looking to swap a 44 in front instead of independent in 95 ranger
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02-16-2004, 06:42 PM
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looking to swap a 44 in front instead of independent in 95 ranger
Im looking to swap a dana 44 in the front of my ranger and get that pos independent crap out of there. I was told to find one from a early bronco 66-77 because it is narrower and that i would need to use those radius arms from the bronco. Im having a hard time finding an old bronco. If anyone knows any other possible way to do like a differnt vehicle or if i can use different radius arms. I need all the input i can get. thanx
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02-16-2004, 08:58 PM
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02-16-2004, 09:35 PM
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02-17-2004, 02:45 AM
I'm pretty sure they had a Dana 35. Its fairly light duty.
You should look for a wrecked Jeep. Any 4.0L jeep has the Dana 35 solid front axle.
I even have a good place to look. This axle is a popular swap out for super jeepers. Head over to http://www.jeepsunlimited.com check out the grand cherokee forum, and there are some for sale forums at the top.
Welcome to FTE, FordLariat, and kazieman62
You should look for a wrecked Jeep. Any 4.0L jeep has the Dana 35 solid front axle.
I even have a good place to look. This axle is a popular swap out for super jeepers. Head over to http://www.jeepsunlimited.com check out the grand cherokee forum, and there are some for sale forums at the top.
Welcome to FTE, FordLariat, and kazieman62
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02-17-2004, 09:29 PM
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just looked in the book today and a ford ranger never had a straight axle. I found a dana 44 for 400 bux and radius arms for 45 bux. The axle doesnt have the right gears and i know i need coils shocks and some fabrication. I just wish there was a shopping list of parts and step by step instructions. Ive also heard there needs to be some custom setup for the steering.
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02-18-2004, 02:33 AM
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Except for the IFS in the 98 or newers, the other front axle in Rangers was the Dana 28 up until around 1989. Rangers had only the TTB and IFS.
A Dana 44 is a good choice for a smaller rig like a Ranger. The advantage of using the EB D44 is that the Wheel Mounting Surfaces are about the same width apart as a Rangers. This axle was only put in the last few years of EB's(72-77, I think), and these are the more desirable rigs to the bronco crowd. The big drawback is the low pinion, which means it has a weaker gearset than a high pinion axle, and your front driveshaft will be at an increased angle. Also, disk brakes were only available on this axle for 76 and 77 years.
Jeeps will usually have Dana 30's or 44's. The Dana 30 is not very strong, I personally wouldn't use it. The Dana 44 is of a similar width. Some Jeeps have Dana 30 gears inside the 44 housing, the Wrangler X for example, steer clear. I don't know what Jeep has for High or Low pinions.
F-Series trucks in the late 70's can be found with High Pinion D44 fronts, but they are full width. If you want to keep Ranger width, the axle will need to be narrowed. Do consider keeping the axles full width, it's only about six inches wider. With the right backspacing in your rims you can change your overall width further.
All sorts of radius arms can be used, or you can make your own. Steering will be custom.
3 options then-
swap with an EB D44, but it is a low pinion front axle
swap a full width, and have a high pinion, but greater width
swap a narrowed full width D44, have a high pinion, but more work and complexity.
No matter what you do, parts will have to be fabricated and creative solutions will have to be made. Becuase this is custom work, there are no step by step instruction on how you should do it. There are however plenty of people who have posted information about how they have done thier swap, and why.
And for some really in depth custom 4x4 information-
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/
The best thing you can do now is research.
A Dana 44 is a good choice for a smaller rig like a Ranger. The advantage of using the EB D44 is that the Wheel Mounting Surfaces are about the same width apart as a Rangers. This axle was only put in the last few years of EB's(72-77, I think), and these are the more desirable rigs to the bronco crowd. The big drawback is the low pinion, which means it has a weaker gearset than a high pinion axle, and your front driveshaft will be at an increased angle. Also, disk brakes were only available on this axle for 76 and 77 years.
Jeeps will usually have Dana 30's or 44's. The Dana 30 is not very strong, I personally wouldn't use it. The Dana 44 is of a similar width. Some Jeeps have Dana 30 gears inside the 44 housing, the Wrangler X for example, steer clear. I don't know what Jeep has for High or Low pinions.
F-Series trucks in the late 70's can be found with High Pinion D44 fronts, but they are full width. If you want to keep Ranger width, the axle will need to be narrowed. Do consider keeping the axles full width, it's only about six inches wider. With the right backspacing in your rims you can change your overall width further.
All sorts of radius arms can be used, or you can make your own. Steering will be custom.
3 options then-
swap with an EB D44, but it is a low pinion front axle
swap a full width, and have a high pinion, but greater width
swap a narrowed full width D44, have a high pinion, but more work and complexity.
No matter what you do, parts will have to be fabricated and creative solutions will have to be made. Becuase this is custom work, there are no step by step instruction on how you should do it. There are however plenty of people who have posted information about how they have done thier swap, and why.
And for some really in depth custom 4x4 information-
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/
The best thing you can do now is research.