Narrowing a D44

[redfishtony]

OK, I have removed the C from the long side of the axle and now I need to know what the measurement is from the end of the tube to where i need to cut. Can anyone tell me what the measurement is from the edge of the pumpkin to the end of the tube. How much tube should I have left after I cut. Thanks just want to measure twice cut once.

Also what is WHS that I see referred to?

 

[thegreatjustino]

A full size front end is 6" longer on the passenger side than an EB front end. Remove the 6" and you'll be at EB width.

WHS? I've heard WMS which is wheel mounting surface.

 

[1sicbronconut]

Google is your friend http://d44tech.com/Narrowing_HP_D44.html

 

[suckerpunched]

I have not done this but have been considering it. I have a full width high pinion 44 and need a standard Bronco width 44 for my next project. I don't really want the HP though. If I did it, I would measure the difference between the original axle and the new one I was going to use and remove that amount from the tube.

 

[doran4x]

As long as you are cutting the axle down, order the WAH from BC Broncos. It improves articulation with stock radius arms.

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[SteveL]

As long as you are cutting the axle down, order the WAH from BC Broncos. It improves articulation with stock radius arms.

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Good option

 

[markw]

WAH, an interesting piece of engineering. Can someone do a write up on it? There isn't much on the BCB site.

 

[thegreatjustino]

WAH, an interesting piece of engineering. Can someone do a write up on it? There isn't much on the BCB site.

https://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27717

 

[markw]

Thanks Justin!


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[thegreatjustino]

Thanks Justin!

Unfortunately the thread is so old, none of the pictures show up, the links are dead, and the quotes aren't working correctly. May not be as much help as I'd hoped.

 

[doran4x]

Try this link


https://classicbroncos.com/wristedaxle.shtml


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[Broncobowsher]

Probably would have been better to have learned about the wristed axle housing before cutting the Cs off the tube.

When that wristed axle housing was released it was a hit for many years. I have not heard much about it in the past 5 years or so. I think too many people are afraid to run nice trucks on trails that are hard enough to use the wristed housing and a lot more people are looking to make broncos more street friendly.

 

[doran4x]

Probably would have been better to have learned about the wristed axle housing before cutting the Cs off the tube.

When that wristed axle housing was released it was a hit for many years. I have not heard much about it in the past 5 years or so. I think too many people are afraid to run nice trucks on trails that are hard enough to use the wristed housing and a lot more people are looking to make broncos more street friendly.

I would say it is one of the best modifications I have done to my truck. Street manners are fantastic and off-road it does what it is designed to do.


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[Apogee]

I have long-arms on my EB, and considered the WAH at the time as well, but wanted to see what the arms would give me by themselves. I figured I could always run both long-arms and a WAH if the arms alone didn't get me where I wanted to be articulation-wise, but they did, so I didn't.

That said, a WAH is a great way to free up the bind inherent to a radius arm suspension design, which is basically a high-stiffness sway bar in use. By not allowing the axle housing to transmit a moment through the housing, it becomes a zero rate sway bar in effect, and you can then use an actual anti-sway bar to tune the body roll of the vehicle where you want it.

 

[redfishtony]

OK I'm gonna ask, what does the WAH do exactly. In the pics SteveL posted the suspension looks awesome but the axle still looks straight to me. Does the WAH provide a bending point or what? The axles are still solid. Info please. Thanks, TW

 

[SteveL]

It allows the axle tube to rotate. Like the twisted arms you had to pin before the long arms were readily available.

 

[Nothing Special]

If I'm thinking about it right, instead of both radius arms holding the axle tight, only one does, while the other lets it rotate freely. That way the axle is still held in place (to avoid screwing up the caster and wrecking the front driveshaft), but it doesn't act as an anti-sway bar when one radius arm tries to twist it one way while the other twists it the other way.

edit: Sorry, I was thinking of a wristed radius arm. See Apogee's post below

 

[Apogee]

OK I'm gonna ask, what does the WAH do exactly. In the pics SteveL posted the suspension looks awesome but the axle still looks straight to me. Does the WAH provide a bending point or what? The axles are still solid. Info please. Thanks, TW

You cut the axle housing tube on the passenger side and install a rotational slip joint. This allows the tube to "twist" between the radius arms while the driver's side radius arm maintains the sweep of the pinion angle. Each radius arm is still firmly attached to the wedges on each respective tube, so they take the drive and braking torques accordingly. The WAH slip joint is bushed and can take the bending moments transmitted by the housing, however it was definitely geared towards crawling and controlled articulation, so it's not something that I would probably put in a pre-runner or anything like that.

The WAH is a much better solution than a wristed radius arm design IMO, where you then only have one radius arm to control torque of the housing.

 

[redfishtony]

Apogee, Thanks for the clarification.