Those of you that have CUT and TURNED

[TAG2]

I have decided to do it right rather than messing with adjustable radius arms and possibly dealing with a bound front drive shaft. I am a very capable guy and have read every thread on here that I can find on how to do a cut and turn. However, I do have a few questions before I start. I have disk brakes on a fully restored restomod 1973 Bronco.

• Will I need to disassemble the locking hubs?
• Can I reuse the ball joints if they are in good shape?
• Any special tools for the job besides the obvious?
• Will I need to replace the axle shaft seals? I have never pulled an axle shaft.
• Anything else I should know?

I will be starting this project next week. Thanks in advance!

 

[1969miller]

yes.
yes.
not sure what obvious tools would be but no. Angle grinder, angle finder, and a good welder.
Probably a good time to do the inner seals, axles slide out, carrier will need to be removed from the center, seals changed then carrier installed. This is possible without messing with the backlash and pinion depth, there are a few videos on youtube. A case spreader is recommended.
Have patience. If you've done as much research as you state, you should be just fine.

-Morgan

 

[bknbronco]

i have a 5.5" lift and 7deg radius arm bushings and my front shaft never binds in the rocks. Is your bronco lifted more that mine?

 

[Yeller]

i have a 5.5" lift and 7deg radius arm bushings and my front shaft never binds in the rocks. Is your bronco lifted more that mine?

It’s about more than just not having a binding drive shaft. It’s getting to 6-10 degrees of caster with the pinion straight with the drive shaft. Will improve drive ability way better than is possible with degree bushings, more caster makes better drive ability and the straight pinion angle eliminates vibration from the front driveshaft while the hubs are locked

 

[Broncobowsher]

And being able to drive at speed with the front axle engaged. U-joints can turn crazy angles and be happy if turned slow.

In theory, if you are really skilled at it, you could leave the whole knuckle in place. Just cut the weld free and turn the yoke and reweld.
In reality, everyone pull off the brakes and gets to a bare knuckle. Dropping the knuckle off the ball joints I think is more optional but a good idea.

As for the axle seals, getting down to the knuckles and pulling the shafts, you are a little more than halfway to doing axle seals. Pull the front cover, drain the oil, pull the diff out. And keep track of everything. Seals go in from inside the diff. It is also easy to screw up a seal install and not know it until everything is back together. I would pass unless you know a good reason to do them. Too easy to take out a good seal and get one in wrong replacing it.

 

[TAG2]

i have a 5.5" lift and 7deg radius arm bushings and my front shaft never binds in the rocks. Is your bronco lifted more that mine?

I currently have 7* bushings and ~4* caster, but need more. 3.5" suspension lift.

 

[TAG2]

And being able to drive at speed with the front axle engaged. U-joints can turn crazy angles and be happy if turned slow.

In theory, if you are really skilled at it, you could leave the whole knuckle in place. Just cut the weld free and turn the yoke and reweld.
In reality, everyone pull off the brakes and gets to a bare knuckle. Dropping the knuckle off the ball joints I think is more optional but a good idea.

As for the axle seals, getting down to the knuckles and pulling the shafts, you are a little more than halfway to doing axle seals. Pull the front cover, drain the oil, pull the diff out. And keep track of everything. Seals go in from inside the diff. It is also easy to screw up a seal install and not know it until everything is back together. I would pass unless you know a good reason to do them. Too easy to take out a good seal and get one in wrong replacing it.

I am not comfortable welding with the axles still in the housing. I really don't want too much mission creep, so if I can avoid replacing seals, I will.

 

[TAG2]

It’s about more than just not having a binding drive shaft. It’s getting to 6-10 degrees of caster with the pinion straight with the drive shaft. Will improve drive ability way better than is possible with degree bushings, more caster makes better drive ability and the straight pinion angle eliminates vibration from the front driveshaft while the hubs are locked

Exactly!!!

 

[bax]

I got a step by step with pictures somewhere posted. If you can find it it might help

 

[mrdrnac]

Bax here you go!

Making a high pinion 44

I have been working a little more on my bronco. I have it driving better than it ever has. But to do this I had to sacrifice pinion angle by leaning the axle back in the top to get my castor angle back. The truck is lifted and it has a 205 transfer case. So with the lift and the higher...

classicbroncos.com

 

[bax]

Good Find. I hope it help someone.

 

[bknbronco]

i forgot to add that i also have the radius arm drop brackets

 

[Otis Campbell]

Just got finished doing mine and am still reassembling (Shout out to all the guys on this board who offered advice).

I would add that you will feel like you're never going to find the crack while grinding - just keep going, you'll get there. Also, If you aren't going to remove the carrier, I'd stuff a rag or something in the end of the axle housing to keep the grinding dust from getting where you don't want it.

 

[Apogee]

Just got finished doing mine and am still reassembling (Shout out to all the guys on this board who offered advice).

I would add that you will feel like you're never going to find the crack while grinding - just keep going, you'll get there. Also, If you aren't going to remove the carrier, I'd stuff a rag or something in the end of the axle housing to keep the grinding dust from getting where you don't want it.

X2...way, way down! I used a combination of an air-arc gouger, friction cutoff wheel and grinder, and that factory Dana weld had excellent penetration.

 

[TAG2]

I have the axel housing out and stripped. I did most of the grinding today. I have to cut into the C's a little more to hopefully reveal the crack. Tomorrow should be heat and turn day.

 

[DirtDonk]

Looking forward to seeing/hearing the results!

 

[Broncobowsher]

Some mild big hammer taps will help reveal the crack when you think you have ground deep enough.

 

[TAG2]

Still no crack. I think I have to dig deeper onto the C and not the axle tube.

https://i.postimg.cc/1t6shVZK/IMG-5108.jpg

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[Otis Campbell]

I agree with your assessment. Keep going! Whack it every now and then with a hammer (as you have been doing).

 

[Apogee]

FWIW, by the time I had removed the weld with the various tools I noted above, exposed the crack all the way around, I decided to just remove the C's entirely from the housing with a 55-ton press (it took about 25-30 tons to get them off). Aside from needing to build a lift kit for the press to accommodate the length of the full-width F150 HPD44, this was fairly straight forward and allowed me to clean everything up, repair/weld any gouges on the axle tubes without anything in the way (I removed my wedges as well), and then reinstall and orient the C's where I wanted them. I ran a nice and hot root weld and then put a burly cover weld over that, to not only affix the C's to the axle tube, but also cover the sins (I mean signs) of the removal process.