I have a 1955 F600 grain hauler that I am converting to a truck for personal use. I was going to do a frame swap with a 1997 F350 4x4 dually but the task seems like more than I am capable of. Instead, I decided to swap axles and make new spring hangers.

My question. How hard is it to turn a D60 solid axle front dually hub into a non-dually hub axle? I don't need dually right now and just a 4 wheel truck would suit my needs for a long time before I consider turning this into a tow rig and need a dually.

I am thinking it's nothing more than a hub swap but before I tear it apart and shoot myself in the foot I thought I would ask for advice.

Advice?

 

i believe on the 97 axle you need only to unbolt the adapter.
but it might be like the earlier axle where you need to just swap the hub.

 

I did see that the outer hub is bolted to the brake rotor assembly from the back side. I thought that would be a simple enough operation but, again, I am well known for burning water so I don't want to make assumptions. Another reason I thought it would be a hub assembly change is because even if I pulled the outer assembly off, I still have to have lug bolts and if the outer assembly bolts went thru the rotor, then are the holes too big for the lug bolts?

You know what they say about making assumptions. It makes an *** out of you and umption.

 

well, some of them you unbolt the adapter, remove the bolts, and install studs. others you have to change the whole hub assembly.
unfortunately, the only way to know for sure is to take it apart.

 

You need to unbolt the dually hub and put on single wheel hubs.

You do realize the F600 front fenders are WIDER than a pickup right?

 

Yes x2 on what diesel brad said. I think the hubs are the same on the f250 d50 ifs though. that would be a easy find if they are the same.

 

Coolness. When it get's a little warmer, I will make a nice long trip to the u pull it and do some scrounging. Thanks for all the heads up!

Yup. I got an idea for a low (not lowered, just low enough to get in the garage) riding 4 wheel driving truck. I don't do wheeling but I do drive in bad weather a lot and would like to pull a boat out of the water without worrying about traction. Other than that, it just seemed A LOT easier to just throw a 4x4 axle under it than mounting a ttb 1 ton front suspension. I expect to put the proper width wheels under it to make it look right even if I have to order a specific spacing or put spacers under it.

Either way, I get to bring an old truck back from rotting in the field and never seeing the road again (it never really did-farm truck, and those widowmaker wheels are never being used again either).

 

In order to get the right wheel track you will probably need to retain the dually hubs and put regular wheels on it

 

As Warhorse stated, you can use the hub assemblies from a TTB Dana 50 to convert your Dana 60 to SRW. This is very common for guys swapping D60s into other vehicles, as DRW units often sell much cheaper.

On another note, if you buy DRW rotors, you may need to drill the holes slightly larger to accept the shoulder of the lug stud.

 

Listen to Brad on this. Try it with the dually hubs and regular single wheels and see where that puts your wheels in those big fenders. Post some pictures because I have been eyeing an old uhaul dent side and contemplating something similar.

You get it up and rollling and decide you need the SRW front hubs, I got an extra set I am sure we can work a fair deal on.