ok i'm sick of these trucks cheaply made front ends and i'm trying to decide whether i want to do a straight axel conversion or swap out the CVs for U joints tear out the torsion bar crap and put in coil springs. I'm a machinist so custom fabrication is not an issue to me and i'm not pressed for time so what do you all think?

 

I would do a SAS then it will be almost bullet proof

 

if you can use a torch or plasma cutter and can find a dana 60 you should be in bussiness

 

I would do a SAS converson, that would be sick.

Edit: I have been told that a mid 70 ford bronko has the same width axle and for servale years they came with dana 60. The axle is like 1in longer (from hub to hub) and the fram rails are the same width. I do not know how true this is but let use know how it goes.

 

definitaly solid axle that is the main thing i miss from my old cherokee is the solid front and rear axles i could hit any pot hole bump or obstical and never had to have the thing aligned and nothing ever broke. let us know how it goes if you decide to because i'd be real interested in hearing how it turns out.

 

I'd like to know a way of doing it also, as two steering racks, one power steering pump, one intermediate shaft, and now it sounds like something else is going, "they think it might be a ball joint", on an 04 with 37,000 miles is nuts. Especially on a truck that has never been off road. Chrysler engineers must have been on a bender when they designed this junk.

 

If your gonna do it, do a SAS. I am currently collecting parts to do mine. I am will be using 76-79 f250 axles. (dana 44 front/dana 60 rear)

only thing I havent decided yet is how to hang em....leaf springs like:

http://www.4x4wire.com/feature/99dakota/solidaxleswap/

or 4/5 link setup like:

http://thurenfabrication.com/arthursrig.html

There are bits and pieces of info out there on this change over.....there is also a guy in the world running a CTD and SAS in his dakota, very nice setup, alot of work. If I find the link I'll post it.

 

i don't know much about suspension but I would say the leaf spring set up looks more solid, and probably easier to fabricate up.

 

Excuse my ignorance, but what does SAS stand for?

Chris

 

solid axle swap i believe.


that's awsome!

a future project indeed