1/2 ton VS 3/4 ton TTB compatibility questions

[NapaBavarian]

I'm converting a 2 wheel drive truck to coil sprung TTB, does anyone have experience with such a project? I think I can use the 3/4 ton arms and 1/2 ton 4x4 radius arms with the diesel 4x2 coil springs. Hopefully I'll get a softer rde and better turning radius, but with the 4x4 parts still in the trucks I can't tell what hickups I might run into.

 

[franklin2]

The f150 4x4 beams are longer and shaped different on the ends than the f250 4x4 beams. So the 2wd and f150 4wd radius arms will not mate to the f250 4x4 beams. The f250 beams will only mate to the leaf springs they were designed to work with.

The f150 4x4 beams are the same length as the 250 2wd beams, but i am not sure about the f250 radius arms bolting up to the f150 4x4 beams. But if it did, you now have a f150 frontend under a f250 truck, and it cannot be converted to 8 lug wheels and brakes unless you use some hodge podge mix of Gm parts. You should be able to find that disaster by googling it.

 

[88beast]

ok well ive been here to do this sucessfully you will need both axles one off the 150 one off a 250 reg cab some ec and all cc had 50s which wont work you need 44 and 44 hd
the balljoint is the separation point inside it is the 150 stuff out side it is 250
then the mounts to the frame will need to be moved/ modified
and the cross memeber will need clearenced to work
but with a 2 inch lift you will clear it fine (on the arm)
but the 44hd balljoints do fit on the coil 44 reg arms and it all bolts up and works there
the hard part is making the arms clear for this a lift is necessary again see how much suspension movement you want if you plan to add a vboss plow id consider some more lift or heavier springs


so you are planning to go from 250 2wd to 250 coil 4x4 correct?
just o make sure

 

[NapaBavarian]

F350 2wd to TTB coil sprung, I'd like to keep it close to the ground if i can, no need to climb up in the cab for a general run around and road trip truck. Main need to go from Mercedes to the truck is the ability to carry more fuel and crawl through the siera snow.

ok well ive been here to do this sucessfully you will need both axles one off the 150 one off a 250 reg cab some ec and all cc had 50s which wont work you need 44 and 44 hd
the balljoint is the separation point inside it is the 150 stuff out side it is 250
then the mounts to the frame will need to be moved/ modified
and the cross memeber will need clearenced to work
but with a 2 inch lift you will clear it fine (on the arm)
but the 44hd balljoints do fit on the coil 44 reg arms and it all bolts up and works there
the hard part is making the arms clear for this a lift is necessary again see how much suspension movement you want if you plan to add a vboss plow id consider some more lift or heavier springs


so you are planning to go from 250 2wd to 250 coil 4x4 correct?
just o make sure

 

[NapaBavarian]

Can I tell a 44 from a 50 when the TTB is still in the truck? I have a "few" at home I can look at.

 

[franklin2]

ok well ive been here to do this sucessfully you will need both axles one off the 150 one off a 250 reg cab some ec and all cc had 50s which wont work you need 44 and 44 hd
the balljoint is the separation point inside it is the 150 stuff out side it is 250
then the mounts to the frame will need to be moved/ modified
and the cross memeber will need clearenced to work
but with a 2 inch lift you will clear it fine (on the arm)
but the 44hd balljoints do fit on the coil 44 reg arms and it all bolts up and works there
the hard part is making the arms clear for this a lift is necessary again see how much suspension movement you want if you plan to add a vboss plow id consider some more lift or heavier springs


so you are planning to go from 250 2wd to 250 coil 4x4 correct?
just o make sure

Are you positive about this? I admit I have never done this before, but I am reading the dana 44 hd balljoints are spaced further apart than the f150 dana 44 balljoints.

 

[dmaxjoe]

Can I tell a 44 from a 50 when the TTB is still in the truck? I have a "few" at home I can look at.

44hd will have the smaller lock out hubs just like the 44. The 50 will have the larger dia. hubs like a dana 60.

 

[riotwarrior]

NO I repeat NO 8 lug OUTER fits a 5 bolt outer in1980-1997 series axles....Meaning NO F250 knuckle out bolts to a F150 knuckle out.. the width of ball from top to bottom ball joints are different...!

If you can find one, you may be able to use an older solid axle D44 HD knuckle out, though I have not personally confirmed this.

The reason I think this will work is some solid axle Chevy 44 stuff will bolt on and chevy and Ford solid 44 have same ball joint spacing IIRC

Mel has done a conversion IIRC with Chev parts, and not without a lot of work!

 

[NapaBavarian]

44hd will have the smaller lock out hubs just like the 44. The 50 will have the larger dia. hubs like a dana 60.

Thanks.



So... Who wants to donate a light duty TTB to this experiment? I have a 1/2 ton (bronco) and a heavy duty front end that I can pull when I agree with the outside temperature, I can disassemble all and see what mix n match or fabricatin needs to happen to get 3/4 ton TTB with coils. Then again, some prefer the buck board ride!

Feel free to email me [email protected], I cant check in on the board as often as I used to.

 

[franklin2]

Do you have a plan? Or you are just going to tear everything apart and figure out it won't work? Then what?.

 

[NapaBavarian]

Do you have a plan? Or you are just going to tear everything apart and figure out it won't work? Then what?.

Exactly, tear it up, measure, figure out how to make it work. Please tell me it won't work, it will only drive me to figure it out. I really could care less about naysayers or bench racing, I have my chit torn apart and want tofigure this one out, it may be able to save the backs of IDI drivers for years to come. Politically correct...no one has called me that.

 

[MUDKICKR]

the the way i take what your saying is, the only time you would use 4wd is when you need to, and not abuse it. and for that, i think this is a great project, and you can answer a lot of questions about this swap. why have the hard ride of the solid axle if you dont need 4wd but only a few times out of the year? I get so sick of reading about how the dana 60 is the only axle that should be in the frt of these trucks, the dana 50 does fine, and i did have a trk with a dana 50 with 37s, 4wheeled the hell out of it and it lasted fine.
i say go to google and do some searching on this first, just to get an idea about what it will take to put it all together.

 

[NapaBavarian]

I've been studying LMC catalog parts diagrams and measring the front ends that are still in my trucks, so I think I have a fair idea of what I'm looking at, just need to straighten out how it will fit together and what would need to be modified.

 

[franklin2]

the the way i take what your saying is, the only time you would use 4wd is when you need to, and not abuse it. and for that, i think this is a great project, and you can answer a lot of questions about this swap. why have the hard ride of the solid axle if you dont need 4wd but only a few times out of the year? I get so sick of reading about how the dana 60 is the only axle that should be in the frt of these trucks, the dana 50 does fine, and i did have a trk with a dana 50 with 37s, 4wheeled the hell out of it and it lasted fine.
i say go to google and do some searching on this first, just to get an idea about what it will take to put it all together.

I must have missed something along the way, but I thought he was going to put a f150 ttb under his truck. Of course a dana 50 will fit if he mounts the proper pivot brackets and modifies the frame for the factory leaf springs. If he still wants to use the radius arms on the dana 50, they won't fit, but I guess you could fab some sort of end to mate the radius arm/coil spring mount to the dana 50, or make a whole new radius arm/coil spring mount that would fit the 50.

That's why i was asking about a plan, but I guess he hasn't got it all worked out yet. I was just worried he was going to try to change the f150 ttb to 8 lug with Ford parts. From what I am reading that's a dead end proposition.

 

[gonecrazyi]

Have you looked into 05+ coil axles from f250/350s. They ride great and are fairly easy to install.