1953 F250 215 cid
What I want to do- (No GM parts)
4bt Cummins
NV4500
Transfer case? I want 2H-N-4H-4L, so I need ideas.
8 lug disc brake front 3.55 gear, I need ideas.
8 lug Dana 60 rear single wheel 3.55 gear
I would prefer Ford style axles.
Box the rails.
Small flat bed dump.

I want to use this truck for my lawn maintenance business and will pull a 14' trailer. The truck is all original with a little over 2500 miles and has been sitting in a warehouse since 1971. The flat bed is missing. I want a dump bed but I will not be hauling anything heavy. I can but dont want to put the cab on a different set of rails.

 

2500 miles and has been sitting in a warehouse since 1971?

Wow, what a find! We need to see pics! Was it a flatbed originally?

 

Yes. It will be running tomorrow. I hope.

 

Sounds like a cool project. I'm building a 4x4 too but I'm doing things the hard way ( frame swap ) . I'm using a a 78 F150 4x4 chassis.

For the transfercase it's hard to beat the Ford NP205. It's cast iron and gear drive ( No chain to stretch and fail ) . And if you ever wanted to in the future you can do a twin stick conversion on it. Doing that not only gives you the 2H-N-4H-4L but also 2L. And also front wheel drive.

I'm not all that familiar with the NV4500 besides knowing they are expensive. I don't know what would be needed to run a Ford NP205 on one. Me I personally prefer the NP435 grany low 4spd. They are cheap and nearly bulletproof. And the Ford NP205 bolts right up to the Ford 4x4 versions. If you did need OD Advance adapters does make an add on OD gear box ( not cheap around $1300 new ) . It bolts on between the bell housing and the transmission. But going that route will add another shifter. Either way I believe you would need an adapter The NP435 might require an adapter at the bell housing and the NV4500 would require one for the transfer case.

For the rear diff I prefer the full floating Sterling 10.25" ( mid 80's F250/F350's ) over the Dana 60. I feel it's a stronger rear diff. But it would require welding on new spring perches.

For the front diff it's hard to beat the king pin Dana 60 ( 78-79 Ford F250 snow fighter package or F350 or the 85 1/2-91 F350 ) . But this would take a little fabrication on the spring mounts and steering. But it's one of the toughest front diff that's easy to get parts for and has disc brakes.

Which front fenders does your truck have? Do they have the small wheel well openings or the large ones. I'm using some F500/F600 front fenders on mine. These also came on some of the F250's. The big opening fenders are a little wider and fit the later axles width a little better.

These pictures were from when I was using a 84 F250 chassis on my project.

 

I will have a flat bed with hydraulic lift available soon in SE TN

 

You could opt for Dana axles from an early to mid 70s Ford F250. You'd get the 8 lug and somewhere in that time frame front disc brakes. Another, probably cheaper transfer case option would be a Dana 24, which was standard from 59-65 on F100s and 250s, and on 250s from 66 to early 70s, I believe. It also has gears and an iron case.

 

I'm not sure about the fender's but I will be using to the F500/600.
I've always used the 2L option on 4wd's, I just didn't lock the hubs and that was why I wanted the 2H N 4H 4L. I really like the twin stick idea. I'm making notes so keep the info coming. I have a back ground in drag racing so I do know what you're talking about when you start naming parts. Thanks guy's.

 

I had this very setup plannned for my F250, decided against it. $$$$. If you are running a cummins NV4500, a Dodge donor will probably be your best bet. Keep in mind pre '94 Dodges came with a transfer case output for the front axle on the passenger side and post '94 Dodge come with a transfer case output on the drivers side, similar to Ford. Best of luck!

 

If you want a 4bt Cummins, keep your eye out for an old bread truck, I heard Wonder/Hostess is going under, there might be a few trucks on the market for cheap! An then, especially if the truck is an aluminum one, you can cut it up for scrap, sell the axles and whatever else you don't need, and use the motor for your pickup!

