my SAS
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Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2008
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From: raymond alberta
at 11:57 p.m. last night i set the front end down on jack stands, all the weight of the truck rests on the axle, my coils are straight, everything is tight, only thing im not in love with is the angle that the rad arm goes into the bucket i had to eliminate one bolt from the rad arm bracket as a result but im thinkin 3 grade 8 1/2 bolts will hold it there just fine
heres some pics from after i finished cleaning the shop
ok so now if i can get that damn drag link off of there ill set up my knuckles and steering then i gotta find a way to do the trac bar and then swap the pinion yoke out and finish puttin the axle back together
i looked at all new hubs/rotors and spindle on bronco graveyard and wa just wondering if they are 100% trustworthy i saw the only way to pay is credit card that seems a little shady to me
how did you guys run you trac bar? i got the stock 78 trac bar and bracket pretty sure i can make it work somehow
thanks to those who have helped and follow the build so far
heres some pics from after i finished cleaning the shop
ok so now if i can get that damn drag link off of there ill set up my knuckles and steering then i gotta find a way to do the trac bar and then swap the pinion yoke out and finish puttin the axle back together
i looked at all new hubs/rotors and spindle on bronco graveyard and wa just wondering if they are 100% trustworthy i saw the only way to pay is credit card that seems a little shady to me
how did you guys run you trac bar? i got the stock 78 trac bar and bracket pretty sure i can make it work somehow
thanks to those who have helped and follow the build so far
FTE Chapter Leader
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 11,273
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From: North Dakota
make a trac bar bracket out of flat steel and weld it on the frame. it will end up under the frame rail, also i would brace it to that big crossmember(which you more than likely have to trim to clear the new diff)
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From: raymond alberta
once i get rid of the old TTB brackets it will have a few good inches at its tightest probably have to trim it down a bit still
i would much rather not weld on my frame ill probably retain the old bracket and find a longer trac arm i just took a quick look today and the arm is nearly long enough but it hits that damn crossmember so if i found a nice long trac arm that was factory bent or do they exist?
also my 78 steering, the tie rod looks fine but the drag link is bent right i was told it would work but im not sure how that bend is huge ill probably just go find a 90s f350 drag link
i would much rather not weld on my frame ill probably retain the old bracket and find a longer trac arm i just took a quick look today and the arm is nearly long enough but it hits that damn crossmember so if i found a nice long trac arm that was factory bent or do they exist?
also my 78 steering, the tie rod looks fine but the drag link is bent right i was told it would work but im not sure how that bend is huge ill probably just go find a 90s f350 drag link
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,698
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From: Neenah, Wisconsin
My springs on my sas did bow outward a bit too.....I however used the new style (ttb) radius arms that had a better spring retainer...But i never had a problem... As for the trac bar, your probably going to need something custom...the chance of you getting one off the shelf to work with a stock mount from a different generation is slim to none...
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Neenah, Wisconsin
The spring bow is what i dealt with....
And not a great a pic of the trac bar...but maybe gives you a bit of an idea what i did (ignore the first pic for the trac bar...that was just a mock up using a tent pole)
FTE Chapter Leader
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 11,273
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From: North Dakota
if i remember right you will have a problem bolting it to the frame cuz the steering box is in the way. i wish i would have took a pic of the bracket i made when i did the SAS an a 87 ranger this winter. i made a track bar braket that welded to the side and bottom of the frame. i had to add a plate to a hole in the frame inbetween all the steering box bolts, and the braket just cleared the bolts for the steering box. all the swaps ive seen people just weled something on the frame..
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Riverview, FL
I don't have anything to add about helping with the swap. My only suggestion is to get rid of the crappy steering set-up from the 75 and go with a 78-79 cross-over style. I just did this swap on my 77 and much better steering. Your swap does look good, keep it going!
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From: raymond alberta
i have the tie rod and drag link from a 78 f150 is the drag link supposed to bent foreward that much i did a moch up last night and it will fit but it just looks funny to me might swap if for the 90s f350 drag link
i was thinking about actually building a bracket that would bolt up to the bolts for the bower steering
hey ryan what did your trac bar bolt up to on the frame i can see it up till the x-member then its gone
tonight i will bolt all the steering down to get a better look and some pics of my idea
thanks guys
is the drag link supposed to bent foreward that much i did a moch up last night and it will fit but it just looks funny to me might swap if for the 90s f350 drag linki was thinking about actually building a bracket that would bolt up to the bolts for the bower steering
hey ryan what did your trac bar bolt up to on the frame i can see it up till the x-member then its gone
tonight i will bolt all the steering down to get a better look and some pics of my idea
thanks guys
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,698
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From: Neenah, Wisconsin
My trac bar mounted off the drivers side of the cross member...I built a bracket that came down and towards the outside of the truck and it mounted up there....It was a bit shorter than i'd have liked....but it worked well and no bump steer....
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From: raymond alberta
ive read tons of builds and all the ones ive seen use the stock pitman arm?
but i am only using 4" lift so id have to have a pretty funky setup with the trac bar so that i dont get bump steer with 13" of lift i can see that you would have much more room under there than i do but i never thought of using that x-member to build a mount its so crazy it might work
hey you guys got any tricks for bolting down the knuckles, i get the nut on a lil ways then the ball joint just starts to spin with it and i cant find a way to stop it...ill be doin new ball joints anyway in case that problem means they are toast
still cant get that damned TTB drag link off
but i am only using 4" lift so id have to have a pretty funky setup with the trac bar so that i dont get bump steer with 13" of lift i can see that you would have much more room under there than i do but i never thought of using that x-member to build a mount its so crazy it might work
hey you guys got any tricks for bolting down the knuckles, i get the nut on a lil ways then the ball joint just starts to spin with it and i cant find a way to stop it...ill be doin new ball joints anyway in case that problem means they are toast
still cant get that damned TTB drag link off
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Joined: Nov 2007
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For a trac bar I used the late 70's mount and used one bolt from the steering gear box then welded the top of it. The arm i think is from superlift and was bent enough to get around the crossmember but at full turn to the right it hits my pitman arm. I did move the axle forward i tad too though. I dont know if that would be an issue for you since your not using a drop pitman arm and only 4 inches. You can take a look at the pic in gallery to kinda see what i did. I would hack up the crossmember to fit a straight trac bar
I thought i was pretty sure the that the 70's drag link did not work. Too long and the end was too big for the pitman arm. I bought a drag link from jc whitney for about 35 bucks for a 90 f350 then went to my parts store and got a sleeve and an end for it. Cheapest way i found.
What are you going to do about shocks? there gonna look a little goofy with the stock coil/shock buckets.
A little heat and pickle fork should do the trick on the old draglink.
I thought i was pretty sure the that the 70's drag link did not work. Too long and the end was too big for the pitman arm. I bought a drag link from jc whitney for about 35 bucks for a 90 f350 then went to my parts store and got a sleeve and an end for it. Cheapest way i found.
What are you going to do about shocks? there gonna look a little goofy with the stock coil/shock buckets.
A little heat and pickle fork should do the trick on the old draglink.