Hey Matt, I was looking at your site and noticed on your D44 swap page you keep the B2 upper coil spring buckets. How are they? Should I use the FS uppers that I have or make the B2 work?
Also do you have better pics of how you did your brake lines? I would like to see what you did as I was confused with the small write up on it.
Front buckets
Not Matt here, but I also used the stock buckets with my swap and I haven’t had any real issues as of yet. I think the two typical issues are as follows:
1) Fitment with EB coils - The upper seat area needs some very minor tweaking in order to properly mesh with the EB coils. Also, coil retention must be addressed. I haven’t pulled a coil yet, but when I wrist an arm I may need to strengthen my existing J-hook retention “system”.
2) Strength/prevention of upper bucket deformation - As you probably have seen, many people want to use a longer shock than the stock bucket provides room for, so they cut out the old upper shock mount and replace it with a taller one (e.g. F-250 mount). If no attention is paid to reinforcing the cut bucket, it is fairly common to see the bucket bend outward/upward (and you’ll see progressive bowing of the coils). I welded the F-250 shock mounts to the coil buckets and so far, no problems.
That said, if you can get an appropriate set of FS buckets, that might be a simpler option, although I think they need some modification on the driver side.
1) Fitment with EB coils - The upper seat area needs some very minor tweaking in order to properly mesh with the EB coils. Also, coil retention must be addressed. I haven’t pulled a coil yet, but when I wrist an arm I may need to strengthen my existing J-hook retention “system”.
2) Strength/prevention of upper bucket deformation - As you probably have seen, many people want to use a longer shock than the stock bucket provides room for, so they cut out the old upper shock mount and replace it with a taller one (e.g. F-250 mount). If no attention is paid to reinforcing the cut bucket, it is fairly common to see the bucket bend outward/upward (and you’ll see progressive bowing of the coils). I welded the F-250 shock mounts to the coil buckets and so far, no problems.
That said, if you can get an appropriate set of FS buckets, that might be a simpler option, although I think they need some modification on the driver side.
1988 B2
d44/9"
tired 2.9L
d44/9"
tired 2.9L
The stock buckets work fine to get you started, but if you can get yourself some real buckets, that would be better. You want a stand alone bucket, not one integrated with the shock mount.
As mentioned by Bailey, some folks are having problems with their stock buckets starting to bend. My friend Brad bent his pretty good and he had to beef them up a bit. I think my drivers side is bent just a little. I've always planned to swap in some EB buckets, just waiting for a free set to come along.
As for the break lines, If you do it the way I suggest, it will allow for an infinate amount of flex.
From your stock proportioning valve, you have 2 steel lines going to each front tire. Disconnect those lines, and plug one port.
Then get yourself a rubber brake line about a foot long and connect that to the open port on the prop valve.
Mount the free end of the rubber line on your radius arm, then couple a steel line that runs down your radius arm to the "T" that goes to each wheel.
The specific parts you use aren't really important so long as it gets you from point A to point B.
The rubber hose I got happened to have a male end at both ends, so I had to deal with that. Ideally you want a hose with one male end, and one female end. I had to work with what the parts store had in stock.
As mentioned by Bailey, some folks are having problems with their stock buckets starting to bend. My friend Brad bent his pretty good and he had to beef them up a bit. I think my drivers side is bent just a little. I've always planned to swap in some EB buckets, just waiting for a free set to come along.
As for the break lines, If you do it the way I suggest, it will allow for an infinate amount of flex.
From your stock proportioning valve, you have 2 steel lines going to each front tire. Disconnect those lines, and plug one port.
Then get yourself a rubber brake line about a foot long and connect that to the open port on the prop valve.
Mount the free end of the rubber line on your radius arm, then couple a steel line that runs down your radius arm to the "T" that goes to each wheel.
The specific parts you use aren't really important so long as it gets you from point A to point B.
The rubber hose I got happened to have a male end at both ends, so I had to deal with that. Ideally you want a hose with one male end, and one female end. I had to work with what the parts store had in stock.
use the fullsize buckets and cut them down accordingly i cut mine ~2" and rewelded the return onto the back
beware tho you may encounter some rust behind the stock coil buckets i had to patch my frame in one area cause it was all the way thru from rust
in the end it looks WAY cleaner and retains the coils better btw i got mine for a 6pack
beware tho you may encounter some rust behind the stock coil buckets i had to patch my frame in one area cause it was all the way thru from rust
in the end it looks WAY cleaner and retains the coils better btw i got mine for a 6pack