Skee needs some help with an SAS...

[AirmanSkee]

I think I wanna go D60 from a ford. Like I said I don't have the resources to modify it to the extreme so fabbing up my own stuff might be kinda hard. If I can get away with keeping my tcase and throwing a ford D60 under it and swap the rear as well to have all 8 lug that's fine with me. It's the steering mainly that stumps me, as I haven't dealt with solid axle steering too much, especially in the older trucks. That's kinda why I'm asking for the help to understand what needs to be done.

 

[TylerZ281500]

basically youll have a tracebar to limit movement of the axle. that goes from frame to axle housing. then for steering youll have one from the pitman on the steering box to the steering arm on the passenger side knuckle. then there will be a another rod or brace or whatever you want to call it, attaching both knuckles. of course theres more in depth ways like offset/bent sttering bars and hydraulix assist or full hydro etc. but thats the main preschoool answer.

 

[outalne94z71]

basically youll have a tracebar to limit movement of the axle. that goes from frame to axle housing. then for steering youll have one from the pitman on the steering box to the steering arm on the passenger side knuckle. then there will be a another rod or brace or whatever you want to call it, attaching both knuckles. of course theres more in depth ways like offset/bent sttering bars and hydraulix assist or full hydro etc. but thats the main preschoool answer.

axle to frame is track bar, pitman to steering knuckle/arm is a drag link and the link between knuckles from one end of axle to the other is the center link.

 

[AirmanSkee]

I dont plan on beating the living P!$$ out of the truck but I do want to have some fun in it. Im in Alaska for crying out loud, ever see the Top Gear special on the "Greatest American Truck"...? The Chevy Stepside took it haha But I have taken my truck out to play and had to park it on the side of the trail and hop in someone elses due to my crappy IFS... and also since my 4x4 really wasnt working when I thought it was. haha But thanks for all the answers. I read the other threads and half the stuff I read I dont understand since I dont know a whole lot about the solid axle stuff. And Im positive people left out all the little stuff that I will need to get.

 

[Horns]

Track bar can also be referred to as a panhard bar. There are some variations with other names too, like a J bar.

-Via Mobile-

 

[Solid94]

Okay I'll say from experience the dana 44 will hold up to some decent abuse as long as you leave it open. I have a dana 44 (waiting on a dana 60 find) pushing 37s and I avidly wheel my truck and I know the only reason it is in one piece is because I don't have a locker in it. The only positive thing about the dana 44 is that it is a lot easier to find than the dana 60 needed for the swap

 

[AirmanSkee]

If I build the SAS with a Dana 44 first, it wouldnt be too difficult to build up a Dana 60 later on and swap it out, would it? Im sure once I get the truck trail worthy for up here I will want to keep upgrading it. In Alaska, there are ALOT of donor trucks I can buy and strip down. But for the most part Im just looking for a decent start to one. And I can build my way up when I get it going.

 

[Solid94]

The hardest part is doing the swap period. Then once you upgrade to a 60 it's a matter of rolling it under in place of the 44. That part is not too challenging. As long as both are from the same year fords

 

[AirmanSkee]

Okay. Well I think what I am going to do is a few months out order the parts I need and have them delivered to my shop back at home base. Im not too worried about paying a little extra to ease the initial swap. Like I said I dont have the fab skills really to weld and do too much fabrication, but I will be either paying someone or finding someone to help out with it when I get back. Hopefully the club I was part of will help me out some. They are mainly Jeeps and Yotas though, but if they have welding skills then I will see what I can do. I am the only Full Size truck in the group haha but I was keeping up with them even with my IFS. Broke alot of stuff but played hard. Thats why I want the SAS so I can keep on going.

 

[outalne94z71]

If I build the SAS with a Dana 44 first, it wouldnt be too difficult to build up a Dana 60 later on and swap it out, would it? Im sure once I get the truck trail worthy for up here I will want to keep upgrading it. In Alaska, there are ALOT of donor trucks I can buy and strip down. But for the most part Im just looking for a decent start to one. And I can build my way up when I get it going.

if that is the plan, then you should go with a 8 lug d44 so then its less hassle when you do swap to a d60 as you will not need another set of wheels, what size rim you plan on running?, a ford d60 you cannot run a 8 lug 15" (steel only)unless you swap on chevy/dodge outer parts and do some grinding, a ford 8 lug d44 also has the same 2 piston calipers as the ford 60 so it also would require a chevy knuckles on out swap if you wanted 15" wheels