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Axles - Gears - Lockers - SAS
Front Axle

The front axle is a Dana 44 from a '79 Ford F150. It is missing the knuckles out and the radius arms and coils. I can reuse some of the parts from my TTB suspension and will have to fab up others. I will keep visiting junkyards and looking online for the rest of the parts I will need.

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 It also has precision 4.88 ratio gears and a True Trac Limited Slip differential. 

I received a pair of 79 coil buckets from Lightnin another Bronco enthusiast that has completed his SAS and sent me the buckets he didn't need.

After months of searching I finally got a Dana 44 HP from a junkyard. It included the radius arms, steering linkage and a tire I couldn't get off out in the yard. It's not bad and will replace my spare tire which is slightly smaller than this one.

1975 Dana 44 Hi Pinion. 2.25 Diameter .5" thick Tubes (no wonder it's so heavy. drum brakes, Spicer 5-297x U-Joints The Panhard bar has a welded on bracket where the 78 one above does not.

The F-150 might have had a small engine oil leak.

A little time with a pressure washer and there was an axle under all that gunk. I highlighted it so you can tell it from the other two axles behind it.

Axle parts as far as the eye can see.

Dana 44 carriers Trac-Loc 4.88 in front, Open 3.38 in back

I spent a couple more hours with a can of Gunk, a wire brush and another power wash to get the housing and radius arms clean. I then gave them a good coat of primer and paint.

I drove 160 miles to pick up a pair of knuckles, spindles and brake caliper mounts to convert back to disk brakes.

New Ball Joints installed.

I had to put heat on all but one to remove them. Unfortunately my propane torch started acting up on me so I will continue in the morning.

I couldn't get the original nuts on the lower ball joints. The threads are punched to make a lock nut out of them. They were punched too hard and the inner ball would spin. there was nothing to grab on to so I ground down the old upper castle nuts and used them with cotter pins instead.

The 4.88 gears and Trac Lok are installed and shimmed.

I ran out and got 10 5/8" x 1" Allan bolts. I need to go get a gasket but I just got back from the store and don't feel like making another trip right now.

The axles and brake mounts are in place.

Testing the linkage. Sure enough they hit the rock guard when turning. I will have to flip the arms and re taper the holes.

The spindles are on but I have to go buy 10 spindle / knuckle nuts.

The 7/16-20 nuts and lock washers installed. Brake calipers in place.