Axle Relocation and Long Arm ideas

[Buddy Jesus]

Wow....thanks everyone for all of the great ideas. This is one heck of a helpful community.
As for the 44 idea- thats great. The upper contol arms wont be a problem because they wont be there. I will be fabing up a radius arm setup like iron rock sells. I like the idea of mounting the pitman arm backwards. I would have to machine off the key slot but thats no biggie. My only concern is the driveshaft under full compression. I imagine I could make the link clear if there are any issues. I seem to recall that some Fords had a high Pinion d44. I think that is what I'm going to look for. Trick steering, improved strength, and full width. My other option as Kastein said is goin full hydro. My buddy is upgrading his setup with a different valve assembly. I'm buying his this payday just to put it on the shelf for future use. He also has an extra PSC cylinder I need to ask about. Any thoughts on which would be better? As it sits both options are workable. I will have the porportioning valve next thursday and I can probably get the cylinder at a good price too. But I like the idea of having a stronger axle and lets face it, a custom flipped high steer setup would be pretty cool...

 

[Buddy Jesus]

Here are some pics of the Jeep as it progressed to this point. Sorry, dont have any before pics and havent realy started taking many until now.
First is with the 31's and 3.5 inches ifremember right

Next is 35's and 6.5 inches before cut

And after cut as it sits now

Opinions?

 

[94xjstud]

Your tie rod is bent

 

[aintright]

for the rear just cut up to the body line... remove the wheel wells completely... then either move the old wheel well up to the new line... or just fab up some new wheel wells... just make sure you brace and support everything so it doesn't taco the rear...

 

[Darky]

Look up stump xj and find his thread on cutting the rear fenders. It came out real well and with more clearance than the typical cut and fold method.

 

[elephantrider1]

Wow....thanks everyone for all of the great ideas. This is one heck of a helpful community.
As for the 44 idea- thats great. The upper contol arms wont be a problem because they wont be there. I will be fabing up a radius arm setup like iron rock sells. I like the idea of mounting the pitman arm backwards. I would have to machine off the key slot but thats no biggie. My only concern is the driveshaft under full compression. I imagine I could make the link clear if there are any issues. I seem to recall that some Fords had a high Pinion d44. I think that is what I'm going to look for. Trick steering, improved strength, and full width. My other option as Kastein said is goin full hydro. My buddy is upgrading his setup with a different valve assembly. I'm buying his this payday just to put it on the shelf for future use. He also has an extra PSC cylinder I need to ask about. Any thoughts on which would be better? As it sits both options are workable. I will have the porportioning valve next thursday and I can probably get the cylinder at a good price too. But I like the idea of having a stronger axle and lets face it, a custom flipped high steer setup would be pretty cool...

Just so you know if you put the pitman arm on backwards when you turn left it will go right.

 

[Buddy Jesus]

Thanks, I'll look it up. Yup tie rod is bent. Been bent and unbent and bent and unbent some more. I was going to swap to a zj setup but thanks to some suggestions from these replies I will either swap in a d44 or use the full hydro setup from my buddy. Basicaly getting a full kit for 200. I have some good steel to make the brackets from and my buddy is one hell of a welder. Steering parts will be here thursday ish so I have until then to make up my mind which way to go.

 

[Buddy Jesus]

Not if the high steer arms are rotated around backwards also.... if its possible

 

[elephantrider1]

oh ya wasnt thinking of turning the steering arms around.You could use double ended high steer arms and do this i think.http://www.rockstomper.com/catalog/steering/highsteer.htm

 

[Buddy Jesus]

Yea....i like those. After some Googling I think i have found the axle I want. Apparently 66-70 ford 4x4 had hi-pinion kingpin d44's. Any thoughts or different suggetions? Mr Elephantrider, I know u got some axles buddy, pal, amigo....

 

[kastein]

Not if the high steer arms are rotated around backwards also.... if its possible

with enough fab, ANYTHING is possible!

well, nearly anything...

 

[jeeperjohn]

Just so you know if you put the pitman arm on backwards when you turn left it will go right.

So he can just wheel in reverse

 

[elephantrider1]

Well for one good luck finding a kingpin 44 i have yet to ever see one and if you do and its in good shape you will have to pay the price of a 60 for it i'm sure .I have a couple 44s 78-79. Hell enough money ill even sell you my 60

 

[Buddy Jesus]

I'm pretty sure my wife would kill me if I buy too much more from ya. Heck, my jeep is basicaly a slightly upgraded version of your old one. Same axles, springs, leaves, locker- bigger motor less beat up body. This thing is becoming a money pit...... sure is fun though

 

[elephantrider1]

Thats why its a jeep

J ust
E mpty
E very
P ocket

 

[Starboard M]

Not if the high steer arms are rotated around backwards also.... if its possible

While you cant flip the high steer arms, you can flip the knuckles from side to side.

You also need to use a low pinion axle to do this because the pinion gets in the way of the tie rod.

Friend did this with his CJ2a buggy thing with full hydro and it worked well the one time it has been out.

Kingpin 44s are weak, have minimal aftermarket support and are not worth the hassle of swapping them in. Use a ball joint 44 or kingpin 60.


I still dont think its worth it, but if you really want that much wb, go for it.

 

[96TNXJ]

If you flip the leafs and install them backwards (as in rear eye of the leafs to the front) it will stretch the wb 6 inches if that helps you any

 

[redrider2911]

Good idea on swapping the knuckles. That would be a fun project.

 

[kastein]

Think you could swap knuckles and build custom high steer arms to put the tie rod on the front? Might not be worth the cost but I think it's possible.

 

[redrider2911]

COPIED FROM INSANITYFAB.COM

(dirtzuki) passenger side will be done next.

Update on the arms.

The pics might explain better what we're doing.

The short, driver side arm is complete. The long, passenger side arm is profiled and will be formed next week, cone washer holes after that.

The cone washer holes are rotated based on the ackerman angle. This set is for 95" wheelbase on Toyota axle - that is if I figured everyting right

Formed the long arms today and took a few pics of the process.

Next stop Rocktoys shop to cut the cone washer holes later this week.

Steering is done. Made tie rod and draglink using M23x1.5 tube adapters from Summit Machine (no, not Summit Racing). Threads shrunk a little from welding. Was able to chase the LH threads on Rocktoys lathe and borrowed RH tap from GHP. All good now.
Rocktoy orderd a set of taps, so will be no problem to make tie rods in future.
Draglink is nice and flat - no bump steer here.