Now valleycat is doing what looks like a very strong set up.
He has plated the side of the frame and integrated the outrigger into the stout ft bumper, it should work great.
Just remember to keep that cheesy cross member under the oil pan. Looks nice Cat!
OK Scout front axles have a problem and now you have the same problem.
Caster is an alignment angle that makes the steering wheel return to center as well as helping to keep your rig tracking straight down the road.
Scouts are set up with zero caster, ah ha I'll just throw some shims in there and I'll have some +caster? Right? WRONG, if you want to ever have a front driveshaft (installed and will actualy turn) shims are NOT the answer.
Scout IH came up with a awful axle configuration and Dana/Spicer just did what IH wanted. Dana built millions of great rear axles and just as many boat anchor fronts.
The main problem is the way that the inner knuckles are welded to the tube, the top of the knuckle is toooo far forward, like 15 degrees.
Pinion angle is directly related to Caster, in that when you look at a scouts front driveshaft, you will notice it points 10 degrees down from level and that is at zero caster. If you add 3-5 degrees caster (where it should be)(doing this will rotate the top of the knuckles rearward.)
the driveshaft won't even bolt in, and even if you could make a driveshaft work without binding it would be dragging in the dirt/rocks. Adding a lift kit will increase the angle problem.
So what needs doing is two fold. (Wags have 10-12degrees up pinion angle and 4-5 degrees caster) (bingo)
Doing as Valleycat did (outrigger) and just doing a cut and turn on the inner knuckles, or finding a wag bare housing and swaping all the guts. Or Going with a complete ft wag and redrillig your rear axles for 6 on 5.5 wheel pattern and getting new wheels.
Or Doing the 5 on 5.5 conversion to the wag housing, using early chevy spindle and any f150 or bronco hub/rotor and the chevy/wag caliper brackets?
If you go the wag route, you get internal locking hubs (massively stronger than D30/Scout hubs) way beefier stub shafts and generaly a heavier build housing (thicker tube).
SD
Josh
