When my Scout II "Racer" project vehicles showed up, I was short some axles (and other things). I was given a Dana 44 rear end from a '63 Travelall - full width with 3.73 gears. I didn't have a front axle. I thought about using the Dana 30 front axle I had (my only spare I was willing to donate to the racer) but John and Pansy Comer said, "Uh.. no, Tom!" and so my search for a front end started..

I started scouring the local junkyards. Nearly everywhere I went, I could find Scout II front axles - but without brakes, axle shafts, even knuckles. I found two complete Scout II Dana 44 front axles.. both with drums. ;) I plan on running this racer in some deep mud and in all kinds of conditions.. and during our 3 mile course, 1/2 hour "baja" races, bake fade could be an issue - plus, I just plain WANTED discs.

The idea of a full width front and rear axle was appealing to me as well.. so I broadened my search to include Travelall and Pickup front axles. I found a few.. again, not usually complete.. and often expensive.

I then expanded my search even MORE after talking with a few folks.. and finally found what I believe to be (need to pull the numbers off the tubes) a late 70s Chevy Dana 44 front axle from a 1/2T pickup. I purchased this axle, spindle to spindle (and brake calipers n' bracket) for $150. This axle is the 0.5" thick tube version (HD), and sports the "flat-top" knuckles useful for a cross-over steering modification.

I then hit a different junkyard and acquired the disc rotors and hubs and lock-outs from a 1990 Ford F150 4x4. Any Ford from the late 70s through mid '90s should work (maybe even newer, I don't know - I just asked for "mid-80s"). I paid $50 per assembly, so $100 for the two rotors, hubs, and manual lock-outs.

$250 thus far.

This is what the axle looked like when I drug it home:


First order of business was to get the axle "test-fitted" so I could see what needed done. This mean lifting the frame up out of the dirt and putting front springs on it. I had to head out to the woodpile to get a log that would provide enough of a spacer so my floor jack could lift the frame high enough! I then placed a saw horse under the front of the frame to hold it up.

I then bolted some non-HeavyDuty springs from a '72 Scout II I'm parting out, to the front. I drug the Dana 44 front axle under the Scout, and was just able to get the center-bolts into the recesses in the spring pad, and put some U-bolts n' plates around everything.

This is what it looked like, with the Chevy rotors still on it -

With the axle placed in, and resting on more firewood (to keep the rotors off the ground) I stepped back for a photo:

Around this point, my friend Mike Kelly had finished setting up the 4.88 R&P in the Travelall rear axle. I brought it home and finished setting it up. First I ground off the spring perches and moved the to the proper spacing for the Scout II. I then notched the corners of the spring perches so the U-bolts would sit flush against the 2" wide Scout II springs. With that accmomplished, I carried the housing around to the rear of the Scout (easier to do without axle shafts, gear oil, or drums), and began installation.

I decided to use the '72 non-HD springs for the rear, too. The Travelall spring perches used a 3/8" center pin (vs the 5/16 stock SII), so I had to enlarge the center pin hole on the springs, as well as flip the pin over (threads up now). I accomplished this with my 1/2" hand drill and slowly bored the hole out some.

Springs ready, I bolted one to the axle housing and cinched up the U-bolt plates (notice they are stock plates, swapped side for side, so I can use stock shocks temporarily). I then jacked the rear of the Scout up and spent a good while wiggling the housing underneath the truck and getting everything bolted in. The springs each received one new bushing set at the "forward" point.

Ready to go in..

I then had to put the axle shafts in, attach the drums, etc. It's almost done. I need to set the final end-play on the rear axle bearings, and then I should be done.

With the rear mostly done, I went back to the front. I bought a new spindle-nut wrench (a "castellated" style 4-prong) and tore down the Chevy hub assembly and removed it, and the spindle and the axle shaft. You may not be able to tell, but this is a 1/2" thick wall tube.

I then proceeded to slide the 1990 F150 rotor onto the Chevy spindle, and used the Chevy spindle nuts to cinch things down. I then stepped back to view the wonder I had created. (this was about the end of the roll, thus the photo is a little bad)

I then gave the racer a 3rd tire for the first time in this project. Here you see tire clearance when there's no front clip. ;-)

The attachment point on the passenger side front perch. I haven't ground the "webbing" n' such down yet to fit the new U-bolts flush against the springs. With new center bolts, flipped over, the springs settled nicely into the Chevy's center-pin holes. I need to notch the webbing and buy new (larger for this side) U-bolts and cinch this down. The driver's side is just a simple notch affair.

This hub doesn't actually have the "FORD" strip on the dial any more.. but it is a Ford F150 hub/rotor on a Chevy Dana 44 in a Scout II.

Another tire clearance shot, of the lower edge of the firewall.

This is the rear tire and it's clearance.

This is a "wide" view. I think it gives an adequate representation of what the "ride height" should be when it's done. The front will probably drop an inch, maybe more, when I put the motor/trans/xfer case in.

A shot from the front, to show how far the tires stick out. Notice a *stock* 235/75R15 on a stock rim sticks out an inch. this is about as far out as my 33x12.50s on 15x8s do on my '77 with stock axles. I'm sure if I put my 33x12.50s on this full width axle they'd stick out even farther.

Rear shot of tire's sticking out. The rears are just about flush with the fender lip. I have put the 33s on the rear before and the do stick out an inch or two.

Rear angled shot.. a good representation of the rocker clearance n' such. I think I'm going to have to park this next to one of my stock Scout IIs for a side-by-side picture when it's done. I'll even get my 4" lifted '77 in the pic, too.

another shot of the rear tire clearance, taken from 'above':

Naturally, I'll round this out with more pictures as I make more progress. I still need to finish adjusting the rear axle, and to convert the driver's side rotor to the F150 parts. I need to pick up some inner wheel bearing seals to clean some dirt out of the F150 hub and repack the wheel bearings before I install it.

My modified knuckle for the custom cross-over steering should be here next week. Then to order a custom drag link (3" longer than stock to make up for the 6" wider axle), put the column in and the power steering box, and then get some Chevy brake lines, and I should be able to steer and stop this beast.

-Tom
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