ranger solid axle swap

[rockinranger]

hey guys im new to this forum but i have a 93 ford ranger and i broke the ttb front axle and i dont want to put another one on because i have heard they break easy so i was wonderin if any of you have done a solid axle swap on them im on a super tight budget and would like to hear what you guys think thanks for any info

 

[Bucking Bronco]

I have done the swap on a couple broncos, doing it on a budget and doing it right can be difficult.

Do you have any of the parts for the swap?
What kind of budget are you talking about?
How much of the work can you do yourself?

OH and welcome to RME

 

[rockinranger]

hey well i dont have any parts yet but my cousin said a dana 30 would work on the front and i found one for 0ne hundred bucks im hoping not to spend more than 3-4 hundred and i could do all the work myself i just need to know if i will need new brakes, yokes or anything

 

[rondo]

I'll say it; don't use the dana 30 please! You may as well go with a dana 44, even for light use. They are just too plentiful in junkyards. My neighbor has a dvr drop dana44 for cheap.
Reasons they are better: real hubs, bigger axles, joints, gears, tubes, etc etc.
How to do this cheap? Hmm, not sure about that or if there's a way to do it real cheap.

 

[phatfoto]

Well, shoot. I guess I'll let the cat out of the bag. I am working on a solid axle swap for my 90 Ranger. I have one other project to get of the way first. But here is essentially what I am doing. No pics yet though. But I have almost all the parts on hand currently except for frame mounts and a couple rod ends.

I'm going to use a 87 Cherokee high pinion D30. Swap in a solid shaft in place of the 2 piece unit. And replace the drivers side shaft to use 297 U joints instead fo the 260 sized parts. I'm using 6" Cherokee coils and will use the Jeep bump stops at the frame side spring mounts (which I'll have to modify). So I can use coil spacers if I need to adjust my lift. I'm making my own radius type arms like the long arm kits on ZJ/XJ/TJs.

So, $300-400? It'll be tight. But you might be able to make it. Be willing to spend a bit more though.

Now, as to why I want to swap in a D30... I got it for free. Its a near perfect width for the Ranger, the coils match nearly perfect with the Ranger. The wheel bolt pattern is the same as the Ranger. And, the pinion yoke and Ranger driveshaft match. I never liked the slides in the Ranger disk brakes, and I hate the TTB for its inability to keep in alignment when wheeling it. Its a wash whether the D30 axle is any stronger than the D35 TTB. And the TTB has more parts to break and needs a lot of work to make it flex really well.

Some say the D30 is weak. Well, it is. But strong enough that lots of Jeep guys run them with up to 35" tires and usually get away with it. As long as you aren't stupid with the skinny pedal. What sort of wheeling do you intend to do with the truck? Mild or hardcore where buggies fear to tread? If you go hardcore, yes, a D44 would be better. A D60 better still. But then you have get big fender flares when you go to a full width axle, or spend big bucks to narrow a stronger axle.

You will need some different coils, the Ranger's springs will be stupid stiff for a solid axle. Before starting the project, you really need to know how much lift you will want and what size tires you intend to run. You will need longer brake hoses. And it wouldn't hurt to go through the axle and replace brake pads, have the rotors turned (or replaced), check the U joints and axle seals. Might as well change the diff lube too. And make sure the gearing is the same.

2 excellent resources are The Ranger Station, and Explorer Forum. Take the time to read through before asking questions there...

 

[phatfoto]

I'll say it; don't use the dana 30 please! You may as well go with a dana 44, even for light use. They are just too plentiful in junkyards. My neighbor has a dvr drop dana44 for cheap.
Reasons they are better: real hubs, bigger axles, joints, gears, tubes, etc etc.
How to do this cheap? Hmm, not sure about that or if there's a way to do it real cheap.

For MOST folks, the D30 isn't that bad. Lots of folks wheel Moab on mostly stock D30s. D44 and the D30 use the same 297 joints. Axles aren't that much bigger. Most of us don't want to have tires sticking out waiting for a UHP ticket. As stated in my other post, the D30 lets one keep the same wheels, at the same width inside the fenders. On my 4 banger regular cab regular bed Ranger, its lighter than a XJ. I am not sure I'd put the D30 under an Explorer though. Is the Unit bearing expensive? Yes, but it also doesn't need constant adjustment. There are pros and cons for all choices. And in my case, if I break too uch too often, the fabwork is mostly done towards a bigger axle. And I'm only running 31s, or MIGHT run 33s.

