Not Another CTOR Build

[CheapThrillB2]

I dont blame you. you going to get chromoly shafts?

as soon as i can afford it

 

[Nehring13]

how long did this whole project take you start to finish?

 

[CheapThrillB2]

the monday after fathers day 2007 (mid june)

and here it was Sept. 14 2007

all the build pics i took
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/cheapthrillb2/Project B2/?start=0

 

[CheapThrillB2]

anybody quess whos truck body i am on top of?

 

[CheapThrillB2]

and the owner of Chester (what has now become the "Explanger")

 

[compleckz]

:icon_thumby:

 

[CheapThrillB2]

got all my shafts fixed, and took it out to a mud bog sunday, it did pretty well. But i broke the pedal assmbly bracket where the column mounts to it so now my column is loose. Have to hit up the u pull it yards soon to get another

 

[CheapThrillB2]

well i attended Bear Swamp with the B2 to see how it would handle the nasty mud compared to how my explorer did. And i have to admit the B2 did alot better then the explorer. Its was probably the extra ground clearance the D44 gives me over the D35. And the power have with this 4.0L vs the old 4.0L from the explorer. But i did find a series of ruts that slammed me pretty hard and i ended up breaking the pedal assm bracket cause the steering column attachs to this bracket so now my column is loose. Heres a picture of me stuck rigth after i broke the bracket.

 

[CheapThrillB2]

i think i may try some XJ coils, my EB coils are just not soft enough, the ride is good and it handles pretty decent. But i have no real flex int he front. The rear of the truck flex's awesome but i really do not even compress the spring at all in the frt.

 

[351ranger]

Yeah, some softer coils might help ya out. You could always try a wristed arm to. I got lucky with my coils. They are from an eb frame that I bought with the axles on it. Just threw them on my b2 and they work great. Especially when I put my bumper on the front with the winch, the extra weight helped out alot. Looking good.

 

[CheapThrillB2]

buddy of mine stores his B2 at my house and has the 7.5+ Rusty's XJ coils, i may steel them for a day and see what they are like. That way i have no money investment if i do not like them. But if i do then i'll buy them and sell me EB coils and make a dual shock set-up for the front.

 

[CheapThrillB2]

 

[CheapThrillB2]

well i took some measurements and the XJ coils installed in my buddies B2 are at approx 15" installed height and my EB coils are at 18.5" installed height (mine has a heavy frt bumper, 4.0L and winch---his is 2.9L and stock bumper)

i guess i'll call BG tomorrow and try and get a spring rate spec so i know where to go from here. If i get out of work early enough tomorrow i may pull a coil out and see what my flex range is without the coil to get an idea how much i can get with the radius arms at the length they are now

 

[CopyKat]

John you running a wristed arm? You may be having the same problem Dirtraider is having.

 

[CheapThrillB2]

no i am not, both arms are pretty much stock.

people are saying run ext arms etc....but my arms are already out to my tranny crossmember (i have the M5ORD) i really don't wanna run much longer arms. Honestly wouldn't going past the crossmember be a little much?

 

[4x4junkie]

no i am not, both arms are pretty much stock.

people are saying run ext arms etc....but my arms are already out to my tranny crossmember (i have the M5ORD) i really don't wanna run much longer arms. Honestly wouldn't going past the crossmember be a little much?

The longer they are, the less binding (twist) you have in the axle C-bushings (remember the whole thing is trying to act like a big huge swaybar).

Wristing will free up the suspension fully, although it does lead to some odd brake dive characteristics if you have to stop hard.

 

[CheapThrillB2]

okay i measured my Radius arms, and from the center of the axle to the center of the bushings is 34 inches.

I also installed the the 8.5+ Rusty's XJ coils and flexed it up on a makeshift ramp and their was very little difference, at most maybe an inch more compression then with the EB coils. I was kinda surprized to see that the thickness of the coils (actually metal) was quite abit larger then that of the EB coils. And when i installed the XJ coils their was noly about a inch to maybe 1.5" of difference in height (lower then the EBG coils)

I will probably end up keeping my EB coils for now and change up my radius arm set-up and see what it does.

 

[CheapThrillB2]

carried my discussion from another thread here

I have the FM146 in my BII (same length as the M5OD).

My rear driveshaft is somewhere around 27-28" flange-flange (that's with the rearend shoved back almost 3" though).

I have the M50D.
As for my rear shaft I am also using an Explorer front shaft shortened. As for length I don’t know it off hand and my rig is not at my place. I do plan on trailering it back today so I could measure it for you.

i'm at 31 inches, but i think with the height and angle my driveshaft is at that if i shorten it any it will bind, as it sits now i'm surprized it doesn't. I guess i'll have to lower it, i have been thinking of dropping it a little so i could loose the 4" block in the rear.

Pinion angle is maxed out (lines up with the driveshaft) and I do not want to turn it up anymore being i am already concerned with the pinion bearing and lube. And i am using a Frt explorer shaft with the double joint already.

I'll have to take a pic to show the angle.

Junkie and Todd, with your B2s what trans are you using? I think Todd you have the mitsu? and Junkie i'm not sure. I built a doubler for my old sport, but i broke the inner shaft and have put it all in a box in the corner of the garage. But now that i have built myself a B2 i am thinking of pulling the doubler back out. but i have some concerns. I am runing the M50RD trans and an 8.8. I am using a frt explorer driveshaft shortened an inch. Its pretty short. My concern is with the added 6"s or so of the extra doubler length my shaft just can't take being shorter anymore. What lengths are your driveshaft in the rear. I think i may just be to tall of susp lift.

Sorry stumpy for the small misdirection of your thread

heres a pic of my rear axle, what do you guys think?

 

[zainyD]]

I think it's stinkin' dirty.....sorry, I had to.

 

[CheapThrillB2]

no thoughts on adding 6 inches to the tcase tranny and my driveshaft angle?