CRASH / GOATMAN: More Dana 44 questions

[BIGWOODY]

Its only cabbage! Grow more!

why not just build the real BEEF for the same cabbage?

 

[cracker]

why not just build the real BEEF for the same cabbage?

I am not convinced a 60 or a 9" is necessary for 35s (37s at the most). I am hoping to have this thing for a while and a 44 should be all that I need.

 

[BIGWOODY]

true

 

[Clean Racing]

A 44 Hp is all you need for a daily driver/trail rig... If you have the dough and a tow vehicle then go for the 60's. I still think 60's are way too beefy for a uni-body XJ... just my .05$ worth...

How tall is your jeep now, cracker???

 

[cracker]

How tall is your jeep now, cracker???

Well, this week the rear is at 9" (your old Alcans and the longer shackle) and the front at 7". It looks really retarded but funny. I feel as if I need a 'special' helmet and to paint my XJ yellow and call it the Short Bus. I should have the 8" Skyjacker coils installed later next week when I put on the D44 and that should make me less 'retarded.'

 

[Goatman]

why not just build the real BEEF for the same cabbage?

You're kidding...right?

When's the last time you priced custom D60 axle stuff? How about $1000 just for a junkyard front HPD60 (if you can even find one), then add the gears, locker and other good parts to it. It's over $1000 just to change it to 5 on 5.5.

Sorry, I'm just not into criticizing people for deciding to spend good money on good parts. I've never meet anyone who later on regretted spending money on a custom axle build, even if they spent a ton.

 

[cracker]

You're kidding...right?

When's the last time you priced custom D60 axle stuff? How about $1000 just for a junkyard front HPD60 (if you can even find one), then add the gears, locker and other good parts to it. It's over $1000 just to change it to 5 on 5.5.

Sorry, I'm just not into criticizing people for deciding to spend good money on good parts. I've never meet anyone who later on regretted spending money on a custom axle build, even if they spent a ton.

I didn't think I was spending a ton. I priced out from a bunch of guys and to do it the way I want would cost me $4800 and up (ARB, high steer and all). I thought I was going the cheap route doing it the way I am never mind having complete control on how its done (and the complete control to screw it up too :laugh3: ).

 

[BIGWOODY]

You're kidding...right?

When's the last time you priced custom D60 axle stuff? How about $1000 just for a junkyard front HPD60 (if you can even find one), then add the gears, locker and other good parts to it. It's over $1000 just to change it to 5 on 5.5.

Sorry, I'm just not into criticizing people for deciding to spend good money on good parts. I've never meet anyone who later on regretted spending money on a custom axle build, even if they spent a ton.

Just speaking from my own experience, I spent a ton on building a 44, chromos,CTMs,ARB,hi-steer, hydro-assit etc.... I wasn't happy with it, so I'm at least one person you've heard of. I built my 60 for the same money I put in my 44, that was with 35 spline outters, dedenbear knuckles,hydro,hysteer,BTF diff cover, and 5x5 1/2 conversion. Lots of my parts were made custom on a buddies CNC machine. Your right, I couldn't pick up a catalog order stuff and build it cheaper, I shopped around and found deals. All this is a moot point if he's staying with 35's or so,but if he ever wanted to go bigger, the 60 would already be there. Not trying to ruffle feathers, just offering options...
To answer your question about the last time I priced custom 60 parts....yesterday, I'm building on now for a buddies TJ...

 

[Lincoln]

It's over $1000 just to change it to 5 on 5.5.

SPBOI (or whatever).

See my reply on Jeff's thread in Advanced Tech.

 

[BIGWOODY]

It's over $1000 just to change it to 5 on 5.5.
.

Yeah, SPOBI would be the correct term. I used new rotors, spent sometime with a lathe turning down the hubs, made my own brake brackets to run 1/2 ton chevy calipers and redrilled the hubs to 5 on 5 1/2, for a grand total of about $300 with all new parts. Now if you call dynatrac and bend over it's around $2200.00 to convert a ford 60 using their stuff, I laughed and hung up the phone.

