Ok here it goes....

Im considering an SAS...I have do it to my Pathfinder so I know the amount of dedication and skill it takes.

Now, My Ranger is a 99 with IFS in the front as you all know...Now what I wanna do is cut all that out remove the t-bars and replace the IFS front end with coil buckets. As if it was a 96 or 97 with the ttb, But I would move it 3.5-4.5 inches forward so I could run 33's with out crunching the back of the wheel well. The axle would be a Built Dana 30 with 4:10 gears to match my rear. The springs would be from a jeep lift, The steering parts can be stolen from both Ford and Jeep.

I do realize that the dana 30 is not the strongest of axles and not the best choice but it is a start and I do belive it is worth a shot. The truck will ride much better with coil vs leave. I do alot of highway when not offroad. The pathfinder had a danna 44 with leave over axle and rode like complete $hit, so I wanaa experiment a little bit here and try a Dana 30 with coils in a ranger.

A buddy and I are doing a dana 30 in his truck next week It is a 93 ranger, All we have to do is drop the TTB and fab the links and soem steering, as we made the plans for his, this is where I got the idea for mine.

So what do you all think?

Justin

 

why a Dana 30 ?why not get a Dana 44? I think your going to regret a Dana 30 later down the road.

 

good luck moving it forward that far and making a steering box work.

also i dont know too many that have used a ford or jeep steering box. you gotta mount a box on the outside of the frame rail.

Also you cant go too low or there just isnt room and no up travel. not to mention the coils are too narrow on the D30 so they need some room to bow out around the frame rail.

 

Hey Beard,
I have a cherokee steering box and I know where I can get an F350 steering box.
With the coils, I was going to use jeep lift coils and make sothing like this
http://

 

heres a pic of my truck
99 ex cab stepside 3.0l 31x11.5x15mts

 

i still dont get why a dana 30

 

bc I have one...and I have unlimited parts available for it, It already has my gearing in it, PLus i want to truck to be road worth, as in daily highway for school, typically about 97 miles a day.

 

Haha, thats MY truck! lol.

And yes, that is a Cherokee dana 30 under the front. I am running an auburn ECTED locker and 4.56 gears, with stock shafts and 35" BFG KM2s, no problems yet. Now, I am aware that this is the weak link in my drive train, so I wheel it with that in mind. However, in the 30's defense, a buddy of mine has the same axle in his cherokee with the same tires, but with a loc-rite instead of the auburn, and he broke it... but the 760x u joint failed first. That is the same joint used in the Dana 44. So the weak link in this case would be the same as the 44. I like my setup, we moved the axle forward 2.5 inches to avoid tire contact in the fender well, and just trimmed the bumper accordingly. And, Im not sure about the IFS trucks, but on a TTb, the coild bucket to coil bucket center line width is EXACTLY the same a s a Jeeps, so the coils line right up. But, like in that pick above, you will have to modify the Ford buckets to work with the Jeep springs (or you can modify the axle to accept Ford Springs). All in all, I am extremely happy with how my swap turned out, other than it being a little softer (due to the Softer rate Jeep springs) it drives as good if not better than stock. Oh, and the off road performance is a million times better than that of the TTB, so imagine the improvement you would see over the IFS, but that will be with any SAS, not just a 30.

 

I have a freind with an 88 cherokee and a 8in long arm with the dana 30 running 36in tsl no problems and he rock crawles with its so, As long as I i am aware that i only havea 30 under ther I should be fine.

 

05prerunner, Which Springs did you use the 6in rubicons or the 4's...Im thinks the 6's, and match the rear with block, aal, shackle.

 

I am running 4.5" Rubi Express TJ springs with a 2" puck. I want to ditch the puck though and go with a 4.5 Grand Cherokee spring. By the way, I would try to get some shafts with the larger 760X joint. You didn't mention the year of your axle, so I am guessing it it probably the smaller one since they are more common.

 

agreed,i have been down that road,maybe some research and alot of questions will help you

 

I am currently looking for more steering parts today...I will be traveling from junk yard to junk yard...and making calls to friends with junk trucks and buying selling trading, so Im offically starting my SAS today with buying parts. Ill be back later with my finds.

 

Let us know what you pick up. Just FYI, some early Chevys had the box mounted on the ouside of the frame, as well as a few of the late model large vans (I think a G series???) The truck's pitman arm faces backward and the van's forward. They are both Saginaw boxes, which Ford has used before, so you aren't technically putting chevy parts on it lol.

 

Are you serious? Who cares what its out of.

 

Of all the **** I've pulled off and replaced, not much ford has gone back on.

 

Ok I have

A Built/Complete Dana 30 With 4:10 gears to match my rear
Coils Buckets from a 96 ranger that will be modded, Im looking for buckets from a wrangler
Jeep steering box
lots of steel
spring break coming
headache
shackles
aal
block


need
Rubicon express springs
misc steering parts
advil
exstension cord for my welder...so I can work in the outside in the sun during spring break.
rods for the arc welder, my mig/tig is all set
bigger tires, not gunna worry about that till im done
new serp belt, 3.slow squeek.

 

define built d30? it sounds like you have a stock axle. And why not go with a D44? Your probably gonna swap one in eventually. Do you really want yours looking like this? He's only running 33s..



and why not run an IFS Toyota steering box like everyone else? Or do you really want the box on the inside of the frame?

you don't need to move the axle up 4.5".. I think my axle ended up maybe an inch forward and i can still fit 35s w/o an issue (before i put the bump stops on)

 

Im goin on a lift later to a my buddys house to do some measuring and a little more planning, since he's working with me, Thanks for the sugggestion on the yota box.
My 4.5 came outta prerunners build, as a refrence point for a mock up.

The ring and pinion in those pic is exactly what my rear looked like about 3 weeks ago.
the dana 30 has
4340 shafts
spicer 1 piece joints
warn manual hubs
superior gears

 

I have been basically saying the same thing about the 44 but i don't get why you need to move the axle at all (im still learning too) because if the center of the spindle is the same place as the TTB spindle how are you going to have tire problems? or are you moving it forward so you can fit a bigger tire with less lift?

 

Forward For a bigger tire, with less lift, The main reason for not running the 44 is I have already have the 30 and I want ride quality of coils, I already SAS'ed the Pathfinder, with the d44 and leaves, rode like $hit, The coils and the d30, should ride better then the stock cranked t-bar setup, and with running over 90 miles a day I want ride quality....when wheeling the truck, I dont hammer on it. I go easy but would liek eth added perfomance of the sas, 05prerunner hasnt had any problems with his. So im gunna try it.

 

you can run coils on a 44. im getting one out of a early bronco when i do mine. but if you already have the parts why not go for it

 

thats why im using the d30...I already have it...My freind has an 87 cheerokee with 8in long arm and 36x13.5 tsl's and a d30 up front its been that way for about 3 years now...hasnt has a axle probelm yet...and he beats the hell out of it.

 

what size tires are you planning on running..

if your going to run a size where regearing would be ideal id go ahead and regear now its easier then after its installed and theres bars going everywhere...IMO

 

Im running most likely 35's with 4:10's, The rear 8.8 is a possi trac and the d30 is lsd.