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Ranger Dana 44 - Project TrailRunner

Posted in How To on March 1, 2008

Ranger Dana 44 - Project TrailRunner

Kevin Blumer Contributor

ranger Dana 44 Knuckle Project Trailrunner exterior View Main Photo 8242379

When we left off last time, we were in the throes of trying to figure out the correct way to mount a Dana 44 knuckle from a full-sized Bronco or F-150 onto the 4x4 Twin Traction Beam housings of its younger, lighter-weight sibling, the Ranger. We had read reports on the internet that such a swap was a "bolt-on." Don't believe it! Although it's not rocket science by any stretch, it's not impossible. Here's what we came up with thus far...

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We called on our hammer and brass drift to get the old cruddy pivot bushings out of the Traction Beam bores.

A&B Don't get anxious and install the new ball joints in the wrong order. Lower joint first, upper second.

Sometimes, you can fake not having the correct tools, and then there are times like this. If you don't own one, many parts stores will rent out a ball joint press. Yeah, we've got a messy garage.

We were hoping to use larger knuckle-to-spindle bolts, but there wasn't enough material around the holes on either the knuckle or the spindle to allow for larger fasteners, so we simply replaced the studs with fresh factory pieces from Board Ford.

Done. It's worth noting that the ball joint boots are like gold; we couldn't find a boot by itself, so the only way to get a fresh set of boots was to buy a complete set of ball joints. Granted, the ball joints themselves needed replacing. We'll be saving these boots for spares when we replace the ball joints next time.

The knuckle is ready for the next step: mounting the spindle. While replacing ball joints and spindle studs isn't overly exciting, if these parts fail, we'll be walking a long way in search of a flatbed tow truck.

The factory spindle configuration sandwiches a dust shield between the knuckle and spindle. The dust shields are only slightly more robust than a Coke can; sure to die a quick off-road death. We picked up a pair from a wrecking yard and snipped the centers out, then mounted the dust shield centers in the correct location between the knuckle and spindle.

Chromoly tubing work hardens, which means it gets harder as it is cut or shaped. We had to use a grinding tip to scratch past the work hardened surface we'd created and then take another bite with our tapered reamer.

Another advantage of the reverse spiral design: the reamer can successfully cross small gaps without snagging. After the alignment cams were successfully modified, we bolted the knuckles successfully to the beams, but neglected to snap a photo. To make up for it, we'll include several detailed shots next time. Sorry about that!

Side by side with a straight-flute reamer, the advantages of the Speedway reamer are more apparent. The straight-flute reamer has a four-sided shank and is not meant to be chucked into a drill; hand turning is the only option. Cutting oil is a must with either reamer.

After reaming the Dana 44 taper into the modified Dana 35 alignment cam, we re-cut the slot into the alignment cam. The slot allows the ball joint to press into the alignment cam further for a more positive fit.

Here's one of the reasons the extra trouble will be worth it. The F-150 brakes and wheel bearings are much more robust than the Ranger items. We used a brass drift to knock the new wheel bearing races into place without damage. Brass is soft and non-sparking, making it ideal for a variety of punch-style tasks when working on a truck.

The McNeil radius arm pivot brackets bolt to existing holes in the frame rails. A boxed, dimple-died tranny crossmember spans the distance between the 'rails and ties the pivot brackets together. It's clean and simple, but we can't leave well enough alone on our Ranger. For better handling and weight distribution, we're planning to shift the cab and engine a few inches rearward on the chassis, so we'll be relocating the tranny crossmember. We'll still tie the pivot brackets and crossmember together to retain the strength of the McNeil design. After eons of setting up shop and rounding up parts, it's good to finally be installing something on this truck.

Many common ball joints use a 7-degree taper, which is also expressed as 1-1/2 inches of taper per foot. Speedway Motors had the reamer we needed for the task. Its three-sided shank meant that it fit perfectly in our half-inch drill chuck, and the reverse spiral flute pattern means smooth, controlled cutting. The cutting edge of the reamer still cuts in the clockwise direction, but the spiral pattern is reversed. That way, the reamer is not trying to pull itself into the material as the reamer is rotated.

To mate the Dana 44 outers successfully with the Dana 35 Twin Traction Beams, we decided to modify a pair of Ranger alignment cams. We started by enlarging the alignment cams' bore enough to slip a short length of 7/8" x .065 chromoly tubing inside. We then TIG welded the tubes into place in the alignment cams. The Ranger alignment cams' bores are non-tapered, while the shank of the Dana 44 upper ball joint has a taper; we'll ream the F-150 ball-joint taper into the welded sleeve. In this instance, we chose to use 4130 chromoly because it is seamless, not because of its strength characteristics. In the end, we decided that the 4130 was the wrong material. Its hardness dulled our cutting tools, and cost a lot of extra time. DOM tubing would have been the way to go. The Drawn Over Mandrel manufacturing process means that the seam is flattened. There's nothing like 20/20 hindsight.

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