I have a 96 F-150 that i am looking to beef up for off road. Really want to put 3\4 ton axles under it but not sure what years everything would be compatible and fit my truck? My truck is a regular cab short box and im not sure what issues if any that i would have to worry about on swapping axles. I'm sure it will take some fab work but looking for any advice and tips.

 

It seems that most folks going off road are looking to lift their trucks, not sure if the heavier axles are necessary, but others with specific knowledge will likely chime in. It seems that for off road you would want more travel in the suspension, heavier spring setups say for instance in a 350 series truck are designed for a heavier load (not alot of travel) - which may not be right for you. I talked to a neighbor that has been working on a jeep for off roading and he went to large coil over shocks with large loops for the mounts which were welded to the frame for this purpose. It seems to be kind of a specialty thing - off roading the trucks .....

 

I want to make this truck my all around outdoors truck. Was thinkin 3/4 axles so my truck will be able to support more weight while hauling a trailer but yeah i agree 1 ton axles are overkill for what i want. You think the stock axles are durable enough? My truck also came with a cheap body lift i had to get straightened out. Any suggestions on brand of good sturdy suspension lift? I have 33" tires that i gotta clear.

 

If the truck is already 4x4 then don't worry about swapping axles the stock ones wont care to much about 33's. 33's should go on without little to no modifications.

 

With 33s, you can expect some rubbing at full lock.

 

What do you think your axles won't handle? If you're just putting 33" tires on it, it will handle those.

 

I have 33" tires on my 95 f150 with procomp wheels. They gave me the backspacing needed to not rub at full lock. I have 3:55 gears with the 5.8l and seems to be decent.

Also just because you upgrade to 3/4 ton axles doesn't mean your truck will haul more. It is still a 1/2 ton frame.

 

stock will handle 33"s just fine. If you really want a straight axle than a dana 44 will hold up well. Usually 3/4 ton trucks use a "one ton" rear end and a slightly beefed up "half ton" axle in the front so if you want more strength than a D44 you'll have to get a D60. You won't need to go to a D60 unless you want to run at least a 35" tire with lockers and a good amount of HP and a heavy foot. If you're not hardcore you can get away with 35"s and still have some fun offroad with the stock suspension so long as you swap gears. To run 33"s all you need is to clear them, be it with lift or a sawzall.

If you want more strength than the stock setup but don't think you need a set of D60's than I would swap in a D44 front and a 9 inch rear, maybe upgraded with stronger aftermarket parts. However with the work involved you might as well go with the stronger axles so you can go for bigger tires when you get tired of getting stuck. Unless weight is a concern for some reason. Also the lighter axles will have more ground clearance under the diffs.

 

I'm not asking a way to clear 33" tires, I already have them on my truck. I'm wondering if my stock axles are sturdy enough to be bangin around in the mountains and keep from breaking down or if 3/4 ton axles would be stronger and last longer? I'm looking to set this truck up for some major mud bogging.

 

Well, you aren't going to be doing any "major" mud bogging on 33" tires. For that you will need 38-40"+ tires. If you are running 33s, I think the stock axles will hold up just fine. I had 35s on my 95 F-150 and I hauled and towed way over capacity, and also abused it pretty good off road and it held up just fine.

 

If i decided to go to 38"-40" tires would the stock axles hold up or should i upgrade?

 

Only for a while, if you go that way the best you can do is upgrade to a Dana 60, you will also need to re-gear, you probably have 3.55 there right now, that's good for 235/75, find the proper factor for the size-tire you want.

 

I thought some Dana 50 ttb parts fit Dana 44 ttb axles???

 

If it was a pavement princess I'm sure they would hold up just fine, but off road not a chance. You would need 1 ton axles and minimum 8-10" of lift, which is going to involve major modification and custom fabrication. Not to mention it wouldn't be anywhere close to street legal once you were done with it.

 

If i stayed with the 33" tires or went with 35" tires would stock f150 axles hold up? what gearing would i wanna use for good power and torque to spin either tire size through the mud?