Ya, I was already aware how much more difficult non-locker running will be... I just can't justify spending $500+ on a locker for a rear that we'll get rid of, whether it breaks or we just have down time and already have D60's in hand. I've been keeping an eye on craigslist lately hoping a set of half-decent mud tires would pop up before the 6th, but so far no luck. We will just have to see what happens

 

You can pick up a spool pretty cheap and have it installed in a day. Or pop the cover and weld the spider gears. My only advise on welding and making it last is preheat with a torch then weld then post heat to keep the gears from getting too brittle.

 

If you have or you can get your hands on a front dana 60 thats the way to go bogging.We used to run a 77 f150 with a dana 44 locked in front I can't count how many axles we broke I even ran a junkyard out of stock axles one season,people we mud with kept telling me to use the chrome moly axles well guess what we broke 2 sets of those thats $700 bucks a set,we now run a ranger on a 74 highboy frame with a dana 60 locked and after this first season no broke axles so the dana 60 is the way to go.

 

Rich, your quoted story from f350 is awesome. so true it's beautiful. "build em backwards". i've watched (im literally watching 4 of my buddies do it now) friends throw money after money building/doing the same thing.

40's+sbc+6lug=
37's+vortec something or other v8 thing+6lug+ifs=

= bad time.

i'd get some used 33's, zap those axles and giggle like school girls.

build em as they break, want nothing but a good time and the "projects" always stay fun.

oh yeah, welcome to the club. nice bronco. flatbed the truck. looks like you live in the country...shoot that chevy stuff with guns

my .02

 

Haha, nah I don't live in the country it's just sitting in the back yard where we'll probably be building a garage.

Right now the only real problem we're having is deciding to already take it off the road. We actually put regular license plates on it so we can drive it whenever we feel like it and also be able to just drive it to the shops that do things we can't do yet. I know it's contradicting what we want to do with it being a mud and trail truck, but I think my Dad and I are victim to the "ooh look! a new toy!" syndrome. Maybe what i'll do is set up a game plan for what we need to fix/buy and just drive it around and satisfy that syndrome until a majority of those parts are here before we kill the street idea.

Only other way I see us keeping both is possibly spending a **** ton more money for air lockers and swapping to D60's ASAP. Not really the smartest idea i'd suppose but I also say this seeing first hand the biggest smile and the happiest attitude i've seen my Dad in, in probably 10+ years driving the truck home and around town.

 

No problem, he is a pretty knowledgeable guy and I like to pass on good advice. As far as "live in the country".....yea I guess, 7 miles to the closest store and it ain't even 24 hrs. 14 to the closest 24 hr beer store, if the river bait store is closed.......

I hear no sirens, cars, train horns, city noise at all, just calves bellowing for there momma's and a occasional gun shot as someone is getting dinner.

HJ over back to building a trail/mud truck......

Indecl do what ever makes you and your dad happy, times like those are great to have. Take advantage of the opportunity, you can have a streetable some what mud truck, just do it a little at a time.

 

theres nothing contradicting about the trail truck/mud bogger. thats what i consider my truck. honestly i say just go in play in the thing. but take the bed off. seriously. i'd put a piece of plywood down and use a kiddie pool fore i put a turd box bed on there jus messin witch ya!

it's a truck, build it as you go. have fun-whip donuts, splash mud puddles and keep the down time to as little as possible- so yer ole' man can drive it. and ya'll can do the: "hold my beer paw, im try sumthin"

 

Haha we definitely will.

Nah, it wasn't the trail/mud part that was contradicting... it was the wanting to have a pretty mean mud machine but still wanting to drive it on the street. I understand enough to know lockers + street = bad idea. Also enough to know mud + no locker = not very successful idea.

This next Friday will actually be my Dad's first mud bog. I introduced the rest of my family to it last year, and I guess after a year of hearing about it he's decided having a project like this could be fun. He doesn't drink (anymore) so i'll correct that last bit to "Hold my Jack Dad, imma try somethin' " haha!

 

sounds like heaven, cept fer the bait store part...haha

 

bait stores are the most fun though

 

Are you kidding the bait store has the best beer and liquor prices around, nothing beats some live crickets/minnows for great fishing and a 12er to go.

 

I know there is this one close to where I live called sloans nicest people and if you say please and thank you, you get free ice cream scoops