Ex Wife- my LONG term build

[The_Josh_Bear]

Here's a few examples. I didn't build all of the steel ones. I used to build the wooden ones, but they're farmed out to someone else now.

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Those are pretty serious! Nice work!

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

I've had a slight change of direction. Just a slight one though. I was originally thinking about trying to keep the Doug Nash OD unit that's in the truck now and see if I could make a separate mount so that I could still use it and keep the 4.10 gears in the rear end. I ran this idea by Wes while I was down his way a week and a half or so ago. He said that he doesn't really care for them because if the OD unit has issues, it won't transmit power. Since this is a two wheel drive truck, it won't be able to move. He said that he prefers 3.55 gears and then dropping a gear if you have to. I didn't really like that suggestion very much since it wasn't what I wanted to hear, but I had plenty of time to think about it on the way back home and I feel that I have to agree. This truck will be my "tow rig" (not that I tow a lot), but it will still see most of it's miles empty, going 70 MPH down the highway. There's a pretty small percentage of my yearly driven miles that are actually city driving. I can also keep the 4.10 gears that are in it now and swap them if I know that (for whatever reason) I'm going to be doing some heavy towing for a while or if I get a large 5er toy hauler. At least that's the theory. I may never swap the 4.10's back in. Since I've never bought diff gears before, I'm looking for suggestions for good places to buy them. I appreciate any suggestions.

That sounds about right, he gave me the same advice. I have to say I'm kinda in the middle on my 3.55 swap though. I like the 4.10's better for everything until I'm at 70+. Almost everything: drifting a freeway on ramp in the rain in 3rd gear is more fun with 3.55's but easier to start with 4.10's!
But I got to learn how to set up gears for my Dana 50 front end and finding a $100 rear axle loaded with a Detroit Locker was the best find ever. Timing was important and I failed at that big time but otherwise it was a lot of learning!
Also Wes has more HP to work with than I do. I think when you're pushing more ponies the gear difference won't be much of a deal, and having the legs between shifts is nice.

As for front gears I found some Dana used 3.55's on ebay in good shape. Since I won't ever put a lot of miles on the front that made sense to me.

For the rears get the best you can since it's your bread and butter. I wouldn't fret with Ford used myself but whatever you decide on make sure it's quality. And consider a crush sleeve eliminator kit for the rear, supposed to be the cats pajamas for longevity, whereas the crush sleeve will loosen up over time.

 

[Cubey]

I do really like the transmission dipstick set up though. It's slightly toward the driver's side from center. I have absolutely no idea what this came out of (maybe a van?) but it's a VERY good idea.

I highly doubt that dipstick setup is from a van. You wouldn't be able to reach it without removing the doghouse cover. Vans usually get extra long oil and trans dipsticks. You can see the oil dipstick's yellow handle above the alternator.

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The trans stick is further to the passenger side and a bit further back. It's still much longer and closer to the radiator. You can see the edge up the upper radiator hose in the bottom right corner of the pic:

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The ATS 085 kit came with a trans dipstick tube that routes around the air filter housing. I'm guessing trucks got it too? Unless the ATS 085 diagram that everyone references was for the van specific kit. Except it has the lid, and mine doesn't. Vans cold air intake box is on the passenger side, so the lid can't fit if turned around.

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[IDIBRONCO]

Those are pretty serious! Nice work!

Thank you sir. Wes liked seeing the one that I had with me a couple of weeks ago.

Almost everything: drifting a freeway on ramp in the rain in 3rd gear is more fun with 3.55's but easier to start with 4.10's!

That's funny. When I was working on these for a living, I did this every time that I test drove a dually when it was wet out (damn kids!). The ones with a turbo would drift VERY well. Cab and chassis trucks without a bed would hop the rear end if I tried this though. The guy who owned the shop I worked in also owned a used truck lot and an auto auction so he bought himself a few IDI powered trucks to fix and resell. His C&C trucks that I saw didn't have a bed on them.

For the rears get the best you can since it's your bread and butter. I wouldn't fret with Ford used myself but whatever you decide on make sure it's quality.

I definitely plan to get new, quality gears. That's why I asked for recommendations.

 

[miles1400]

Since we are talking about axle stuff does anyone have a link to a thread for doing an axle swap. im not looking for a D60 swap thread. im looking for one where they just changed the axles. i want to get an idea of how hard this will be

 

[chillman88]

Since we are talking about axle stuff does anyone have a link to a thread for doing an axle swap. im not looking for a D60 swap thread. im looking for one where they just changed the axles. i want to get an idea of how hard this will be

Just the shafts? Front or rear? Rear is EASY but front you're pulling the hub apart.

 

[miles1400]

@chillman88 both, i went and looked at a 3.55 geared D60 and Sterling 10.25 for my truck. i currently have 4.10 axles and they said they would trade my for the axles but i dont have a clue when it comes to swaping the axles nor do i have the tools to do it. they also said that swaping the axles is less work than changing the gears

 

[chillman88]

@chillman88 both, i went and looked at a 3.55 geared D60 and Sterling 10.25 for my truck. i currently have 4.10 axles and they said they would trade my for the axles but i dont have a clue when it comes to swaping the axles nor do i have the tools to do it. they also said that swaping the axles is less work than changing the gears

Oh yeah definitely. I'll PM you to reduce thread clutter.

 

[Stu Bailey]

Here's a few examples. I didn't build all of the steel ones. I used to build the wooden ones, but they're farmed out to someone else now.

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My wife would go nuts. She loves spiral stair cases. Nice work amigo

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Nice work amigo

Thanks, man.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I finally got to pick up my repaired dually fenders from work today. Yes my boss was dragging his feet. He says that he doesn't like fiberglass work. I don't like having to spend the Monopoly money that he likes to give for part of our Christmas bonus so I think it's a fair trade off. The work wasn't perfect. The paint doesn't match perfectly, but I really don't care at this point. The paint is a close enough match and I look at the fiberglass work as preventative maintanence. If I would have left it alone, the cracks would have kept breaking out while I was driving down the road. The repair work was mostly done in the darker paint. There was a little bit around the back side of the missing marker light. There could have been some done to the outside of the fender there too, but it would have required more paint work and that would have raised the bill quite a bit. The rest can be taken care of some day down the road when I have the whole truck painted. The main thing is that I got the big break fixed.

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[aggiediesel01]

As plentiful as these axles are in wrecking yards, I think I’d put a decent amount of effort into finding a complete axle with the 3.55 gears in it already. Rolling an axle under the truck and bleeding brakes is way easier than swapping and setting up gears. Then you could leave your 4.10 axle behind the shop for a while while you decide if you like the 3.55 or not.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

That's actually a pretty good idea. I may have to look into that as well.

 

[jrollf]

Dually fenders take a beating from rocks that get stuck in tire tread and then ejected inside the fender. Mine have a few star cracks on top from rocks hitting the inside.

Often wondered if I could adapt the fender liners from a step side bed to a dually fender... LMC Truck sells them.

1993 F350 Crew Cab Dually
7.3L IDIT with a Banks Sidewinder
ZF 5-spd manual transmission

 

[rewbrooks50]

Dually fenders take a beating from rocks that get stuck in tire tread and then ejected inside the fender. Mine have a few star cracks on top from rocks hitting the inside.

Often wondered if I could adapt the fender liners from a step side bed to a dually fender... LMC Truck sells them.


Maybe install diyamat or other brand on the fiberglas fenders
7.3L IDIT with a Banks Sidewinder
ZF 5-spd manual transmission

Maybe install diyamat or other brand on the fiberglas fenders
7.3L IDIT with a Banks Sidewinder
ZF 5-spd manual