Comanche Chief

[87manche]

pop cans!

 

[shortxjdoug]

pop cans!

If it works it works.

 

[jbain08]

Thanks for the input..... my buddy went with the Reid knuckles but he has a YJ and had to go hi-steer to clear the leaf springs.

 

[Lowrange2]

You'll want to go high steer to clear everything.

 

[jbain08]

I had just put JCR under the knuckle steering on my Dana 30 before I destroyed it.... I was hoping since I was saying essentially the same width as the 30 I could reuse that....

 

[Lowrange2]

You'd have to measure. I know my Dana 30 steering wasn't even close to use on what I have now.

 

[jbain08]

My fear is that it will make contact with the diff and spring perches.... I'm retaining the same steering box so the drop will be ok.... the width is about the same so I have the ability to adjust in or out a couple inches and the TRE's are 1 ton so if anything they should be too big. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.....

 

[Lowrange2]

You won't have to worry about that with Highsteer.

 

[jbain08]

Did you have to relocate your trackbar bracket?

 

[87manche]

if you go highsteer you'll have to move the trackbar mount up a few inches so the draglink and trackbar are parallel.
otherwise bump steer like a mofo.

there are pre made mounts, weld it on the tube, drill hole at appropriate height, go wheeling.

 

[jbain08]

Sweet.... my buddy has the bracket your talking about on his....

 

[VAhasnoWAVES]

You have a good eye sir.... it's a 79 HP Dana 44 from an F250..... The axle is currently over at my buddies getting the inner C's removed and the tubes narrowed to waggy width along with mounts and a truss. I'll be running all ford F150 from the knuckle out to include the stub shaft. This will take me to approx 61.5 inches wide. In the rear I'll just replace the spacer on my 8.8 for an adapter.

ah, ok. you got it handled.

Right on..... I was thinking of going chevy from the knuckle out but saw where you gotta run ford stuff to get the RCV's to slide in without dis assembly.... thanks for the info. I wish there was a way to keep my f250 knuckles and go 5 on 5.5 that would be perfect.

you might want to check if the 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton knuckles are actually different. i know the brakes, spindles, stubs, and hubs are... but the 150 and 250 D44s share the same inner C. so you could just throw 1/2 ton stuff right onto your housing when your done rotating the Cs. but id seriously check and see if a 1/2 ton caliper mount and spindle slide onto those ford knuckles.

 

[jbain08]

Everything I've read says you have to ..... no background just that it doesn't work.... I did read a post somewhere that said there was a hump or something that kept the f150 brake rotor from bolting up. But I think your right ..... I should try it anyway.... might just need a little grinding.

 

[shortxjdoug]

No it does not, the 3/4 ton spindle studs are indexed differently.

 

[jbain08]

Right on.... Thanks for the info.....

 

[Lowrange2]

Did you have to relocate your trackbar bracket?

Yes, I did.

If you do something similar to this I suggest you make a double shear pitman arm and high steer arms. That's on my list of things to do.

 

[jbain08]

Thanks.... I really appreciate the information

 

[jbain08]

Got around to doing a little work to the Dana 44 today…. Man it was hot…. But I managed to remove all the brackets as well as the Inner C’s. Then I measured 12 times and made my cut marks for the Waggy axles. Now it’s just off for the truss and some mounts and I’ll be ready to get it geared and under the MJ.

 

[jbain08]

So I spent a couple hours this evening cutting down the tubes and mocking up the c’s on the shortened tubes. After some quick measurements I’m now positive I’ll have to remove some of the cast spring perch on the short side to make room for the coil bucket.….

 

[Lowrange2]

I kinda cheated and notched the coil bucket to fit over top of the cast spring perch.

I sure wish I would have started with a HP and done what you've done so I could rotate the C's while I had it apart.

What'd you set the C's at?