SquareD Part 5: The build continues and gets more aggressive

[Flyin6]

OK, paint is curing, no need to let any grass grow under my feet.

Here, I'm laying out the disconnecting sway bar project I am envisioning

That is a new 1.125" W250 aftermarket sway bar used in the formula 1 race trucks that swept the field of BMW's and Ferraris back in the day.

Well, maybe that isn't true, but it should have been!

Anyway, the concept of the operation here is to cut that sway bar into north and south pieces. Then have those big nuts welded to each end, then have them coupled together by the 1 7/16" socket. I plan to arrange the setup so that a largish spring pushes the socket over both nuts (Sway bar ends), coupling them. Then come up with some sort of lever that I can pull which would pull the socket off of the opposite end, uncoupling the bar and allowing obscene front spring articulation for off roading. Then let the lever go and recouple the bar for slot car handling on the race tracks when I' encounter a tougher than normal Porsche.

[Flyin6]

Looking at it now, I'm not sure the bar will survive using the inside mounting locations. That gives the bar a lot of bad leverage against the two links on either end...

Don't know

Have to think this through some more

Anyway that concludes build day 199

[JR]

I like the idea of the center (east-west) disconnect. No ends hanging loose to catch or line up.

How about just a piece of square tube doing the same thing? Same concept as you have with the bolts.

Use a spring to push 1 side onto the other for normal driving. For a disconnect just us a cable and pull back the sleeve hooking it back onto,,,,,,well thats easy! 

[Flyin6]

I like the idea of the center (east-west) disconnect. No ends hanging loose to catch or line up.

How about just a piece of square tube doing the same thing? Same concept as you have with the bolts.

Use a spring to push 1 side onto the other for normal driving. For a disconnect just us a cable and pull back the sleeve hooking it back onto,,,,,,well thats easy! 

Was (Am) considering that, but instead of tubing, using 3/4" or 1" drive extension. Just saw off either end and there you go.

But 6 mating surfaces makes alignment easier (Less movement) and stronger. I am still looking at stuff around that concept/size. I wanted something like a 30 spline with coupling like that on the end of those Dana 60 stub axles. I wonder if there is a 30 spline female adapter anywhere out there?

[ce_tx]

Man you are making some great progress on your build.  I'm interested to see how your sway bar comes out.  I'm going to have to do something different on my front one as well.

[Flyin6]

Man you are making some great progress on your build.  I'm interested to see how your sway bar comes out.  I'm going to have to do something different on my front one as well.

I have been playing with the Sway bar thing. Getting a stout coupling and getting either half well anchored will be key to getting it to work. So far I have looked at welding on nuts, 3/4" extensions, a 30 spline end from an axle shaft, and a 10 spline PTO shaft from a tractor. Not happy with anything yet...so I'm still in trial and error. The shop building the axle says Monday is the day, so Tuesday-Wednesday that thing gets reassembled and tucked back under Square D
Goal is that huge chunk of Iron sitting back in the frame rails before I go under the knife, day after Christmas.

[Sammconn]

There is also the more numerous splined 1000 rpm PTO shaft that may be on the Deere. I'm not sure if there is a source for both halves though. Give a lot more leeway than the 10 spline 540 RPM. I want to say it's something in the 30 or so spline range.

[ce_tx]

On the sway bar I've thought about trying to use one of these.

https://polyperformance.com/shop/Universal-Antirock-Sway-Bar-Kits-p-17993.html

Haven't really looked at it close enough to see if it would work on the front of these trucks.  I do have a factory one but when I did the steering gear box support mod that closed off the factory holes on the frame to mount the sway bar too. 

[Flyin6]

On the sway bar I've thought about trying to use one of these.

https://polyperformance.com/shop/Universal-Antirock-Sway-Bar-Kits-p-17993.html

Haven't really looked at it close enough to see if it would work on the front of these trucks.  I do have a factory one but when I did the steering gear box support mod that closed off the factory holes on the frame to mount the sway bar too. 