And cheap? It can be done, but always be willing to spend some money somewhere. If I didn't need to change gearing in my D30, I'm well under $200 with what I've got on hand.:greg:

 

[DOSS]

I'll say it; don't use the dana 30 please! You may as well go with a dana 44, even for light use. They are just too plentiful in junkyards. My neighbor has a dvr drop dana44 for cheap.
Reasons they are better: real hubs, bigger axles, joints, gears, tubes, etc etc.
How to do this cheap? Hmm, not sure about that or if there's a way to do it real cheap.

how can you even suggest a D44.. seriously you know it is a natural fact that if you don't put a D60 or better in there then it will break the minute you take it off the jack stands...

Sheesh

 

[rockinranger]

yeah thats why i wanted to use a d30 because it will fit nice and same lug pattern and now that you told me stuff matches up i think thats what im going to go with. as for the type of wheeling not to hardcore maybe a little rough in the mud but other than that just easier stuff im probably just going to do a little body lift and 33s just cut the fenders as for the dana 30 the gearing in those is 3:73 right? and if i was to go with a dana 44 i would have to buy spacers which are like 80 dolllars a piece

 

[rondo]

ranger 30 swappin'

Well hey if the 30 is a perfect fit for width, wheels, brakes, etc etc then sure, i'm not going to tell anyone not to use it, especially for 31in to 33 in tires. Everything in life is 'it depends'. At the start of the thread, we didn't have a lot of info except it needs to be cheap. In that case i'd go with a high pinion unit, trying to find the gear ratio already in there, and i wouldn't pay 100 for a dana 30, maybe 50$.

And most of all it wasn't for hard core use. I've seen their tiny shafts shatter (in spite of the larger u-joint), hubs (for those equipped) explode, unit bearings go out, housings bend, ball joints scream in fear and throw up, ring/pinion teeth sheer off, i could go on.

Also, if 33s are in the future, then will the wheels still fit on the stock rims?

if it were me, before i decided i'd try to find a pair of 44s cheap from someone or out of a junkyard, with matching ring/pinion; that would be a score, right?

If i was someday planning to jump up to 35s (hey, we all evolve, eh?) then the upgrade would be done today, not someday.

And finally if after all the research, I found out the dana 30 swap isn't as cheap as i thought, then in accordance with economies of scale, it's an investment to upgrade.

 

[spencevans]

It sounds like you have done your home work, Everyone had there opinions of how I should SAS my Mitsubishi Pickup but what it all came down to was it was my truck and I would have to drive it and live with it.

There are definate advantages to going with the Dana 30 over the Dana 44. Like you said lug pattern, width and it is a high pinion. Having a HP axle is a big deal and will save you money in the long run because it saves you from having to cut and turn an axle. Also I doubt a 44 would fit between the frame rails which may limit wheel travel.

As far as your budget goes, I don't think it is realistic. Ussually when someone says they want to do an SAS for cheap they'll say they only have $2000. A nice SAS could easily run $10K-15K. To complete this project you will need more than just a few hundred dollars.

Lastly, use the guys at TRS, they will be your best asset.

 

[Bucking Bronco]

A nice SAS could easily run $10K-15K. .

:wtf:10-15K for an SAS that is unrealistic

Cage Radius arms for $700.00 and some coils and a track bar and you have one of the easiest and nicest SAS setups out there.

 

[phatfoto]

TRS is a good link, but the info at the Explorer Forum link is as good or better. Even of its for the 'Sploders. Here is a very good idea of what I'm going to do. I have something very different planned for the rear. But thats for later on.

The D30 came with many different gear ratios. 3.07s and 3.55s seem to be most common. My ZJ with tow package has 3.73s, maybe that will help your search. What is the stock gear ratios for your Ranger? My 4 cylinder 5 speed truck has 4.10s.

And a personal opinion here. I don't like body lifts. They don't do anything meaningful besides allow some extra tire clearance. A stock Ranger can fit 31s with some rubbing. And if you plan to wheel the truck at all, you will need some suspension lift, you don't want the engine crossmember knocking a hole in the D30 diff, and you need some room for the upper control arm mounts on the axle. I'd say about 3-4" minimum lift would be needed...

And, here is my truck. 6" coils from Skyjacker for the Ranger are very stiff. Taking out the TTB and putting in a solid axle will make the front feel even worse. So, I'll use the 6" XJ coils from Skyjacker. Shoot, might even get the thing to flex some.

 

[spencevans]

:wtf:10-15K for an SAS that is unrealistic

Cage Radius arms for $700.00 and some coils and a track bar and you have one of the easiest and nicest SAS setups out there.

You would be surprised how fast it all adds up. The swap is only as nice as the sum of the parts and the design. My buddy John did a SAS about two years ago on his liberty and the price was right around $24,750 when it was all said and done and he could have easily spent another 10K on it. It all adds up real fast.

http://www.lostkjs.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=29709

 

[phatfoto]

You can cut that price by alot when you rule out the rear suspension stuff. Or stuff thats on the rig you can already use.