For your front axle plans, a DANA 44 out of a late 70's F250 would be a decent axle, it's much much cheaper to buy and rebuild, and it'll hold up to a 4bt cummins power just fine. A DANA 60 is nice, but expensive and relatively hard to find. The 44 came in 8 lug versions in the F250s and 5 lug in the F150s. I believe the 78-79 models are the most desirable (king pins, open knuckle, disk brakes and high pinion)

Good luck, sounds like a fun project!

Sam

 

I'd suggest an NP205 transfercase, it's easy to convert to twin stick. they came mounted to dodge NV4500's (or the came "divorce" mount also, if you get/have a 2wd NV4500) there are other that would work also.

a true one ton truck would have a dana 60 front, but any Dana 44 open knuckle front axle (could me made into a 3/4ton HD and be converted to 8 lugs and disc brakes using off the shelf parts. (ford, dodge, jeep, IH and GM all used them) main differences are which side the drive shaft is on, how wide and number of bolts holding shindle on to knuckle)

sounds like a nice project.......

 

Sounds like an awesome build, close to what I'm doing with mine in a lot of ways.

Your tire size is important in this, it will effect the gear ratio and what size axles to use. If you can find a Dana 60 for up front, they are basically thee axle to use but they tend to run $1000 vs $200 for a Dana 44. You won't need a Dana 60 unless you're running tires over 35" and a 4bt shouldn't need the extra strength in the axle unless you're going to be modifying it to have more torque (and it could be a monster pretty easily).

Something to remember as you'll get people saying it and it's annoying. Cummins isn't Dodge. A passenger side Dana axle isn't made by Dodge/Chevy with a drivers side made by Ford. Cummins makes the engine, Dana makes the axles. Car companies buy them to install into their cars. No different than the radio being made by Bose. Just a reminder because you will get the "why you putting a dodge in a Ford?" from people who don't realize this.

Sounds like an awesome build, I recon you'll probably even get close to 30mpg in town out it. There are ways to convert transfer cases like the NP205 to fit the back of that transmission and be a drivers side drop. There is one that already does but the Np205 is also considered "unbreakable". You have to swap out a part with another, it's a little more work but you can have your cake and eat it too. However if you're not building an intense 4x4, you should be more than fine with the one Dodge had on the back of the newer drivers side drop (I forget the name of it off hand, sorry) many use it and have no problems at all with it, it's not till you're building a major rock climber that you might need the difference (Np205 is gear driven and has a strong case, the other one is chain driven with an aluminum case if I remember right. For day to day it's not an issue, I'm building a pretty intense 4x4 and I'm still on the fence)

Love to see pictures when you have them!

 

Stephen- I know what you're saying about who really built what. Here are my thought's about it. I'm a Ford man. I could put a Cummins in it because Ford used Cummins too. The NV4500 is bullet proof(I know Ford didn't use it)- I think it's better then the old Get-Rag that Dodge used behind the 6bt's. Therefore I could put the NV4500 right behind the 4bt with out any problems(I think) and special adapter's. I'm not going to build a high HP motor, I want the 30 mpg. Advance Adapters can go from the NV4500 to the NP205 (but it's the GM model).
My thought on the axle's- I want a Ford bolt pattern.
I've not really ruled out a 6bt 12v. All are good thought's from everyone. Thanks. But don't look for picture's just yet.

Stephen- I like the 56' F600 thread.

 

The simplest solution on the transfer case might be what 52'F-3 suggested. A divorced mounted Ford NP205 might be the solution. You would run a 2wd NV4500, no expensive adapters. But it will require a third short driveshaft, a crossmember to mount it and the shifter assembly & linkages. I believe they came in the 1973-mid 77 F250 4x4's.

 

Advance Adapter's does have NV4500 to the NP205 Ford.

 

Check this out, too bad I'm building a F-250.
Dana 44 and 9 inch Ford axles