You're tracking on the anti rock bar thing
But take a look at the ones that have a disconnect on one side
The guys who make all that jeep suspension
They fashioned up one with a manual hub on one side which you lock or unlock
I called them about it but they were unsure about using it on a heavy truck. Read: Liability
I'd try it although, I want something I can disconnect while in the cab

[JR]

After some more thought, the trouble with having a long coupler near the center will be the twisting when in use. It may work great when first setup, but after some miles it may twist itself together since most of the torsional forces will be in the center where your thinking about the disconnect.

I think a hub disconnect would be better or even just a good ol pull pin on a heim joint or similar. Fold it, have another place to pin it and your done. Less mass, simple and less stress near the end of the bar.

[BobbyB]

even just a good ol pull pin on a heim joint or similar. Fold it, have another place to pin it and your done. Less mass, simple and less stress near the end of the bar.

Too simple to be part of this thread!

However, I agree whole heartedly.

[Flyin6]

even just a good ol pull pin on a heim joint or similar. Fold it, have another place to pin it and your done. Less mass, simple and less stress near the end of the bar.

Too simple to be part of this thread!

However, I agree whole heartedly.

Maybe not too simple Bobby

Part of my experimenting a lot of the time has served to prove me wrong...I just need to see it all wronged-up to finally realize it.

NOSSIR I agree with you and JR, a pull pin would be much simpler.

It just wouldn't be a thing to use while on the run, like you just got chased off the highway onto the off road thing

[JR]

You could rig a disconnect easy. Hooking it back up would be manual. Just have the link hooked to a spring that would pull it up out of the way.

You could even use a solenoid like from a doorlock that could work both ways! If that will work with axle disconnect a sway bar should be no problem.

[Sammconn]

So I just came across this in the Cmax thread that Ken is tirelessly moving over and it made me LOL for real.

Firstestest, is the fixin' of Square D
 ::)
eyes B needin' basic transportation, and that truck is just a couple rungs of the ladder above peddlin'

So that's the next big adventure. I figure a solid week of well, cutting, grindin' replacin' kleenin' and discoverin' and that old bird will be ready to carry my happy butt around while I accumulate wounds and scar tissue cutting apart the Chebby!

But, yes, I'm gigglin' just a tad bit!

This was last September from the date that Ken had pointed out.
Quite an oil change and a wee bit more than the predicted week...
Carry on then... ::)

[cudakidd53]

I was thinking along the same lines as JR- hook-up a hefty cable like you did for the fuel cut-off and you can "pull" to disconnect and free wheel.  The torsional forces of the opposite action of the front suspension is what makes a sway bar work; cutting it in half and anchoring it to the k member so to speak cuts the helpful reaction way down.

There, I had my intellectual, suspension brain fart for the decade.......going back to bed with nasty congestion head and chest mess.  What a waste of two days!  :'(

[KensAuto]

So I just came across this in the Cmax thread that Ken is tirelessly moving over and it made me LOL for real.

Firstestest, is the fixin' of Square D
 ::)
eyes B needin' basic transportation, and that truck is just a couple rungs of the ladder above peddlin'

So that's the next big adventure. I figure a solid week of well, cutting, grindin' replacin' kleenin' and discoverin' and that old bird will be ready to carry my happy butt around while I accumulate wounds and scar tissue cutting apart the Chebby!

But, yes, I'm gigglin' just a tad bit!

This was last September from the date that Ken had pointed out.
Quite an oil change and a wee bit more than the predicted week...
Carry on then... ::)

I just had to copy that over....just had to. :)

[Flyin6]

Just had to ehh (or is it eeh?? Any Canadians want to pipe in here??  ;-))

[Sammconn]

Ehh? I like the duplication Ken! :)

[Flyin6]

No pics, but the Yukon Zip-Locker is now installed into the Dodge housing. It is done with the exception of cleaning and perhaps another painting, since it is all scuffed up from being drug all over creation.
The clearances came right out and back lash seems right on. There was a bit of rust on the original 3.54 ring gear from disuse, but that is no issue since it will polish right off as soon as I get those innards turning under power some day soon.

Now to pick it up and transport it back here...

