Lug pattern fix suggestions

[psy9zach]

Looking for some thoughts, my truck is for lack of the better word a Frankenstein. The guy before me converted it to a stick shift 4wd and he put a 2001 front end in the 1986 f350 truck(still uses the 86 in the rear) both are 3:73. Now my questions comes down to the fact of the different bolt battery he put 16.5 rims on for military tires which I'm not a fan of and its lifted. The lift I can tolerate but the different rims and inability to change tires not so much anyone have any idea if you can out 86 hubs on a 01 axle so I can use 86 pattern rims and get different tires or do I need to find a 86 front axle?

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[chillman88]

Your best bet is to slap a newer rear on the truck. Front hubs won't swap. You could put an older front in but you're better off just upgrading the rear.

 

[Garbage_Mechan]

Look at it this way you get an upgrade to rear discs! Get a 2000 through 2004 axle. 99 had weird shock brackets. Look around it had been done and written up before. Master cyl needs to be 1 5/16 or 1 3/8.

 

[psy9zach]

The main reason I was gonna go the other way is bc the tires are about 3 inches to the right of the body of the truck axle and it has to be due to where it lines up gear box to diff. Just upgraded everything to hydraboost 3 months ago and just rebuilt the drums(prior to me knowing about the front being a 2001) also one of the hubs has a hole in the locker handle and the diff has 3 bolt heads shaped off with the threaded side in it... lets just say the longer i work on it the more I find out I'm fixing someone's problem *****. As a for instance I pulled the heads off both cracked with 4 studs bent as well(yes I said studs not head bolts)

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[DarcyB]

You could swap the front axle to a D60 from an 80-97 F350 to get your bolt pattern (8x6.5). Another option is you can do an 05+ superduty axle swap front and rear.

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[subway]

odd the axle should not be off center because it is newer. iirc the spring perches on the newer axles all but line up on the older frame. unless the previous owner really did something else bone headed.

i think the other issue you might run into is a D60 front axle seems to run in the 800 to 1k range and still might need rebuilt unless you get a really good deal somewhere. where a rear axle can be had for 2-400 usually without to much work. that and a rear axle is usually much easier to swap with no steering to worry about. i think that is why most are suggesting that as an upgrade to match.

 

[catbird7]

Easiest fix I can see would be a set of conversion wheel spacers for the rear. This would provide a low buck solution plus allow you to correct the factory offset tracking (front to rear). At least on my truck, the front Dana 60 was four inches wider than the rear. I bought 2" "Steel" wheel spacers to correct this. For your situation, measure width of both front and rear to determine difference and order accordingly. Then have them use super duty bolt pattern for the studs & old pattern for the mounting holes. I bought mine thru Motorsport Technology super quality AMERICAN MADE!

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[BR3]

I like catbirds answer, but if you feel spacers are not an option, since jeepers love super duty axles, there are some converted hub bearings for the front that run the 8x6.5 pattern available from a few companies. Pretty expensive once you add in all the supporting costs though.

 

[u2slow]

The main reason I was gonna go the other way is bc the tires are about 3 inches to the right of the body of the truck axle and it has to be due to where it lines up gear box to diff. Just upgraded everything to hydraboost 3 months ago and just rebuilt the drums(prior to me knowing about the front being a 2001)

The SD housing will do that, and no easy fix without spending some $$$.

If this is staying a more basic truck... find a 86-97 diff. The balljoint ones seem to be cheaper... I have nabbed them in the $400-700 range in recent years. They will all be 3.54 or 4.10 though unless regeared.

If you're lifting and such, you can get a kit to make that axle work. And then find a 99+ rear to go with it.
https://www.skysoffroaddesign.com/c...ring-swap-complete-kit?variant=12220400992363

Steel spacers aren't a bad idea, other than the cost. It does help match the axle width with the front better (~65" vs ~69"). IIRC, the drum diffs had bigger hub bearings too.

Personally, the 8x170mm is inconvenient as all my other trucks and trailers and 8x6.5".