66-77 coil spring retainer or 78-79 retainer

[micked]

I am putting a 78-79 hp dana 44 into my 73 bronco
I was looking to upgrade the coil spring retainers

Only question is do I use retainers for the 66-77 or the 78-79?


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[Okie69]

They mount to your radius arms not the axle. So just get 66-77 stuff. Even though I think they’re probably the same across all those years.

I just finished this swap there are some other things that can be tricky. Figuring out brake lines, and the hard line to soft line brackets come to mind.

 

[micked]

Thanks! I know for the full-size u have to use spacers in the radius arms so I thought one retainer might not work over the other if the holes in the retainer cups are further apart

I’ll get the 66-77


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[DirtDonk]

What kind of spacers are you talking about?Never heard of that before.
Spacers for other things possibly, but certainly not the radius arm caps.
Is that what you’re talking about?

The holes are already larger. And possibly further apart on a full size radius arm, but you can simply re-drill the stock early bronco cups to fit the larger bolt.
But that’s only if you’re using the full-size radius arms? If you’re using your original bronco radius arms, as mentioned, your original style spring cup should bolt ride up.
The springs themselves are identical, size-wise. Other than wire diameter that is.

 

[bmc69]

What kind of spacers are you talking about?Never heard of that before.
S

Me neither...and I've owned a lot of the full-size trucks.

 

[micked]

Thanks guys! I have attached some pics

I’m using duff extended radius arms, hp dana 44 from 78-79 big bronco, 4.5” coils from wh, I attached a pic of the spacers and the two different coil spring retainers

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[Okie69]

I used those spacers on my Trex arms and hp44. It’s working great so far. They make up for the larger axle tube as I understand it

 

[micked]

That’s what I am thinking
I am putting the hp on hopefully this weekend coming up


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[micked]

I used those spacers on my Trex arms and hp44. It’s working great so far. They make up for the larger axle tube as I understand it

Did you love your coil buckets out?


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[Okie69]

Say again?

 

[Okie69]

I thought I had some better pictures from when I did it, but I did find some. My axle is a 78-79 big bronco as well.

 

[DirtDonk]

That’s what I assumed the radius arm spacers were. I just didn’t think they were necessary.
While we do have a half inch larger diameter tube, are the tips of the pads that full half inch farther apart?
Anybody able to measure that? Or already have?
The bushings are all the same, and the full-size and Early radius arms do interchange. Did Ford just rely on the rubber bushings to squeeze down a quarter inch on each end?

I admit, I’m guilty of just assuming that the pads were radiused larger inside to fit over the larger tubes, thus allowing them to be the same overall distance apart.
Never realized that they were farther apart tip to tip than the early’s.
This is all very good stuff to document and learn.

 

[micked]

Say again?

Sorry I am in Mexico city with shitty service

Did u move your cool buckets out or your bottom retainer/cups out?


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[micked]

I thought I had some better pictures from when I did it, but I did find some. My axle is a 78-79 big bronco as well.

Nice thanks for the pics!


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[micked]

That’s what I assumed the radius arm spacers were. I just didn’t think they were necessary.
While we do have a half inch larger diameter tube, are the tips of the pads that full half inch farther apart?
Anybody able to measure that? Or already have?
The bushings are all the same, and the full-size and Early radius arms do interchange. Did Ford just rely on the rubber bushings to squeeze down a quarter inch on each end?

I admit, I’m guilty of just assuming that the pads were radiused larger inside to fit over the larger tubes, thus allowing them to be the same overall distance apart.
Never realized that they were farther apart tip to tip than the early’s.
This is all very good stuff to document and learn.

I put a scout dana 44 on my old samurai and mated some radius arm and wedges on them and found out then that the tube was a little bigger and needed spacers


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