[JR]

There was a bit of rust on the original 3.54 ring gear from disuse, but that is no issue since it will polish right off as soon as I get those innards turning under power some day soon.

We can hardly wait,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Armalite]

Nice progress.  Get that front axle in before Christmas!  Be a nice present to yourself...

[Flyin6]

Nice progress.  Get that front axle in before Christmas!  Be a nice present to yourself...

OK, Ash, wilco!

Actually that is what the posting is about tonight.
Front axle stuff

So I got it back from the builder. It now has the Yukon Zip Air Locker installed along with the original 3.54 gears. It will be coming back with end to end 35 spline axles and the good hubs.

So before I reinstalled it, I recall that I never went through the bottom bearing for the knuckle. It had new stuff on top, but still decades old bearings on the bottom. So I decided to renew all those and the seals before cleaning and painting it again

[Flyin6]

Duane and I dumped the housing onto a cart fixture thing I built which I would use to rotisserie the thing

[Flyin6]

After wire brushing the housing again, I pulled out what was left from the rebuild kit Tate sent me a year ago

[Flyin6]

This bottom cap houses the cone bearing that the bottom of the knuckle pivots on

[Flyin6]

With the top pilled loose as well, the nasty old grease and ancient parts see the light of day for the first time this century!

[Flyin6]

First up, pry off the nasty old grease seal
I have to admit, the thing worked, there was no leaking of grease around this bearing

[Flyin6]

The lift the bearing out

[Flyin6]

Leaving you with the old bearing race and the dust cap

[Flyin6]

Which gets pounded out to make room for the new stuff:

[Flyin6]

I cleaned up the knuckle again. THis was the first time I had good access to the backside, so I took it all the way down and after cleaning, coated everything with acid etching primer

[Flyin6]

Here's the new dust seal and grease seal

[Flyin6]

I coated the inside of the race cavity with some silicone sealer just to keep things honest down there while I'm crawling through the muck

[Flyin6]

Then the new bearing is packed with grease, placed into the race, and a new outer grease seal tapped home

[Flyin6]

With that done, the knuckle is reinstalled

[Flyin6]

The axle has now been completely reconditioned with nary an old part remaining

[Flyin6]

The other side went together a little quicker. After that the housing was wiped down two times with solvent until the rag was coming away pretty clean, then things I didn't want black got taped off

[Flyin6]

Next up is the paint. Valspar manufactured John Deere Blitz black with hardener got the nod again

[Flyin6]

After just 30 minutes drying time, the satin appearance was starting to show up for muster!

[Flyin6]

I had a bunch of paint still in the gun so my eyes fell upon the engine crane and the two dogs

[Flyin6]

Yup, ran out of paint so I didn't have enough left over for the mutts...They escaped unscathed!

[Flyin6]

And that concludes build day 200 and leaves me in a good place to get this thing bolted to the springs and fully assembled, which will be the standing goal for tomorrow.

[cudakidd53]

Red Dog is saying, "give me a job.........or I do some freelance work for Harbor Freight"

[JR]

Hmm, I can see this very thing in my future.

Think I would have painted Red Dog before the picker though. Speaking of pickers am RR mine now so it folds flatter.

[Flyin6]

Red Dog is saying, "give me a job.........or I do some freelance work for Harbor Freight"

Right you are kind Sir!
She scored a sanding disc, a clamp, screwdriver, and my brand new Oakley sunglasses!!!!!!!!!!!

[Flyin6]

Hmm, I can see this very thing in my future.

Think I would have painted Red Dog before the picker though. Speaking of pickers am RR mine now so it folds flatter.

If that red dog would have been closer, she would have gotten the nod...I promise you that!

[Flyin6]

Let's get tonight's post up before the dog eats the camera!

The paint turned out pretty well I'd say

[Flyin6]

Then inch by inch that heavy dude gets closer and closer to where it will spend the rest of its life

[Flyin6]

Then with the use of that motorcycle jack, up she goes

[Flyin6]

The drivers side long tube gets attached first. All hardware got a treatment of the graphite dry film lubricant