build thread from the wind tunnel

[Gunnibronco]

A pic and a video from today.

It's hard to tell but the 2nd step is about 4' tall. Mo's Jeep is pretty sweet, coil overs, linked, Rock Jock 60 front, Currie 60 rear. I didn't even try this. Waiting for a front locker to push any further than I've already pushed.

KIMG0099.JPG

https://youtu.be/GaAIxv_6FkM

[Jesus_man]

Sorry to hear about the breakage. Does the frame appear thin there from rust or just the picture?? Some nice plates will fix that right up. What damage is to the shock?

The obstacle looks like a blast!

[Gunnibronco]

I don't think the frame is thin. It was just a lot of leverage hanging away from the frame far enough to mount the shock in the wheel well.

No damage to the shock, fortunately.

I'll try to fill the holes with new metal. I'll add some large angle iron that will wrap under the frame and add some gussets to the shock mounts. I knew I should have at least added the gussets when I installed the shock mounts, but it never got done.

That obstacle was impressive. The video doesn't do it justice.

[Justin]

Love my air bumps. Do it.

[Kinder]

Willem recently had the front shock mounts do the same to his frame, we put in aftermarket hoops that tie into the spring tower and then at two points on the frame, I hope they hold.

[dbasile]

Just caught up on your build! Awesome work!. My suspension set up is super similar to yours its flexes like mad! I was hoping to have made it to Rubicon this summer but work got in the way.....kinda why I am just now catching up on some reads.

I did step up to 40s on 79 f150 axles. I sheered both original front inner axles then replaced them with chromoly with super joints hoping my hubs were the fuse here, hubs are real easy to swap in the field. Then exploded an original rear axle took out the locker in the process. While attempting to get off the trail disintegrated a hub, my fuse worked. Upgraded the rear to a 35 spline. At this point, I think my axles will hold.

None the less, rig looks great!

[Gunnibronco]

Just caught up on your build! Awesome work!. My suspension set up is super similar to yours its flexes like mad! I was hoping to have made it to Rubicon this summer but work got in the way.....kinda why I am just now catching up on some reads.

I did step up to 40s on 79 f150 axles. I sheered both original front inner axles then replaced them with chromoly with super joints hoping my hubs were the fuse here, hubs are real easy to swap in the field. Then exploded an original rear axle took out the locker in the process. While attempting to get off the trail disintegrated a hub, my fuse worked. Upgraded the rear to a 35 spline. At this point, I think my axles will hold.

None the less, rig looks great!

Thanks, I'm really happy with how things turned out. I'm more than surprised how well it flexes for the home brew/low tech set up. Hopefully we can get a few rigs ready and built to come back and take on the Rubicon again soon. I'm planning to get through it before another CCB trip, the locals here make the run regularly.

Your experience of 40s on the 79 axles is surprising. Most the responses I got were either that 37s were too much, or right on the max for the D44. Since I need to buy a locker for the front (and really one for the rear), and regear I decided to go big and upgrade to a hi pinion 609. I already have the 60 outers and I'm going to sell my HPD44 hoard. I feel like if I break one or two major front end components I'll have as much money in a D44 as I would in a 609 that won't break and I can grow into. I'll upgrade the rear to a new locker (upgrade from a lunch box) and 35 spline axles.

I've been swamped with work and haven't finished what should have been a simple repair. I'm about 1/2 way done and will post up pics soon. In addition to poking away at other minor issues, I've decided to move my rear bump stops so I can reroute my exhaust. The floor is getting so hot it's already damaged the bedliner. I don't want to have to worry about what's on the floor above the pipe that runs between the frame and the floor. I have front hydro bumps back ordered, but I can't find a small enough bump stop to fit in the rear. So I'm going to stick with poly/rubber style bumps.

[Jesus_man]

I haven't had issues with my floor getting so hot, but my exhaust runs pretty close to a Johhny joint and after some time, it begins to squeek. I have wrapped that area with foil backed exhaust insulation, and while it may have helped, it wasn't the cure. It will still get too hot. My headers are wrapped with exhaust wrap sourced from some warehouse in Colorado Springs.

