Milly the million miler build

[Saskredneck]

Well the build was suppose to start last week but since my lovely 2006 F150 5.4l decided to blow up after dumping $1500 into the engine then rolling over 200,000km and dying the overhaul is going to be postponed till fall.... But I need some input, milly was the first idi I bought with 1,020,000 on it and currently has 1,170,000 and is now again my daily driver due to another breakdown on my new "better" truck.... The motor is coming out once I have the f150 to drive to work and pretty much have that part planned out but the front end is about to fall off of it, it was bad when I bought it and have racked on a lot of miles since. My other 86 idi is a 4x4 and I'm swapping the TTB for a D60 so living here in the great white north I'm having a hard time shelling out the cash to overhaul the 2wd front end. Thoughts on dropping the TTB into my 2wd or should I just find another D60? This truck will be my daily driver and won't see much off roading unless needed so I'm thinking the TTB would be a good swap for it, mainly to deal with the brutal snow storms we get. For a daily driver mainly putting on highway and gravel road miles would it be worth doing a TTB swap or just wait and go D60?

 

[mblaney]

I would recommend a D60, probably a lot easier to do. I am currently swapping my D50 to a D60 and will be scrapping all the D50 parts from springs to spindles (I am reusing the axle outers).

D60's are expensive; I scored mine by buying a scrap-worthy F350 for $350. Removed the axle and then scrapped the truck and got $285 back You might consider looking for a full donor vehicle; cheaper than just the axle, you get every part needed and some spares from the rest of the truck.

 

[Agnem]

A 4X4 conversion is always a bit involved, since you are going from coil spring to leaf. There is welding, and a bit of fabricating. Different pitman arm too. Are you considering swapping because you want four wheel drive, or just because you are looking for a cheaper alternative? Rebuilding a 2WD front end is no big deal compared to what your talking about doing.

 

[junk]

Go with a 2005 and newer superduty coil sprung 4x4 front axle. And then install the matching rear axle. That should ride like a million bucks. I can't think of an exact link right now, but know guys are doing it all over the place. I bet you could round up a newer set of axles for decent money. Especially for what Dana 60's seem to go for.

 

[kuskoal]

The d50 ttb is equal length, wjile the 2wd setup is un-equal. Your best bet is to do a d44hd swap with 8 lug outers. Just my .02.

If you went to leafs anyway, slap a d60 in it. All the work is done.

 

[Saskredneck]

I would like to do the swap because driving a 2wd diesel here in winter, spring and fall can be difficult, I live in a tiny town with about 30 people so our RM (county) doesn't really get here quick for snow removal and usually I end up clearing the town with one of my tractors. I'm in the middle of a SAS swap in a 2003 Chevy 1500 for a buddy so fabricating isn't an issue, I am always fabricating stuff out of nothing either at work, home or on the farm the D60 I have is from a coil front end so I could always find one for leaf front suspension for my 4x4 build on my other idi. I mainly just want something that if needed its there but wouldn't get used all the time. I just hate seeing parts go to waste when I have them just sitting there that's why the D50 swap into my 2wd seemed ok for what I wanted.

 

[riotwarrior]

Here's my thoughts....

2WD coil front end to a 4x D50 TTB leaf can be done, however IMHO , it is simpler and easier to do a D60 swap than TTB sorry but it's true. The TTB will require brackets and so forth installed in the correct locations etc.

2WD coil to 4x coil, use newer 05 up SD front diff and radius arms and brackets again you are locating the brackets but that's part of the equation.

or Get a D60 and do all the fab work creating a nice coil sprung front custom fab work etc.

2WD coil to D44 with 8 lug outers, good luck locating the correct outers that fit the D44 coil front end! It can be done but parts location is a beach! Plus, you are left with a D44 diesel powered rid, that front is not really designed for what snow and such we see in Canada with a diesel weight behind it.

It comes down to what you can get for parts and what you're willing to do to install them.

JM2CW.

There are enough D60's and parts around to make a nice machine, just do what you can! Good luck in yer choices

 

[Saskredneck]

So in the end it would most likely be easiest to build my 2wd into my 4x4 toy and leave the TTB in my current 4x4 and use that one for my DD? I'm all for a challenge but with doing a diesel transplant into the wife's 78 bronco, building the wife's 87 5.0l up for her, doing the mechanical side of her restoration on her 74 f100 and trying to fit my sled/atv and antique tractor restorations in time is very limited.