9" housing strengthening recommondations?

[welndmn]

Re: 9" housing strengthening recommondations?

I don't have a cool linked bronco, so what do you do about the u-bolts? Leave a slot I assume?

Yup. On the jeep speed we did just slots in the truss.

[jamesroney]

Re: 9" housing strengthening recommondations?

Just finished strengthening my 9 inch housing. Cost $60 for the housing from pick-n-pull. Couple of BB billet ends, and 35 spline Explorer disc kit. Hope I don't bend this one...

[welndmn]

Re: 9" housing strengthening recommondations?

That's not a 9 inch...
Looks like an 8.8.

[Daddy4zack]

Re: 9" housing strengthening recommondations?

Saw that i thought it was a Dana 44..

[Efibroncoman]

Re: 9" housing strengthening recommondations?

Just finished strengthening my 9 inch housing. Cost $60 for the housing from pick-n-pull. Couple of BB billet ends, and 35 spline Explorer disc kit. Hope I don't bend this one...

Why would you put 35 spline axles in an 8.8" or a Dana 44. You'd probably break the ring and pinion long before breaking hardened 31 spline axles...

[DirtDonk]

Re: 9" housing strengthening recommondations?

Didn't see a smiley-face, but maybe James meant that the way he "strengthened his 9" housing" was by buying a Dana 60 instead?
Might not be it, and at just $80 bucks, it doesn't quite compute. But the thought crossed my mind and satisfies my need to make sense out of that pic.

Paul

[jamesroney]

Re: 9" housing strengthening recommondations?

Good Eyes, DirtDonk...The axle housing is from a 1990's E350, and it is a Dana 60. The ring gear is 9-3/4. It did cost $60 as an empty housing. I narrowed it for a 59 inch WMS.

The 35 spline axles in it are from Wild H, set-up with 9 inch outers. The explorer disc set up is also Wild H, but I got most of it from the same u-pull.

The 4.56 gears and the 35 spline ARB don't count, because you would need to buy gears and locker for your 9 inch anyway. I have a BB housing from a 77, but in order to run 35 spline axles, you need to buy a 3.25 bearing case. Only available aftermarket, and expensive.

I don't think you can find 31 spline axles for a D44, and 31 spline axles are inadequate for spinning 35 inch tires. The ARB for a 9 inch is unreliable unless you run over 150 psi line pressure. The Detroit is strong, but it drives like...well a detroit.

If you are upgrading your 9 inch, and you need a housing, gears, locker and axles...This may be a legitimate option. Next time I'll try for the smiley face!

[DirtDonk]

Re: 9" housing strengthening recommondations?

Hah! No smiley face needed to see the value of that deal!
Pretty good upgrade it sounds like. I've always liked the 9", and will continue to have good service out of mine, because I don't really pound on them that hard and my Bronco's weight and tire size are not overly excessive. At some point though, losing a smidgen of ground clearance sounds like a decent enough trade-off.

What about a True-Trac? Don't they make one for a 60? Or is that not aggressive enough for you? I've seen them to be pretty reliable even with semi-large tires.

Paul

[Efibroncoman]

Re: 9" housing strengthening recommondations?

Is 150 psi really needed for a 9" ARB? I always heard they recommended 90-100 psi. I did the 35 spline/ARB/ 3.25" case build on my FW 9" and it's was definitely pricey. But I really like the 9" and wanted to keep it! Getting my FW axles for free kinda offsets the price!

[jamesroney]

Re: 9" housing strengthening recommondations?

efibroncoman, if you are a casual wheeler, and you have the good sense to shift your ARB to before you need it...then you will be perfectly happy with your RD-99. If you are in a spot where you already have one wheel spinning, and the power is on...then when you shift the 9 inch ARB, it CAN fail to engage. The ARB in the 60 uses a much larger piston, and bigger locking ring. So you can hit them harder.

I also had a 9 inch with the 35 spline axles, and ARB. Loved the ground clearance for the banjo, but hated the low driveshaft.

Paul, the true trac is not aggressive enough for my rock rig, although a lot of people run them and like them on the street. I'm actuallly replacing another 31 spline traction-lok carrier for a customer this week with a blown hat...so I won't do that. I'm already running twin 60's with ARB's in my 72 bronco, but for my 68...I am on the fence for the rear. I have that extra 77 housing, and 31 spline axles, and Wilwoods, so I might just run a Detroit. Or an ARB. But if I buy an ARB, I might as well go 35 spline...and buy axles...and then I'm back to another 60. Yikes...

[Efibroncoman]

Re: 9" housing strengthening recommondations?

Is that why Spidertrax sells a replacement locking collar for the RD-99? For those people who don't like to stop to engage their ARB...

[jamesroney]

Re: 9" housing strengthening recommondations?

EFIbroncoman,

Yep, that's exactly why they build their own locking cog. The lead in angle on the OEM ARB unit is a compromise design that allows for easy shifting. Unfortunately, once they slip on the cog...they get worse pretty quickly.

The last RD-99 I worked on actually looked very clean inside, (no broken bits) but slipped under load in a Toyota Hi-Lux running two doublers, 38's and 80 psi. Turns out that the locking cog could not fully engage the spider, and ran on the chamfered portion of the cog. That particular unit was not abused, (or switched under load) and the driver stopped as soon as the slipping began. In two wheel drive, with one wheel in the air, he could get it to slip easily. (clunk, clunk, clunk...)

The Spidertrax unit would have fixed it...

[Efibroncoman]

Re: 9" housing strengthening recommondations?

EFIbroncoman,

Yep, that's exactly why they build their own locking cog. The lead in angle on the OEM ARB unit is a compromise design that allows for easy shifting. Unfortunately, once they slip on the cog...they get worse pretty quickly.

The last RD-99 I worked on actually looked very clean inside, (no broken bits) but slipped under load in a Toyota Hi-Lux running two doublers, 38's and 80 psi. Turns out that the locking cog could not fully engage the spider, and ran on the chamfered portion of the cog. That particular unit was not abused, (or switched under load) and the driver stopped as soon as the slipping began. In two wheel drive, with one wheel in the air, he could get it to slip easily. (clunk, clunk, clunk...)

The Spidertrax unit would have fixed it...

Okay, good to know...