Mississippi-Mud Forums

As the title states i am finally making a dream into reality. My IFS has been acting up for over a year and I have finally collected most all of the parts to do this swap.
I will be using:
1979 d44 with 4.88 gears and a detriot locker
6 inch Skyjacker coils from my 90 model ranger
modified factory radius arms, extended and johnny joints on the rear instead of bushings.
and going to try to use my factory rack and pinion if not i will be using a steering box from a early model ranger
in the rear:
Ford 9" from the same year truck
4" blocks for now (eventually going to do a 4 link setup)
4.88s with a detroit locker
I will start posting pics when I start the tear down. I am also looking for some 6-7 inch lifted shocks for a ford truck. I hope to have the front complete in a couple of weeks then will move on to the rear. If anyone has a suggestions let me know.

sounds like a good project but the rack isn't going to work with a solid front axle. and also i'd advise not to use a 4" block. you will get terrible axle wrap since your going to all the trouble to do the axle swap you might as well move the spring to under the frame instead of on the side. that should give you several inches of lift and make it where you don't need blocks

Rangertoy Wrote:If anyone has a suggestions let me know.

Buy a Jeep.

redneck23ms Wrote:sounds like a good project but the rack isn't going to work with a solid front axle. and also i'd advise not to use a 4" block. you will get terrible axle wrap since your going to all the trouble to do the axle swap you might as well move the spring to under the frame instead of on the side. that should give you several inches of lift and make it where you don't need blocks

your right about the block but i am working with what I have right now, as soon as I get the rest of the material together for the rear its going to be 4 linked. Another problem with the rear is that I have to figure out how to put a tone ring and the pick up sensor on the 9 inch.

Can't you just leave the tone ring, etc. off?

Reserector Wrote:Can't you just leave the tone ring, etc. off?

I dont think so. From what I have read is that has something to do with the transmission as well as the ABS, but i have read that some guys have not had a problem without it, the ones that have had a problem say that it wont shift right and feels like the truck has no power

well after a couple more months of waiting i finally have parts, I have completely re-thought things. Instead of going with fullsize running gear I have decided to keep my 8.8 and using a d30 out of an XJ up front, the reason fot the d30 is that all the steering linkages on the d30 will fit up without modification. Plus its the same width as my rear end. Now I have some questions for anyone that knows their stuff about the d30 espeicially the vacuum disconnect. I am in need of a carrier and a 4.88 gear set for the d30, and an idea of how to build a long arm set up for it. I am almost finished tearing down the front end, about all thats left is to take the rack and pinion off and start cleaning up the frame.

the tone ring is for the speedo and abs is over rated i did away with mine when i did my swap!

what do you want to know about the vacuum disconnect? what type of suspension are you wanting to build?

I know some of the d30s had vacuum disconnect and some didn't, I dont think the one I have has is. Where would the cad be on the housing? I am planning on doing the suspension like it would be in a XJ.