8 Lug Swap
Of course I've always wanted to step up to 8 lug running gear, but lack of money was always the deciding factor. And besides, my 5 lug parts
have been pretty reliable for what I have been doing.
Well, that all just changed! Due to a few loose ring gear bolts in the front axle, I now have some repairs to do.
Seems easy, right? Just get a new ring & pinion and throw it in? Wrong!
For the past few months, my buddy Doug had been considering selling his Bronco. He new that I have always wanted to run the same
axles as him, so he offered to trade me his axles for my axles before he got rid or it. Here is a picture of our trucks:
So, the plan is:
He will get my my 5 lug D44 knuckles and brakes, 8.8 (w/Yukon shafts and ARB locker), and 35x12.5x15 KMR's on 15x8 steel wheels with
Klune-V RAD's. I will also buy him a 4.56 ring and pinion to match the 8.8, and both will go into his Ranger that he is building up.
I will get his 8 lug D44 knuckles and brakes, 14 bolt axle, 36x13.5x16 Irok's on 16x8 steel wheels. I will go to 5.13 gears, get an
ARB for the 14 bolt, and a new set of Klune-V RAD's.
This is currently a work in progress.
All stripped down.
All stripped down. Just the caliper left
All stripped down. Just the caliper left
We decided to pull the axle and work indoors.
We decided to pull the axle and work indoors.
We decided to pull the axle and work indoors.
I got the 5 lug knuckles, brakes and 35's onto Doug's D44,
and he got the 5.13's and ARB installed in the 14 bolt.
The weather wasn't co-operating, but we made due.
8 lug knuckles and brakes on my 5 lug axle.
8 lug knuckles and brakes on my 5 lug axle.
The weather wasn't co-operating, but we made due.
Front all done. I love the look of the 36" Irok's.
Front all done.
Front all done.
Front all done.
I installed a short leaf to the pack's to level the rear and try
and bring the pinion down. Still need to lower the pinion.
Sitting level.
Update: June 17/08
When doing the 8 lug swap, instead of swapping driveshafts, we swapped the slip yokes only. I wanted to carry a spare u-joint, and Doug couldn't
recall what number he used, so I went to the local parts store and found that a Precision #448 (1330 to 1350 conversion joint) was what I needed.
Well, I was replacing all my u-joints the other day, and found that the #448 was to wide across the small caps. After some research, I found that I
actually had a 1310 slip yoke, and needed a #348 (1310 to 1350 conversion joint). I'm not sure what the slip yoke came out of, as he went to a
local wrecking yard and sifted through piles of driveshafts until he found what he needed. He thinks it might be from a pre 80's F-150.
| 1310 to 1330 |
Spicer |
5-134x |
| Dana |
DAN5134x |
|
| 1310 to 1350 | Precision |
348 |
| Spicer |
5-460x |
|
| Rockford |
K460 |
|
| Neapco |
3-3140 |
|
| 1330 to 1350 |
Precision |
448 |
| Spicer |
5-648x |
|
| Rockford |
K648 |
http://www.snort4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19008
I made this chart to show what u-joint #s I am using.
April 6/09
I've had a lot of enquiries on how far the spring perches were moved, so I contacted my buddy that I got the 14-bolt from, and
he said that he moved the perches about 1.5" outward. Here are a few pictures that I took which show where they sit:
The outside edge of the perch is just about 3" from the backside of the axle flange.
You can see the marks left by the original u-bolts