 

[cracker]

Well it is Monday and my friend and I are taking the night off from the mods. I am trying to recover from all of the work that my friend and I did on the HP44 all weekend. I wanted to share a bunch of the pictures showing our progress. It was unfortunate but pretty buch most of the brackets required some fort of an adjustment whether it be by the grinder, the torch or the chop saw. Remember this is a combination of the Claytons (BRETTM: with the Johnny joints on the upper control arms) and a Rubicon Express bridge. The first thing to do was the bridge. I have never owned a Rubicon Express item before but if it is anything like this bridge, it must be a pain in the ass to install. The bridge required some bending of the front plare to merry up with the upper bridge and then we had to re-drill and tap new hols to bolt on the plate. I REALLY like their design but it should have come better prepared. My breather and ARB hose (set by Currie Enterprises) were completely in the way too but we are working around it.) Everything else went on pretty well. Finding the angles was a royal pain in the ass but with the Johnny Joints I know I had a tad of grey area that I wouldn't of had with bushings.

Feel free to comment or ask questions.

Crash: I haven't got to the track bar modification yet to bring it up for my high steer.

 

[BrettM]

cracker, are you using radius type longarms? if so you don't want to use a johnny joint in the upper as it will contribute to bind in the suspension.

 

[cracker]

cracker, are you using radius type longarms? if so you don't want to use a johnny joint in the upper as it will contribute to bind in the suspension.

I have TeraFlex Long Arms for the LCA and TeraFlex uppers. Will it be a problem?

 

[Goatman]

Curious.....why not use boxed tubing rather than plate for the upper control arm mounts? Less side bracing is needed, and the joint is welded into the recessed end of the tubing for a much stronger bond......in effect it's welded to two plates, one on each side, rather than just one plate in the middle of the joint. There is quite a bit of twisting force on those joints.

 

[BrettM]

I have TeraFlex Long Arms for the LCA and TeraFlex uppers. Will it be a problem?

I'm not a big fan of the long-lower/short-upper idea, but you won't experience the same kind of bind as a radius arm. Between the 8 bushings/joints in your front arms I think it would be best to have at least 2 be rubber to provide for the inherrant binding of that suspension.

 

[BrettM]

Curious.....why not use boxed tubing rather than plate for the upper control arm mounts? Less side bracing is needed, and the joint is welded into the recessed end of the tubing for a much stronger bond......in effect it's welded to two plates, one on each side, rather than just one plate in the middle of the joint. There is quite a bit of twisting force on those joints.

I agree, but that's the way Clayton is doing it for whatever reason. I doubt it will fail though, there shouldn't be much side forces on it as the panhard will be dealing with those and the twisting forces should be pretty readily dealt with by the johnny joints.

 

[cracker]

I'm not a big fan of the long-lower/short-upper idea, but you won't experience the same kind of bind as a radius arm. Between the 8 bushings/joints in your front arms I think it would be best to have at least 2 be rubber to provide for the inherrant binding of that suspension.

Brett I am a little lost here (my helmet straps must be too tight again). Here is a picture of one of my LCA at both ends. What do you mean by "it would be best to have at least 2 be rubber to provide for the inherrant binding of that suspension?" Remember that the TeraFlex UCA & LCA twist to allow for more flex.

 

[BrettM]

it looks like you have poly bushings on both ends of the LCAs, that's good. what is the frame side bushing/joint of the uppers?

basically every suspension has bind at some point, the long lower/short upper style binds more readily than some other designs so it's good to have some rubber or poly bushings in there.

 

[Paul S]

What kind of JJ's are you using on the axle UCA mounts? If they're Currie, it's going to be REALLY difficult to install them with the JJ case welded to the axle.

Paul

 

[cracker]

it looks like you have poly bushings on both ends of the LCAs, that's good. what is the frame side bushing/joint of the uppers?

basically every suspension has bind at some point, the long lower/short upper style binds more readily than some other designs so it's good to have some rubber or poly bushings in there.

HEre is a really crappy pic of my UCA. The frame side bushing is polly too.