Want to know the truth about this swap...

[JeepsAndGuns]

I have a HD D-44 from the front of a 79 F-250 and the matching FF 60 rear. Someone told me that this fronend will (basicly) bolt right in. they said that the spring pearches on the axle are the same distance apart as the springs on the Jeep. Is this true? I know that it will be spring over, as that is my plan anyways. All I want to know is if the bolt in part is true. I would go with a 60 but they are just toooo expensive and hard to find (around here anyways) me and my dad had swaped out these axles in favor of a 60 front and 70 rear for his truck, then he sold it. So a few weeks ago I asked him what he was going to do with the old axles and he said nothing, Do you want them? I said heck yea. He's also gonna give me a NP-435/Np-205 combo from another 250 we junked out. Ahhhhhhh.....nothing like free parts :D :D

[River Beast]

the HD44 should be a bolt-in at 32.5" to center of perches...the 60 will most likely need the perches moved....

Y-pipe will have to be modified and your rear shaft may interfere with the tank on the 79 in your profile since you have a QT offset.

X-over steering will have to be done as well to have the draglink on top of the knuckle on the pass side.

I hope you wont be using blocks in the rear to level it from the SOA... ;) (PSSTT!! Link in Sig below.... shackle inversion smile.gif )

[scotty]

a friend of mine was running a narrow trac 44 in the front of his xj. he bolted a ford rev cut 60 in its place without modifying the axle perches or leaf spring mounts.

unless ford used different perch widths for 60s and 44s in f250s ;) it should bolt right in.

also there is this thing i use on occasion to check stuff out prior to making mods called a tape measure ;) tongue.gif take some measuremnts if you have the axles and the jeep in your posession

as RB said,bolting the axle in is the easy part. the work will be getting a safe steering system,making shockmounts,hooking up brakes,and drivesahft mods

[JeepsAndGuns]

Yea..I would have just measured it myself, but I am in AL, my Jeep is in OK waiting for me to pick it up (just purchased) and my axles are in VA at my dads house. I havent figured out a way to get my Jeep yet because it can't be driven (small engine fire) and all I have is a 93 wrangler (not the best tow rig for a FSJ. And not shure if I could fit those axles in it either...lol I need help. Anyone got a truck or somin that could haul a cherokee from OK to AL? Yea RB, a flip kit was in my plans for the rear. I'm just sitin around trying to figure stuff out while I'm tryin to figure more stuff out, If that makes any sense...
Thanks for your help.

[JeepsAndGuns]

Oh yea, forgot one thing. I want to have the flat top knuckles for the high clearance steering. Are the ones from a standard D-44 the same as the ones on the HD-44? If not, then where can I get one? And I heard about the rear shaft hitting the gas tank when switching to a centered rear diff. I know that some cherokees came with a D-20 t-case that has the centered output, Did they use diffrent gas tanks for the diffrent models? or what?

[ August 27, 2003, 08:21 PM: Message edited by: JeepsAndGuns ]

[scotty]

nope,the gas tanks are all the same,and even a d20 equipped rig had a slight offset to let the drivesahft clear the tank.

options would be to modify the tank,swap in a later model(80 and up) plastic tank,or swap in a tank elsewhere in the vehicle. my rig is a trail only,so ive got a small tank located in the bed,so i dont have to worry about it getting beat up on rocks,logs,etc.

RB is using a tank from a bronco that is a real slick install where the spare tire used to go,so you might want to explore that option,im sure he can give you some more specifics

on the knuckles,pretty much all of em up to a certain year will be flat tops. the HD will be the same as the non HD pieces. there will however,be some differences between ford and chevy/jeep 44s-mainly the ford having a 5 bolt pattern for the spindle,wich is a tad shorter. i cant remember off the top of my head if the wheelbearings are the same for ford/chevy.

if you find some chevy flat tops youll need to use the chevy knuckle and spindle. i am fairly certain the ford wheelbearings are the same as the "big bearing" chevy/jeep wheelbearings,so you should be able to use the ford 8 lug hub with the big bearing chevy spindle. i have heard of people using the ford stub with the chevy knuckle-out parts,but its just enuff shorter to prevent you from getting on the outer snap ring. if it were me,id prolly swap on the chevy stubshaft as well,and keep the ford ones for spares.

as for transporting your truck,ive just gotten my trailer into a useable state,so id be happy to help ya ifn you were closer-from ohio to OK to AL is a pretty long haul :(

[ August 28, 2003, 05:26 AM: Message edited by: scotty ]

[Bob Barry]

FWIW, I've got a pair of bare flat-top Chevy knuckles machined for the high-steer arm. I could even throw in a pair of spindles, and ship it to you. $160 for all.

[JeepsAndGuns]

What was offset to clear the tank? I guessing the rear diff was? What about this gas tank swap. What do I need to get the tank from? What do I need to do to mount it? Does it hold more, same, or less gas than the stock one?
Thanks for your offer BB, but I am pretty broke right now and not going to be doing the axle swap untill probably this winter or next spring...mabey sooner, who knows.

[bigun]

go to RB site every thing will be explained todd does good engineering