Full width HP44/9" swap

[Prepmech]

Getting close to being finished with my axle swap so figured I would post up some pictures.

Full width HP44 front, 9" rear. 35" tires. RE 5.5" extreme duty (drop brackets) lift.

The front is a '75 F150 HP44 that had the welded on radius arm wedges.
TnT HP44 axle swap kit
Pinion angle set at 13 degrees
Knuckles were cut/rotated for 6.5 degees of caster
4.88 gears, Detroit true-trac
Ford knuckles reamed to accept 1-ton chevy TREs over the knuckle
All new brakes, spindles, hardware (stock Ford)
Warn hub fuses
Stock shafts (for now)
Chevy C2500 brake hoses
JKS track bar mount
Shortened RE track bar
RE arms, drop brackets, 5.5" springs

The rear is out of a '79 bronco.
Center is nodular, 4.88 gears, Detroit locker, Daytona pinion support
Blue Torch Fab spring perches
'79 F250 rear brake hose
Early YJ passenger side parking brake cable
DPG bump-stop plates
Still need to weld on my shock mounts

Superior truss
Also in this picture you can see my new OkieFab skid plate/hitch.

 

[WTF]

Nice work! One of the cleanes i've seen!

Looks like your rear shocks are going to be a little too long for the new axle, Or is that just the picture angle?

Would you care to share what kinda dent this swap has put in the checkbook?

 

[Prepmech]

Shocks are going to fit. Haven't decided on mounts yet. I've got the JKS style that give you more ground clearance, but they will be a tight fit. I'm probably going to end up using the MORE ones that are just like the stock ones.

Haven't figured out the cost yet, partially because I don't want to know.

 

[EZridaz]

Looks good!!! I have a HP44/9" that I need to get on the ball with but the state inspection are way too strict here for anything. It looks like those Bushwackers cover them pretty good from the angle I see them at. Do you have a pic of it straight on to see the width compared to the flare? Thanks!

 

[53guy]

What's the BS on your wheels?

 

[53guy]

Also...just kinda curious....where's the hood?

 

[Prepmech]

Wheels are 3.75" BS

I haven't painted the hood yet, I've been busy cutting it up:

 

[aparke4]

oh sweet! thats awesome nice fab work!

 

[aparke4]

sorry dummy Q: are both bolt pattern for the axles 5x5.5?

 

[Prepmech]

sorry dummy Q: are both bolt pattern for the axles 5x5.5?

Yeah, had to change the bolt pattern of my spare tire carrier to match. Ended up using a Blue Torch Fab spare tire mounting plate, and welded it to my carrier to get 5x5.5".

 

[DansGreyMj]

that thing looks like a show peice id be scared to wheel it lol

 

[Prepmech]

Lessons learned:

Cutting and turning the knuckles isn't all that hard, and well worth the time and effort.

Its next to impossible to find anything that fits the 3.25" tubes on the rear axle. I ended up getting a hole saw cutting out my perches to fit. I'm going to have to do the same for the shock mounts.

Brake hoses and cables were the hardest to figure out.
'79 F250 for the rear hose
Chevy C2500 for the fronts
Early YJ for the pass parking brake cable (early XJs will use late YJ cables)

I was worried about the track bar, but as you can see from the pictures everything worked out. I ended up using a cut down RE extreme duty track bar and bracket, JKS axle side mount. This turns out to be parallel to my steering.

For steering I used 1-ton chevy TREs over the knuckles. Go slow with the reamer and use lots of oil. Reaming the holes was a pain, and it is easy to get the reamer crooked. Once it is started reaming crooked it is almost impossible to straighten out.

I'm running a drop XJ pitman arm, and don't have enough throw. Going to go to a Waggy drop pitman arm.

I got all of my stock ford replacement parts from Broncograveyard.com

The TnT truss is well worth every penny spent on it.

 

[98POSXJ]

Nice Work! Im working on my 44/9" swap right now and will post up some pics when its done. I am doing a custom ford radius arm type conversion that I have only seen like one person do. I dont really want to know how much ive spent either!

 

[Unit91]

Dang, that's a sexy rig. So were those pretty much a bolt in deal:roflmao:

 

[ILLXJ]

You suck.:spin1: :smootch: JIM.

 

[JLane99XJ]

I'm probably going to end up using the MORE ones that are just like the stock ones...

the stock ones that act like anchors on rocks??

i think i'd go a different direction..

nice fab work tho..

i really like the front truss and mounts for the UCAs

 

[Justpunchit]

is that front truss from TNT??

 

[Prepmech]

the stock ones that act like anchors on rocks??

i think i'd go a different direction..

nice fab work tho..

i really like the front truss and mounts for the UCAs

I'm going to try and make the JKS style ones I made work, but I won't have much up-travel. It appears that I am going to hit my bump-stops just before I bottom out the shocks, but the only way to know for sure will be to tack it together and flex it. If I don't have enough up travel I'm going to have to use some shorter shocks (less overall flex) or lower MORE mounts.

Of course, there is always the option of cutting the floor and building a crossmember to attach some longer shocks to.

I just haven't decided yet.

 

[Prepmech]

is that front truss from TNT??

Yeah, it is the front truss/hp44 swap kit. It saved me a ton of time. The track bar mount is a JKS over the axle bracket.

 

[53guy]

is that front truss from TNT??

The front is a '75 F150 HP44 that had the welded on radius arm wedges.
TnT HP44 axle swap kit