If some body can point to the correct thread that would be great other wise this is something i cant find much info on

am going to be lifting my truck i have a 1991 ford F250 supercab 4 Wheel drive my leaf springs front and rear are SHOT to hell and gone i was wondering if it was possible to just get bigger lift springs say 3'' and coils and the shock to match and if a small lift could be done that way with a suspension lift later on down the road?

 

First, no coil springs on a 4 wheel drive truck. It's leaf springs all the way around.

If you want spring only lifts, companies like SkyJacker make lift springs for the front, but will usually include only blocks for the rear axle until you go over 6" of lift or so (not recommended with the TTB front suspension). You can also look at Deaver Springs to build you leaf packs both front and rear for any lift and ride style you would like.

More commonly, for the rear, you can easily gain 2" of lift by just getting an F350 lift block; it puts your block at 4" instead of the 2" block in your F250 as is. As for new springs, you can go with any F250 or F350 springs from 1980 all the way through 2006. The 1980-1997 are going to be a direct bolt in, while the 1999-2006 are going to require you to drill out the hanger hole for a metric bolt. Super Duty springs are designed to be a more progressive spring pack than what you currently have, so the ride will improve. However, the only way to know the rated capacity of the springs is to get the door code tag for the springs to keep the rating the same as what you currently have. You cannot know the model/rating of the spring unless you have the door tag rating.

For the front, you can go up to around 4" of lift before the TTB starts giving you issues with the lift (4" would put you level if you put in the 4" block in the rear). One of the more popular ways to do it is going to be with something like the SKY RSK (reverse shackle kit). It moves the swing shackle on the front springs from the front to the rear mount which greatly improves the ride quality. Inherent in doing this, you will gain around 2.5" of lift with larger lifts available.

Also possible, is a Dana 60 swap. Because of the design of the mono-beam axle, swapping in the Dana 60 with F350 leaf springs will net you around 2.5" of lift. You can then pair this with an RSK to get even more lift.
Edit: If swapping between the TTB and Dana 60, you need to also swap springs. The F250 springs are much stiffer than the F350 springs due to the way the TTB puts leverage on the spring pack. A TTB front end with F350 springs will sag worse than you have now, and a Dana 60 with F250 springs will ride like the front suspension is solid.

If you decide to go with a Dana 60 swap, you can swap to Super Duty springs when doing an RSK from either SKY or Precision Metal Fab. Both kits can be used to mount the longer Super Duty springs while also reversing the shackle location.

Super Duty springs both front and rear are a more progressive and softer riding spring pack than the 9th gen trucks came with; add an RSK to it and the ride will be night-and-day different.

 

if straight axel yes, TTB no. I plan on doing the skyjacker add a leaf levaling kit to my truck soon whitch should bring it up to about a 2in lift up front and run a 1in block on the rear

 

It is possible to buy coil over shocks four a 4x4 yes? Im a newbie in custom lifting. sorry...

 

Anything is possible, with skill, time, and money, but coil overs are not an easy addition to these trucks. I don't know of anybody that makes a coil over setup for this era of truck, especially with a 4x4 TTB suspension. You might have better luck if you go with a solid axle since welding shock mounts and swing arms mounts to the mono beam is going to be easier than trying to do the same with the TTB arms.

Your best bet is going to be to do a lot of reading on coil over conversions (doesn't really matter what generation... the basic requirements are all the same).

 

ya idk what i was thinking with the coils

Are your saying you cant go over 6'' with the TTB ? i was only looking to do like a 3''-4'' lift. so i guess that works outs

when i was looking at deaver's leaf spring i saw that the only had rear springs why couldn't you use them on the front too long perhaps

would deaver's in the rear and skyjackers up front work
or somthing along those lines


i dont really like leveling the truck i like the look of the rear sitting a 1'' or 2'' high then the front
i was thinking 3'' lift leafs up front and 4'' in the rear thoughts

and as far as blocks go i also hate them more then anything really idk why but the just look ugly too me. thats why i was thinking using the leaf spring to get the lift

 

the last 250 i did i put the 4 inch skyjacker springs in front, and the 6 inch skyjacker springs in the rear without the rear blocks. the truck sat about 1 inch *** high with the weight of the diesel engine sitting on the front springs.

 

With any durability and longevity to your drive train, no you can't go bigger than 6" though anything more than a 2" lift (leveling kit) it's recommended that you also get a TTB drop bracket which lowers the TTB attachment points to keep camber in check..

Yes it would. You could also contact Deaver to have them quote you on a set of springs to fit your truck. Deaver will design just about any custom leaf spring you want. A simple lift spring for your truck shouldn't be anything difficult for them to figure out, but it'll probably cost more than the Skyjackers will. I've also heard that Skyjacker's are a little soft and can reduce weight capacity of the truck. Maybe TJC can comment on that since he seems to have had Skyjacker springs.

If they get expensive though, it might be worth while looking into the SKY RSK and some junkyard springs; improved ride and a lift.

Removing blocks and using lift springs will work. While this will help reduce axle wrap, without lengthening the eye to eye distance and subsequently creating a larger arch, the springs will provide a stiffer ride. This can be compensated though with high quality leaf springs like those that Deaver makes, along with longer swing shackles. I would give somebody at Deaver a call to have them advise you on what will work best for your application.

kidkyle21, I don't think you've mentioned the engine you have, but if you have the 351, the truck would probably sit level with this setup. The 460 might give you a half inch of rake (maybe a little more), and the Powerstroke obviously 1" of rake.

TJC, how did the ride with the SkyJacker leaf springs compare to stock?

 

a little stiffer due to the arc being different. but not all that bad.

 

Ok hold on, I have a 95 F250 and I thought it already has a solid front axle. Am I right? Also, what does TTB stand for. i know IFS is Independent Front Suspension. Similar?

 

TTB: Twin Traction Beam. It's Ford's name for the 80-97 independent front suspension used on Rangers, Explorers, Broncos, F150s, & F250s.

If you look at the pivot point on the passenger side of the truck, that is the driver's side wheel beam, the passenger side tire arm is mounted to the driver's side of the truck. This makes for very long arm independent suspension, but it's slightly flawed when used in the F250 with leaf springs. The coil spring F150 and smaller vehicles don't bind when the suspension flexes, but it does with the TTB.



For comparison, an F350 with the monobeam Dana 60.

 

I gotcha ... I didn't think they put leafs on anything but solid axles. Figured it was a bad idea lol. Thanks for the clarification.

 

One more Q. Iv'e always assumed that solid axle conversion is much stronger than stock TTB, as far as off-roading goes. But the TTB is better for speed over light terrain. Like a pre-runner. I'm I right about this?

 

With the factory installed leaf springs, it's debatable that the TTB rides better; TTB setups with coil springs definitely ride better, but yes, generally the TTB is going to provide a smoother ride than the solid axle. However, a Super Duty spring swap with an RSK will yield the best results for a "bolt in" swap. You can get a better ride with coil overs, air ride, and 4-links, but the benefit is minimal for the added complexity.

 

Yes I do have the 351w but how would a 4 in the front and 6 in the rear level the truck ?