My truck and the 4x4 ZF swap

[hesutton]

That's interesting. I did this swap last year in my 89, and it had a dummy plate on the firewall where the master cylinder went. All I had to do was take it out and bolt the master cylinder in place.

the 80-86s dont have the dummy plate.

My '86 crew cab had the firewall dummy plate. Just had to pull it and install the master cylinder. My guess is that '86 was the crossover year to have all the firewalls made the same and adding dummy plates. It was probally cheaper to do it that way than to make some cabs with the MC holes and some without them.

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Very nice project. I need to see it in person. BRING IT TO THE RALLY!!!

Heath

 

[justcuz]

If you run the rear shackles through the frame you will probably lose an inch or so of lift. Do you plan on diesel front springs at that point, or just keep you tire size to about 32-33" (285/75x16)? Did you measure your caster or just happen to luck out. I've driven 2 older Fords in th last week that had terrible death wobble in the front end. One with a TTB and one with a 60.

 

[MJlogan]

If you run the rear shackles through the frame you will probably lose an inch or so of lift. Do you plan on diesel front springs at that point, or just keep you tire size to about 32-33" (285/75x16)? Did you measure your caster or just happen to luck out. I've driven 2 older Fords in th last week that had terrible death wobble in the front end. One with a TTB and one with a 60.

I calculated the caster. I assumed the leafs to be flat at ride height and nailed the caster using simple trig. Used the spring pads as a reference point with respect to the ball joint pivot axis. Used this reference to set the heights for the shackle and front hanger relative to the ground. I believe i set it at 5*. Short shackles in the back gets rid of death wobble. It does have some decent bump steer, but it's liveable. I drove a stock config (shackles up front) F350 with a 4" lift for a while and my truck is waaay more stable.

I plan on putting 285's on it eventually, but the 265's on it are damn near brand new so i'll let them wear out. I do need to get some different springs for the front, these ones have a nice "S" shape from the previous owner playing trophy truck with them.

 

[Diesel_brad]

I do need to get some different springs for the front, these ones have a nice "S" shape from the previous owner playing trophy truck with them.

Are they F250 TTB springs?

 

[bike-maker]

My '86 crew cab had the firewall dummy plate. Just had to pull it and install the master cylinder.

My 84 had the dummy plate as well.

 

[MJlogan]

Are they F250 TTB springs?

Out of a 97 F350 with a 351, solid axle springs- came with the 60.

 

[justcuz]

Simple trig? Thats funny right there. Your simple trig is about ten stories above my mathematical skills. The fact that your springs are not quite straight may negate some of your calcs, but great way to figure it. For me I would have to run a string from the front mount to the shackle at guesstimated static and go from there. I suspect that is part of the reason longer shackles are used on lots of lifts, 1. to allow more shackle movement, hence allow the spring to flatten out more and 2. to tilt the KPA back enough to have acceptable caster in degrees. Does your front spring bracket set any further forward than the shackle mount on the factory 4x4? I would think it might have to since the axle moves back on compression of the springs.

 

[Optikalillushun]

Im gunna take a stab here and say, since the crew cab was intro'd in 83, then ford did the dummy plate knowing they'd be using it since it was a new model...which was right around the time they were introducing the hyrdo clutch again. I never seen a RC or EC with a dummy plate in the 80-86s...

 

[MJlogan]

Update time...

Got a couple hundred miles on it and so far so good. No complaints aside from 2nd gear being a little crunchy if you try to shift it fast. Tows great compared to the old C6. Drug this mess up to the high desert over the weekend and pulled the pass an extra 15mph faster than normal.

Time to work on the fuel system now. Got to replace the 250k mi original injectors

 

[justcuz]

This is still NA and the change is the stick only? I assume you ran the 4.10s with the C6 for a little while correct? What gear did you climb the pass in and what was your speed? The clutch working OK now?

The truck looks real nice. Will the injector replacement include an upgrade in fuel flow to accomodate more power/turbo, or will you include that when/if you rebuild the engine?

 

[MJlogan]

This is still NA and the change is the stick only? I assume you ran the 4.10s with the C6 for a little while correct? What gear did you climb the pass in and what was your speed? The clutch working OK now?

The truck looks real nice. Will the injector replacement include an upgrade in fuel flow to accomodate more power/turbo, or will you include that when/if you rebuild the engine?

Yeah still NA. At the top of the grade I was up near the governor in 3rd whereas with the C6 i'd be in 2nd with rpms falling. Couldnt quite pull 4th without ******* the pyro, so i'd just run it at around 3k in 3rd with the EGT's at around 800. I'd say i dropped to 45 at the steepest part right before the top. Clutch works good.

I just planned on getting some matched BB code injectors. No need for anything crazy on this old motor.

 

[justcuz]

Not bad considering roughly 800lbs of motorcycles in the bed and flat towing a 3500 lb (roughly) 4wd Ranger.