While rerouting your exhaust, it certainly wouldn't hurt to wrap it as well.

[Strike2]

I ran into the same issue when trying to run the exhaust on my 4 link, I also wrapped the exhaust in sensitive areas and then added these home made 0.106 aluminum heat shields to protect the links from heat and to help with the radiant heat on the floor board not sure how effective they are but couldn't hurt.

[phyler]

I ran into the same issue when trying to run the exhaust on my 4 link, I also wrapped the exhaust in sensitive areas and then added these home made 0.106 aluminum heat shields to protect the links from heat and to help with the radiant heat on the floor board not sure how effective they are but couldn't hurt.

I bet that does a lot. Mine has something like that from the factory where the stock muffler and cat go.

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[Gunnibronco]

Unfortunately there is NO space for heat shields where the exhaust passes between the floor and frame. I wrapped it in exhaust wrap and there is probably least than 1/8” clearance above and below. Remember I have no body lift. It needs to be rerouted. I have more wrap and will probably wrap everything once it's done especially up front near the motor. I don't know if I'll wrap the headers.

I did spray Al's HNR (Heat and Noise Reducer) before the bed liner. It's a bargain version of Lizard Skin but you get what you pay for and it didn't work miracles. With the hot summers here I'm seriously considering tube doors and removing the top next year.

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[Rox Crusher]

how is the axle build coming along?

[Gunnibronco]

how is the axle build coming along?

The short answer:
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

The long answer:
I've been doing a lot of reading and research. Jason/Crawlercreations has given me a lot of insight and advice on what he did and what he would do differently if he did it again. I'm getting closer to pulling the trigger, but there are still a few questions I have to answer.

Some of my delay is due to the Excel spreadsheet on my computer named "Axle Build". Once I 'put the pencil to paper' and actually added everything up it got a little . Despite the cost escalation I'm committed and have sold off a bunch of my HPD44 hoard to fund the build/buy.

The difficulty of trails here in NV/CA has made me reevaluate the future of my Bronco on many levels. I'm building axles I'll never need to replace, even if/when I jump to larger tires. It's a "buy once, cry once" situation. I wish I had the time/experience/confidence to assemble an axle myself, but I don't. So I'll be having a local guy assemble things or buy a crate axle from a vendor.

Right now it looks this way:

Front axle
Fab'd 9" housing, probably Trail Gear Rock Assault and local assembly
Gearworks HP 10" with 5.13 gears, ARB or Yukon Zip locker. True Hi-9s are out of stock till next year, and not much less expensive than the 10" from Gearworks. Jason said he wished he had gone this direction.
96 F350 balljoint knuckles/hubs with 2008 Dakota rotors and 3/4 Ton Chevy brake calipers.
I'll probably stick with stock 30 spline outer axle shafts and stock Ford D60 locking hubs. I'm looking into cutting/resplining the stock inners. If/when I jump to larger tires, I can upgrade to chromo axles/35 spline outers.

Because I need to regear and add a better locker to the rear (and I don't want to do it again):
Fab'd 9" housing-2 options right now Trail Gear and local assembly or a Fusion crate axle.
Gearworks LP 10"/5.13s/ARB or Zip locker and 35 spline axles.

With the Gearworks 10", 40 spline carriers and axles are available as future upgrades if I ever want to make the jump.

[Justin]

As long as you're hybridizing, are you going full float on the rear? The 14 bolt outers are bombproof and give a ton of flexibility.

[Jesus_man]

Sounds like a sick set of axles! That would boost confidence for sure!!

Is there a reason for the LP rear 3rd? Seems prices for HP are cheaper, but maybe that is until you start adding goodies?

If I had to choose one axle to HP, I think I'd go with the rear. The front can more easily steer around an obstacle, but the rear seems to be the one that gets hung up the hardest and most often.

Speaking of dragging over rocks, I added a small piece of plate at the bottom of my rear diff to try to protect the housing from further damage. A sacrificial plate of sorts.

