• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Those of you running full width axles...

TB-XJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Missouri
I found a donor vehicle for a full width project, it's like a 78 F-150 with the Dana 44 front and 9 inch rear. The rear should be a relatively easy install but I was wondering about this front axle. Since it is coil sprung in the front would I simply (probably not so simply) move the coil buckets inward and use the longer steering components from the truck to hook up the steering?

What kind of fancy fab work am I going to be looking at? Is this Dana 44 a HP? I haven't had a chance to look at it thoroughly but I understand if I remove the truck from the property I could get the whole thing for $50.
 
If you could get it for 50 bucks, jump on it. Yes, its a HP 44 Reverse cut. Only problem is No-Hi-steer, and there is going to be a decent amount of fab work. Get the arm while your add it because its c-clamp and you'll need at least the front half unless you feel like grinding.

-Red
 
i am inthe same boat you are. i am abot to pick up 79 bronco. very happy about it. just nee dto drive 10 hours to get it. it will cost me more in gas then it will in the truck. i can not decide on what i want to do with the front set up.
 
I'm running those exact axles in my XJ, yes, the rear is a direct bolt in, you will need a new drive shaft due to the differance in the pinion length.

the front 44 is a HP, and it's easier to swap in than you may think.

I used the radius arms, lenghtened them to make it back to my custom crossmember, turn the spring buckets around and you're real close to the factory XJ locations.

you can go high steer by swapping in chevy d44 knuckels.

good idea to get some alloy shafts for the 44, first time out with 36's (detroit locked) I busted my shaft. And if you're going to lock/spool the 9" go with a full locker or a full spool, I busted my mini spool the second time I wheeled it.

The only regret I have is that the radius arms really don't let the front flex too much, however my poly bushings are still real hard. It's a good swap, easy, cheap and strong

Farmer Matt was the first that I seen do this swap, and I must give him credit for the idea.

sorry things are so vague, I've just worked a 16 hour day and I have to be up at 5:30, yep, only a bit over 4 hours away.
 
Go with the radius arms if it's a 78-79. I cannot advise trying to grind off the cast-in C-bushing mounts. They are a structural part of the axle. This is what I did with my 78 Bronco axles. It's an MJ, so some things will be different.
Rest of pics and explanations are at:http://www.picturetrail.com/petermontie

22360210.jpg

22091445.jpg

22362222.jpg
 
You might want to cut the radius arm down so you can weld in a piece of DOM. Then you could put a threaded insert on the end and have an adjustible RE/johnny joint on the frame side where you could tie it into some custom bracketry. You can get different bushings for the radius arms for more or less caster. You might need them to point the arms up at the frame. If you rotate the coil buckets so the are more in then out (the holes are not centered) they might be pritty much inline with XJ coil buckets. Throw on some custome steering, trackbar, lenghten/shorten your front drive shaft and you should be good to go. Your existing brake lines should bolt onto the Ford calipers (mine did).
 
Last edited:
well i was going to go with the 9" and the hp44 but as of last night i am the owner of a front and rear dana60. out of a f350. so i am about as happy as a bug in a rug right now.
 
Bentonedge said:
well i was going to go with the 9" and the hp44 but as of last night i am the owner of a front and rear dana60. out of a f350. so i am about as happy as a bug in a rug right now.


nice, what year?
 
out of a 79. complet and in great condtion. also get the brand new wheel that are on them. yay. looking right now for some bracket that i can weld on. going 4 link front and rear.
 
Back
Top