Found a guy that is willing to sell me his 1977 hp 44 and 9 inch out of a f150. My question is how hard is it to do this swap? I know i can cut off the c wedges and re weld them on, but how many inches do they need to be moved?

I used the 78/79 D44 front axle that has the c-wedges cast on, and cannot be moved, so I don't know for sure, but I think it is about 1.5" in each side. I'm basing that measurement on the James Duff upper spring buckets listed below. I read that you should plan on buying new c-wedges, its very hard to get them off in good condition & reuse them.

Or you can use long radius arms, and keep the wedges where they are. I haven't relocated my spring perches and my springs have a bow, and I'm loosing some lift because of it.

If you leave the wedges where they are there are a few solutions to the spring bow I have.

James Duff has these out now:
http://www.dufftuff.com/Full_Width_Offs ... p/5112.htm
to reposition the springs above the lower perches. I'm also hoping that Clint/Battlement Fab makes his new spring buckets in a wide version. I'm going to wait for his, because they will be adjustable and I seem to have Bronco ADD and keep changing things.

Or Colorado75bronc posted his sweet, simple way of moving the lower spring perch inwards on my axle swap thread, here (about 1/2 way down the 1st page):
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1178

Long tube headers, or exhaust tubing can interfere with the front driveshaft from the HP axle. Ask me how I know, check out my sweet BCB headers and new exhaust! But you get a nice driveline angle, and still keep your caster good.

I love my f/w axles and recommend them highly. Stronger, smoother ride, more stable, etc. You should do it so we can talk Clint into making a couple sets of the wide offset spring buckets! Front axle has larger u-joints than stock, and rears are 31 spline axles.

I am planning to do the same thing. I have been told that we are much better off moving the spring buckets out on the frame, not moving the wedges in. More stable that way. And thus, this is my plan. I have the cast wedges as well and keep thinking about building my own extended radius arms.... that is also a "wait and see" thing.

Ya I would suggest just buying the duff spring buckets, I relocated mine inward, and while it works fine, I would like the springs closer to the wheel as that gives them better control over the wheel, less bounce and more stable

thank you guys for the info very helpful! now to get my axle and get my bronco frame at least rolling

You may want to give Cliff @ Battlement Fab a call as well. He has some really trick looking adjustable spring mounts coming out.

Yeah, call and bug Clint. Hockeydad, you too. Lets light a fire under him and get his new wide mount spring perches into production.

3 sets should be worth the effort. And if Colorado75bronc wants a set that is 4!

Actually I'm not in a big hurry, but if he knows there is a market, it help get him interested.

I've already got some lined up through my buddy Chris Hefty with Heftyfabworks, he's gonna cut all the steel out for me so I can build some adjustable ones

You know what Gunni? - that is a great idea. I will give him a call later today! Like you, I am in no hurry but I still want a set.

Get away with the wedges when you have the chance. Weld on some nice axle brackets and re-make your radius arms and you'll be glad you did.

newb? Hardly! What I meant was, if you weld on axle brackets like Clint can supply (http://www.battlementfab.com/Radius-Arm-Kit_p_8.html), and make each radius arm look like a y-link, you open up so many opportunities to free up your suspension. You can adjust your caster, run all kinds of different suspension joints, etc. The wedges work great for keeping a rig stable on the road by controlling roll, but once you start talking full-width or offroad, you generally want that suspension to flex. If someone is talking about cutting off the wedges and re-welding them, there is no better time to just get rid of them all together.

The Cage/Bloody Knuckle arms I got also were available with a "weld on" option, instead of the c-wedge design (Jim said used mostly to install D60's). To do our 78/79 axles with weld on arms, you'd have to have the axles retubed. Clint recommended I talk to Crawler Tech in Denver to do the job. I'm not ready to drop a bunch more money into my axles so I can drop a bunch more money into new arms. LOL. If I hadn't already bought my arms, I might have followed that path. But then it would probably be worth just tracking down a set of '77 or earlier axles.

I really like Clint's arms, especially that they can adjust the caster by making the "upper" arm shorter or longer. I was able to get good caster just by swapping my bushings around a bit, so that came out ok. I can't speak to why the weld on design is better than the c-wedge design, but I agree that there is no reason to cut off the wedges and reuse them, if you are going to long arms. Clint did say that he could possibly make a weld on design for our 78/79 axle, but it would have to be welded by a certified welder because you'd be welding to the cast wedge assembly. I wouldn't hold my breath on that, it just doesn't seem like the best option, but maybe Clint can come up with something slick. I have too much money in my BKG arms to go changing everything right now. I'm interested in his upper spring buckets, and his rear springs. Maybe someday I'll reupgrade my arms, but it doesn't seem worth it right now. I'm super happy with the ride on & off road, as is.

Ok guys - I think I understand. I was asking for me personally. I am using full width, high pinion D-44 and 9" on my stretch. But I do not have any plans for any real extreme wheeling. Just normal trails, driving it to and from the trails, fishing and around town. Yes, she will get dirty and muddy and even earn some of those Colorado pinstripes... but running Carnage... I dont see the need. I am planning on 33" tires, maybeeeee even 35's. 3 1/2" lift.

So keeping her on the road traveling over Kenosha pass on the way to and from is more important than extreme flex off the paved roads. With that in mind, am I better off keeping the cast in place wedges that are already there?

This thread is truly a good one for my build. Thanks for the info gents!

I know you'll be happy with the f/w axles and a regular set of long arms. It has been done by a lot of guys and although there may be a more betterer option, its a really good set up. It made a night & day difference on my truck. Runs like a modern 4x4 down the highway. You can make it all work without extra major expense (except buying new arms- they aren't cheap) or sourcing a new front axle. I'm looking forward to fixing my spring bow soon, but other than that, I'm leaving it alone.

You can reach Jim Cole at jim@bloodyknucklegarage.com or go to Sexton Offroad, they sell BKG stuff. Jim was real helpfull giving advice (it was pre-CCB days for me), but not always quick to respond. The James Duff arms are his, but he builds his a little bigger and stronger than the ones JD is using.

Greg, in your case, I'd go with stock arms, or maybe extended stock arms. I gained a lot of body roll when I did this, which is something you won't want. I don't care for it either, but it was worth the flex I gained.

Chad - Not sure Duff's arms are stronger than mine, in fact, I think their weak point is the sheet metal heads at the axle. Otherwise, mine are also 2" .25wall DOM and don't have any bends in them.

Well I sent Jim an email, explaining my build plans to him, just to grab one more opinion. I have a set of stock arms already. I will use them for now just to get the axle under the frame and make a decision about the extended / modified arms at a later date as I learn more and more about what I might need.

Thanks again for all your info - it is truly appreciated!