quality but it looks like the center of the bolt is 7" from the leading edge of the crumple zone.

Pictures of rear spring hanger and shackle

Pictures of front spring hanger

dc

 

[muddybronco]

Dave, yes, thanks for the pics. I still can't tell exactly how far down your front spring pivot is from the frame. It may or may not translate since I have my rear brackets mounted like Andy351 (way forward with the axle a couple inches forward) so I'm on a higher part of the frame and thus might need to have my front pivot closer up to the frame than you but probably not much higher. Do you have any pics that show or can you measure the distance from the bottom of the crumples to the pivot point? This assumes your caster is good... do you know if it is?

 

[Dangling_Dave]

Let's see if this makes any sense...

From the bottom of the 1/4" plate that I used to box in my crumple zone to the center of the bolt it is right at 3". I would shoot a picture but I left my digital camera at work, I will try and remember it tomorrow.

The caster is perfect, I guess that we lucked out on that. After we mounted the axle and drove it a bit we (KL and I) checked it with his angle finder, I forget what we got but I remember thinking that I was lucky that came in right in spec. However if you get it off a few degrees you can score angle cut shim stock at most drive line places. I dialed in my rear axle with a set, they were only like 10.00 for the set at a local joint.

Have you roughed in your brackets and put the bronco on jack stands and measured for caster yet? By the way you left your spring pads in the original location right?

Got any pics of your setup posted?

dc

Dave, yes, thanks for the pics. I still can't tell exactly how far down your front spring pivot is from the frame. It may or may not translate since I have my rear brackets mounted like Andy351 (way forward with the axle a couple inches forward) so I'm on a higher part of the frame and thus might need to have my front pivot closer up to the frame than you but probably not much higher. Do you have any pics that show or can you measure the distance from the bottom of the crumples to the pivot point? This assumes your caster is good... do you know if it is?

 

[Larston]

To get the caster angle correct, the axle needs to be mounted so that the spring pad is pretty much level with the weight of the vehicle on the springs. You can fine tune the caster angle by changing the hanger and shackle heights/lengths.

 

[Dangling_Dave]

What he said! Thanks Larry, kind of fuzzy in my last post.
dc

To get the caster angle correct, the axle needs to be mounted so that the spring pad is pretty much level with the weight of the vehicle on the springs. You can fine tune the caster angle by changing the hanger and shackle heights/lengths.

 

[Redwagon]

Real quick question...what caster angle are you guys shooting for?...and what is the ideal one? My understanding was some where in the 8* range or am I totally off?

 

[magnumpi]

Lets say I have a '78 hpd60 that im gonna put under an '88 bronco frame. I know up front i need a crossmember to mount the hangers at the 32" spring spacing. But what do i do for the rear hanger? Does it just fall right under the framerail? I remeber somebody did this swap and i thought the had some good pictures of it, but i cant find it anywhere now. I checked the pics linked on the first page.

also, stock these 60's used 3inch springs IIRC. Yall runnning 2.5 inch springs up front, what are you doing for the spring perches? I know the pass side could be ground off and replaced pretty easy, but is it necessary? The drivers side is a little different i guess since its cast into the housing. Any mods necessary?

 

[AuroraBronco]

I am currently doing my SAS with 79 D60, have not build my x-member yet (still rebuilding the 60s and sourcing parts) here is an example of a d44 with the 32" spacing. I even asked him about the rear hangers and he said the frame width is pretty close. http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101103

 

[magnumpi]

I am currently doing my SAS with 79 D60, have not build my x-member yet (still rebuilding the 60s and sourcing parts) here is an example of a d44 with the 32" spacing. I even asked him about the rear hangers and he said the frame width is pretty close. http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101103

thanks thats exactly what i needed. For all practical purposes my SAS will be the same as his with the exception that im using a 60 and had a front crossmember welded in. Actually i had hangers made and welded on the front for the wider spacing later d60s, but since then i found a good deal on a 78-79 so they are getting moved now....

Looks like ill be right at 6 inches of lift as well. Should clear the 38.5's i want to get very well

 

[Dan Theman]

you havn't? I'd much rather figure out what your final caster will be doing it this way than cutting and turning an axle. The spring pad should already be in a good place relative to the outer C, and the pinion angle should also be reasonable at this point, so it's really just a matter of fine tuning with height of spring mount one side to the other.

makes sense. I guess my only practical experience is with 12" plus mud trucks. sorry for shooting my mouth off.


I've been considering using 4x4 .250' wall for my front crossmember. I was thinking of putting it between the framerails, with 2" hanging below, and boxing the frame around it. Any thoughts?

 

[Shadofax]

why 4x4 .25", that's rather large. some use round tube, or I would have likely gone with 2x4, my frame is already boxed, but that would not be a bad idea for you.

 

[Dan Theman]

why 4x4 .25", that's rather large. some use round tube, or I would have likely gone with 2x4, my frame is already boxed, but that would not be a bad idea for you.

I think I want a little more drop than mounting directly to frame. I dunno, I guess it seems stronger to me than mounting 2x4 below the frame. I haven't seen anyone do it. I just wonder if it could have any negative consequences, like limiting frame twist too much.

 

[Dan Theman]

has anyone ever tried a set of rear bronco/f-150 springs on the front? I want a little more hight than the stock f-350 springs, and a 3 inch wide spring without an overload( as apposed to the 2.5 inch w/ overload chevy 52 inchers). They measure about 58" I think. Maybe I could move my rear hanger back some?