Big Bertha

philofab · Post by **philofab** » Tue Sep 14, 2010 8:57 am

hobbyturnedobsession wrote:Hey do you still want my leaf springs and coil buckets?

Yea. I was planning on messaging you about those.

hobbyturnedobsession · Tue Sep 14, 2010 9:07 am

Not a problem I'll pm you my number.

philofab · Post by **philofab** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 6:48 pm

Picked up some stuff in California this weekend. Thanks again to Tony, Nick, Steve, SteveG, & Randy.

Bertha is going to be 4WD. Anyone need a set of equal length beam mounts?

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 6:56 pm

Big Bertha is going to be awesome when completed!

hobbyturnedobsession · Mon Sep 20, 2010 7:13 pm

hey no problem, glad to help out! Maybe next time youre out we'll be able to meet up. Good choice by the way.

philofab · Post by **philofab** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 7:13 pm

I need to find some 4.00x4.00x.250 square tubing with a big edge radius to extend these beams with. Looks way easy though. Beams are ~1" within equal length.... not sure if I want to convert them to D44 / 2WD pivots.

philofab · Post by **philofab** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 7:15 pm

Oh, The buckets and leaves are for the Lightning.

The fuel tank, x-members, and beams are for Bertha.

The intake is for sale.

The tiny fuel can was to fill my 50 with.

Post by **SteveG** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 7:23 pm

If you're going to modify the pivots I would shoot for equal geometry which doesn't necessarily mean equal length and definitely not D44 pivot points.

philofab · Post by **philofab** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 7:33 pm

I have not seen that sketch since the Desertracers listserv. D44 pivots are easy because the truck has them... not the best I know.

ChaseTruck754 · Post by **ChaseTruck754** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:54 pm

yeah - Aaron Dixon was always showing that thing.

philofab · Post by **philofab** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:35 am

Looks like the front diff has 3.54 gears. I will need a regear for sure, I will probably aim for 4.11 to work well with the 6BT. I'm going to disassemble everything this weekend and send it to Messer to be blasted. Looks like the D44HD beams and the D50 beams are the same. The difference is in the pumpkin and snouts. Knuckles may be the same.

I need to compare crossmembers between the different front suspention for differences.

I also bought a Bronco front frame section to cycle off of and for D44 parts.

BajaBronco13 · Post by **BajaBronco13** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 11:12 am

Nice grab there Philo. I'm on the hunt for a Dana 50 myself.

Chris

philofab · Post by **philofab** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 6:41 pm

I just did some quick measuring. Look like the Bronco tank will go in with just a rear cross member change. The front cross member is the same. All of the fuel and wiring connections are in the approx same location with the same plugs.

The pivot mounts for the D44HD/D50 beams appear to be workable on my engine cross member but the holes/markings are not there. The mount for the passenger beam is in the same place left to right but is higher up on the 2WD/Bronco stuff. The D50 pivot locates about 1" lower. The driver beam on the D50 is about 5" shorter making me wonder how Ford was approaching the geometry. Maybe a correction for the horrible bump steer on the drivers side of our trucks?

Post by **SteveG** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 6:47 pm

philofab wrote:The driver beam on the D50 is about 5" shorter making me wonder how Ford was approaching the geometry. Maybe a correction for the horrible bump steer on the drivers side of our trucks?

You have to take into consideration where and how the leaf spring was pivoting.

philofab · Post by **philofab** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 6:49 pm

SteveG wrote:You have to take into consideration where and how the leaf spring was pivoting.

Oh wow... duh. I forgot they weren't coil sprung. Anyone have a dunce hat?

ChaseTruck754 · Post by **ChaseTruck754** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 11:22 pm

philofab wrote:I just did some quick measuring. Look like the Bronco tank will go in with just a rear cross member change. The front cross member is the same. All of the fuel and wiring connections are in the approx same location with the same plugs.

From what I could tell when I looked at it - you are right. I think BOTH cross members are actually the same (well - close enough to work) you just have to slide one closer to the other. I gave you the bronco cross members just in case the ones in your truck were different for some reason.

philofab · Post by **philofab** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 7:25 am

ChaseTruck754 wrote:[From what I could tell when I looked at it - you are right. I think BOTH cross members are actually the same (well - close enough to work) you just have to slide one closer to the other. I gave you the bronco cross members just in case the ones in your truck were different for some reason.

My rear cross member is different, it isn't flat where the skid bolts up and it does not have the holes. It has a recess for the spare to fit in.

ChaseTruck754 · Post by **ChaseTruck754** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 11:39 am

It's different than the 70's stuff then. Good thing I saved that stuff. Not that you wouldn't have been able to make something easily, but still...

philofab · Post by **philofab** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 10:26 am

I just called Dutchman, $395 for a pair of front axles 4" longer made from import blanks. The axles on this TTB appear to be D60 u-joints and a smaller 30 spline end to work with the pumpkin. I still need to verify the center slip joint is 30 spline too.

philofab · Post by **philofab** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:44 pm

Apparently crew cabs are in....

Big Bertha

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