I'm not out to set a cheap record by any means. I've got two kids in college, guess where my money goes. And if I had more money, I'd certainly move up to D44s and more stuff. But, what I've got will work, and should work for anyone that does a littel research (I've been hatching this plan for a while now actually, about 20 minutes after I bought the truck...).

The only thing I haven't got fully worked out is how I'm setting up the steering. The tierod end that connects the draglink to the pitman arm has a different taper between the Ford and the Jeep. I'll have to hash that out when I have parts laid out in the garage.

 

[DOSS]

You would be surprised how fast it all adds up. The swap is only as nice as the sum of the parts and the design. My buddy John did a SAS about two years ago on his liberty and the price was right around $24,750 when it was all said and done and he could have easily spent another 10K on it. It all adds up real fast.

http://www.lostkjs.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=29709

your "buddy" other than the fact that he is trying to get a liberty to wheel like a raped ape.. sure liked to pay full price for everything off the shelf didn't he? I have seen quite a few SAS's done very high quality for under a grand

 

[rondo]

The only way a SAS is going to cost 24k is by dropping it off at a pro fab shop and having it done. No offense intended to pro fab shops that are legit and do great work.

On the other end of the spectrum i spend some time on a nissan forum where this dude swears he did the SAS on his frontier for less than (oh hard to remember exactly) like $800 which i and many others say BS to. Is it impossible? It's possible i suppose, but it doesn't mean its done right.

when i started the dana 60 swap in my frontier i swore up and down that this would be done on the cheap (relatively speaking). I sold a lot of the old stuff and made about 3K and now i'll be 6k when i'm done. But done right means replacing every lug nut, stud, seal, bearing, new parts instead of taking a chance with old worn out stuff like tie rods, buying a few specialty tools, disposables like grinding wheels, blah blah blah.

hope that's not a postjack but cost is important. what is the budget then for this SAS?

 

[Bucking Bronco]

You would be surprised how fast it all adds up. The swap is only as nice as the sum of the parts and the design. My buddy John did a SAS about two years ago on his liberty and the price was right around $24,750 when it was all said and done and he could have easily spent another 10K on it. It all adds up real fast.

http://www.lostkjs.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=29709

I call BS. And I have done the swap before. The only way he spent that is with new axles front and rear, Locked up re-geared, lifted, tires, wheels and probably much more.

Using High quality parts you should only spend around $1000-1300 on actual parts for the SAS components.

Sure you can spend a lot on an axle itself and if you are replacing the rear it adds up fast but I would not consider the rear part of a SAS

 

[STAG]

You would be surprised how fast it all adds up. The swap is only as nice as the sum of the parts and the design. My buddy John did a SAS about two years ago on his liberty and the price was right around $24,750 when it was all said and done and he could have easily spent another 10K on it. It all adds up real fast.

http://www.lostkjs.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=29709

NOBODY who isn't insane would pay $1800 for an XJ HPD30. I gave mine away for technically $80 as I traded it for some 1ton brake rotors.

 

[phatfoto]

Got my XJ HP D30 for free... So its not stuffed with top shelf goodies. And I'll probably break the two piece 260 jonted shaft. Those parts are cheap.

My budget is less than $500...

 

[spencevans]

He said the budget was the SAS was $300-400. I said "that is just not going to cut it" but several members insist on arguing. I spent that much on one coilover. I personally will be into the 5 figure range for my front end alone because of highend components and tcase issues. Sure I could have saved money here and there but I wanted all brand new parts.

Sure it can be done on the cheap, but I would say $2000 is more realistic for a cheap SAS. What phatfoto did with his Ranger is is awsome but he was very patient and to some degree lucky with acquiring parts.

The only way a SAS is going to cost 24k is by dropping it off at a pro fab shop and having it done. No offense intended to pro fab shops that are legit and do great work.

On the other end of the spectrum i spend some time on a nissan forum where this dude swears he did the SAS on his frontier for less than (oh hard to remember exactly) like $800 which i and many others say BS to. Is it impossible? It's possible i suppose, but it doesn't mean its done right.

when i started the dana 60 swap in my frontier i swore up and down that this would be done on the cheap (relatively speaking). I sold a lot of the old stuff and made about 3K and now i'll be 6k when i'm done. But done right means replacing every lug nut, stud, seal, bearing, new parts instead of taking a chance with old worn out stuff like tie rods, buying a few specialty tools, disposables like grinding wheels, blah blah blah.

hope that's not a postjack but cost is important. what is the budget then for this SAS?