Axle swap is one of the best mod you can do to your truck/Excursion. If you plan to keep your truck for a long time, then this mod has many benefits.


Parts needed;

Radius Arm Bracket
Radius Arm
Axle
All steering linkage
Drag link
Track bar
Track bar bracket
Steering Stabilizer and Bracket
Coil Spring and Coil Spring Insulator Cup
Coil Spring Bucket
Brake lines from Caliper to the hard line with fitting
Gear Box with one line that goes to hydro boost
05+ wheels and spare. 16” spare wheel will not work
Shocks


It is ideal to get a rolling chassis. Associated hardware, nuts and bolts will be all there. Save time and money. Very expensive to buy new from Ford.


05-07 vs 08-10 axle. Only difference is slightly better sway bar end link design.
11+ axle, wheel sensor is different. May not be compatible without extensive modification.


Pros
Better turning radius and better brakes. These 2 alone is worth the swap. Makes life way easier.
No more axle wrap under braking
You can use 05+ Super Duty wheels (17”,18”,20”) Your choice!
Bigger and better unit bearing
It's a Dana 60, You can throw Dyna-trac product at it and not feel guilty
More selection of lift kits for coil spring axle vs old leafs spring
Fits 35” tires without a lift kit, 37” with Carli 2.5” lift kit with proper wheel spacing
Install Carli Suspension with their 08 rear leaf spring and your suspension is the ultimate on/off road vehicle


Cons
Time and money. But depending on how you look at it, it doesn't really cost that much more if your steering, brakes need service anyway. Why not upgrade and buy new parts for the better axle? Guess this should be a pro



Tips and Tricks
If you are removing rivets from frame, grind an X pattern on the rivet head and air chisel it out. It's easy. You can also drill the rivets out, but this is time consuming and takes great patience.


When drilling into frame, start a pilot hole and gradually increase bit size.


If my engine is out of the truck, I would reinforce the crossmember just like the 05+ frame. Also I would modify the frame where the radius arm bracket bolt to the frame and reinforce everything better. But since I did it with the engine in the truck. I did this way.

Here is the link.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/108989...7651248480674/

 

I love you.

Now come swap mine? I'm busy it's other projects.

Reps sent bud

 

Great stuff !!


Thanks for documenting this. I'm impressed that so many of the holes line up. This needs to go in the tech folder for sure.

 

REPs sent!

WOW. Awesome and a really really great job with the pictures.

 

I would so do this... if I had money


EDIT: Just went through all the pics and damn that's a nice write-up. Reps sent and I think I know what Michael is planning on doing next

 

Everyone knows Michael will do the 2016 Excursion from CABT instead of swapping axles on his 6.0, lol.

 

This can be done over a weekend, that can't He'll drive the H2 for 2-3 days if he gets that back on Monday morning, but I bet money he won't drive the H2 for a few months while they do the conversion.

 

Drive the H2 for months? Why? You bring them a new pickup and they convert it into an Excursion. They don't update an old one. Dummy.

 

Friggin Awesome Someone please clue me in on how to send REPs

 

That little scale on the right side of the bar in the screenshot I've included.

 

Reps Sent to everyone (sept that jerk over in the other thread ) ! At this pace I should be in jail at any moment. Thanks Matt

 

Ahhhh, I thought you supplied both.

 

Michael has said before that he plans to keep his black EX just as it is AND have CABT build a new '16 Platinum EX for him, to replace the crappy H2.


00X7.3PSD, Great write up and pictures!

 

Thanks for the write up and pics. I had planned on doing this within the next month! Just waiting for mr. slow poke super duty part out guy to finish stripping down the truck to a roller.


Reps sent.

 

Nice job, this is on my to-do list. Couple of questions:
1. how much lift over the 'stock ex' did this give you?
2. Why does the newer front end allow for larger tires?
3. Any idea why we need a spacer - I thought the truck and ex frames were supposed to be the same all the way back to the passenger doors?