RE: JPOR: junkyard full-floater

["Paul W." <a4xnut@xxxxxxxxx>]

Chris Waterman <Chris_Waterman@pmc-sierra.com> wrote:
> > I figure that one could use the fsj/chevy spindles and
> > caliper brackets along with the ford hubs and rotors like
> > the old front swap trick.  that would allow you to use
> > the chevy metric calipers, maybe even the rear ones from
> > a caddy with a parking brake(?).
> 
> I wasn't aware that any e-brake calipers were compatible
> with the Chevy ones, but I'd love to find that's true.

The GM D44 front caliper is much bigger than the metric/Caddy rear caliper. 
You can use the front calipers in the back - but you won't get any e-brake
action out of them.  (Line locks don't count as a legal e-brake... you have to
have something purely mechanical... if you care about legality ;)
 
> I've been toying with doing pretty much the same thing,
> but using a 9" rear instead, with the GM/Ford brakes.
> For interchangeability, I think it's better to modify the
> ends of the axle housing instead of modifying the spindle.
> So you could either make an adapter to make the housing
> end look like a D44 knuckle (4 bolts in, 6 bolts out),
> or make new housing ends that weld to the tubes and have
> the 6-bolt spindle pattern.

Some D44 rears already have the same 6-bolt pattern as the fronts, and some
have a 6-bolt pattern where 4 of the six bolts line up and you can either weld
a tab on the top of the flange to line up the other two, or do like Warn does
in their floater kits and drill two new holes in the spindle.
 
> > The problem is that the locking hubs for the d44 are
> > 19 spline.
> 
> I'd stick with factory drive gears back there, myself.
> Warn's FF info contains a warning that normal locking
> hubs on a rear end will slowly unlock themselves.
> Besides, I'd prefer the extra strength of a solid drive
> gears over locking hubs, in the rear end.

Hmmm... I don't recall seeing that warning in my kits... but it might explain
why the second one I got has allen bolt locks in the dial... but Warn told me
that was to keep your friends from playing tricks on you and unlocking the hubs
since the rears are a bit of a PIA to re-lock if unlocked under load.

Paul

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