I have a 1988 F350 Regular Cab Long Bed with the 460EFI engine. It has a 4 inch suspension lift and a 3 inch body lift on 38x15.50 inch tires, but I will probably be putting 37x13.5 inch tires on it because the 38s rub really bad.

I just got it, It used to be my Dads, so I am still learning about it. In one of my prior threads someone had said that they thought it looked like it was the TTB axle instead of solid axle like I thought it was. So, yesterday as I was cleaning it, I took a look at the axle and found out that I'm pretty sure that it was the TTB axle or a different IFS axle, if there was another one offered for that year. Either way its definitely not a solid axle.

I asked my Dad about it on the way home and he said that it wasn't a solid axle and that it wasn't even the heavy duty one. He didn't know the exact name of the axle though. So I don't know if there was different IFS systems other than the TTB or just different levels of the TTB?

So I have heard that IFS axles don't usually do well with being lifted. So I was wondering how you guys thought the TTB or IFS axle handles being lifted from a reliability and durability stand point. I just hope that the axle will hold up well once I start driving it, and that I won't start burning through suspension parts.

So let me know what you guys think. Thanks for any help in advance.

 

The 88 F350 only came with a solid dana 60 front axle. The 80-86 had the TTB with, I think, a dana 50.
So, either someone swapped the TTB in, or the truck was originally an f250 or f150. OR, it is an earlier f350 with a later body on it.
Post some pictures of the front suspension.

 

The Twin Traction Beam or TTB IFS isn't as bad as GM's and others versions - those are more car like and usually don't hold up very well.

First question: 5 Lug or 8 Lug? If it's 5 Lug with coil springs you've got an F150. 8 Lug and Leaf Springs and you've got an F250. Since you list 16.5" tires and I don't know of any 16.5" 5 lug rims I'll assume it's an F250. Ewalt listed the other possibilities but I don't know anyone who would swap a TTB in unless maybe as a desert race truck... Could be an 80-85.5 with 88 bodywork or just have F350 badges on it. Look at the door sticker, it'll tell you. At the bottom under Type-GVW. If it's F2xx then it's an F250. F3xx would be F350.

Good news is that there are options to put a solid axle in there if that's the way you want to go. TTB axles are tough but have their limits. It's not the fault of TTB, it's just that a D44 axle will only reliable handle a 35-37" tire. Solid axle or not. The D50 available on some F250's can handle a little more.

Lifting. The biggest issue is that you need drop brackets. The center pivots need to be dropped and in the case of the F150 the Radius arms need to be dropped. There are other options but for the most part drop brackets will be needed. Once lifted they perform pretty much as stock. The larger tires are heavier and have more leverage but usually isn't much of a problem.

 

Ok thanks. My Dad has had the truck since it was new so I'm pretty sure that nothing has ever swapped onto it. That's also what I thought, that they only came with the Dana 60s? Yeah sorry I wanted to post pics but forgot.

Here's the best pics of the axle that I have at the moment. I can get more on Monday

 

That's interesting, are the 5th and 6th #'s of your VIN 26 or 36? 26 is F2504X4, 36 F350 4X4.

 

Are there emblems on the side of the front fenders? Ford never installed them under the passenger headlight like that so that one isn't original and I'd be what you really have there is an F250.

 

X2 on F250, or someone swapped to a TTB.....witch be just plain stupid!

 

That right there is F250 w D50 or D44HD TTB that someone put F350 emblems on

 

Put up a side pic that includes the front hubs, and we can at least tell you if you have the Dana 44HD or the bigger Dana 50 TTB

 

Ok. Sorry guys I've been busy all day and haven't had a chance to post on here. So I asked my Dad about the truck and well I figured something out, that I never knew before. When I asked about it my Dad told me that apparently it is a F250 and he put F350 badging on it. Never knew that before, It was news to me.

Either way its still a TTB axle. So it is an 8 lug and does have leaf springs. I had originally thought that it was a sollid axle so I was pretty happy, but now I will probably end up swapping it out for a Dana 60 someday, but probably not for a few years.

The truck is already lifted like I said, with a 4 inch suspension lift and a 3 inch body lift on 38s with 16.5 inch wheels. I will probably be putting 37s with 18 inch wheels on it.

Thanks you guys for your comments and help. I learned something about my truck that I never knew or even thought about before thanks to you guys. I would also still like to know a little more about the axle and how it handles being lifted. I am also assuming that it is the Dana 44 and not the Dana 50 because my Dad said that it was not the heavy duty one.

 

Have you ever thought of taking off the body lift and going down to 35's? I think your truck would have the perfect stance with that.

 

Regular cab F250's had the D44HD. The Super cabs had the D50, although the D50 was an option on the regular cabs as well.


My Diesel F250 has the D44HD.... It's the same axle as the F150's, but leaf sprung, and 8 lug spindles.

 

I don't mean to derail this but can someone post the the hub pics for comparison. I have always wondered what I have.

 

Dana 44HD hub on my 1990 F250 Diesel, the chrome cap on the hub measures 3.5"



Dana 50 hub on a '91 F250 Diesel, chrome cap measures 4"

 

Cool beans, my 90 diesel and 84 460 have the 4" caps but the 81 300 has 3.5" caps.