[Gunnibronco]

As long as you're hybridizing, are you going full float on the rear? The 14 bolt outers are bombproof and give a ton of flexibility.

I'm figuring that out right now. Cost is an issue. And I'm getting tired of reading and figuring out how to cobble together all the pieces. (Hubs, brakes, lug pattern etc). Of course I just bought 5x5.5 beadlocks so going 8 lug is somewhat undesired at this time. If I had unlimited funds this would be easier lol.

Jason is running semi-float but 40 spline. He's also on bigger, sticky tires.

The local built Trail Gear rear option is a unit bearing full floating axle. The Fusion crate option is a semi float axle with Explorer brakes.

We shall see.

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[Gunnibronco]

The HP and LP 10" stuff is equally priced. I discussed it with Gearworks and even though the HP rear would probably never break I'm leaning towards the LP rear because it's running on the drive side of the gears. Strength over clearance.

I cant seem to bring myself to build an axle that runs on the "wrong" side of the gears. No matter how over built it might be.

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[Gunnibronco]

Some "bad" advice from a local friend and Summit Racing's Black Friday's deals have started the ball rolling. Living within driving distance of Summit is going to cost me a lot of money, I can tell.

9008.jpeg

I might be taking this on myself, or at least setting everything up myself.

Leaning towards a 14 bolt spindle/hub based rear full floating rear end.

[Gunnibronco]

Last 2 in stock in Sparks. 3.5" diameter w/ 3/8" wall

[Justin]

(Drools)

[Strike2]

Man those are sweet! and a nice clean start

[Gunnibronco]

I'm sort of amazed how small the diff is. Hard to believe a 10" gear is going to fit. Ground clearance, measured from centerline of axles to bottom of the pumpkin (about 5.5") is roughly the same or slightly better than the HP D44.

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[Jesus_man]

That is a thing of beauty! What does that housing weigh?

[Gunnibronco]

That is a thing of beauty! What does that housing weigh?

It's pretty in a way for sure.

I'm not sure what it weighs right now. It's like 75” long so a lot will get chopped off of course. I'll take a scale out to the shop and see what it weighs.

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[Gunnibronco]

Some more stuff has come in over the last couple days. My front polyurethane bump stops are already cracking and the rears need moved to relocate my exhaust so......

The Light Racing (now SPC) bumps are the ONLY air bumps that will fit where I need. I found them but couldn't justify the cost new. Luckily the next day I found a FB post with these for a screaming deal on a set. The seller got them with his truck in a box of "stuff", new never mounted. He probably could have asked 2x what I paid. Now I'm just waiting on the threaded upper mounts from Summit.

The KMC 3" bumps for the front just arrived after a bit of a back order.

[Gunnibronco]

Back to our regularly scheduled program (aka fix the damn shock mounts).

Patched the holes, bent some 3/16" plate brackets with my homemade break, and added some gussets and put the shocks into double shear. Left side is done, right side is 90% done, but ran out of wire.

[Rox Crusher]

Nice score on the bump stops, that was some great karma!

[Jesus_man]

Coming together!! Bump stops are sweet!

[Strike2]

Nice find! I will be following closely to see how you mount the front bump stops as its on my to so list.

[Digger]

Some more stuff has come in over the last couple days. My front polyurethane bump stops are already cracking and the rears need moved to relocate my exhaust so......

The Light Racing (now SPC) bumps are the ONLY air bumps that will fit where I need. I found them but couldn't justify the cost new. Luckily the next day I found a FB post with these for a screaming deal on a set. The seller got them with his truck in a box of "stuff", new never mounted. He probably could have asked 2x what I paid. Now I'm just waiting on the threaded upper mounts from Summit.

The KMC 3" bumps for the front just arrived after a bit of a back order.

Nice Score! Those JounceShocks still have the Light Racing older light racing logo. I rarely saw a JS that needed rebuilt, but SPC still sells the seal kits and spanner wrenches if you need them.