Alright, I know you're all tired of hearing of hearing solid axle swap questions. I looked at some posts on here and some of the stickies on FSB but the majority of the posters discussing the swaps also had a lift, oversize tires, aftermarket accessories, etc.

I have access to a 1978 F-250 4WD which ran and drove before the guy took the drivetrain and the doors. It has a solid front axle and front leafs. I can have all the parts I want, for basically no cost, before the whole rolling lot goes to the scrap yard (bad frame), but I do have to decide pretty quickly. I'm not sure which Dana axles the truck has, but the important thing is everything is complete. It also includes the 16" 8-lug rims.

I'm wondering if I can swap the complete assemblies into my 1987 F-150 4WD.

I already had plans this year to replace the coil springs, front shocks, radius arm bushings, and front brake rotors on my stock front end. Also, one or both wheel bearings are going to need replaced eventually. If I'm going to spend all that money to refurbish my stock front end, I'd rather just spend it on a heavier duty setup.

Will the parts from the 1978 "bolt up" to my 1987 frame? That's the most critical question. I understand I will probably have to have my driveshafts modified, and that's fine.

The rear should not be too bad. I already have a heavy duty spring pack with all new hangers. Brake lines are straightforward, and the shocks should bolt up the same.

I'm not sure about the front. That's where I need advice from somebody who has done it before. The spring hangers from the F250 are solid, and we were actually able to loosen the bolts holding them onto the frame pretty easily.

 

This is doable but it's not a simple bolt-on, this vintage F150 frame was not designed for a front leaf spring suspension so there are no preexisting holes for the hangers.. that you will have to figure out for yourself. The rear is more straight forward but there too you may run into a gotcha, the F250 most likely has 3" wide rear springs while the F150 has 2.5" wide springs so the hangers themselves will have to be swapped.. not a deal killer just more work.

 

It almost certainly has a Dana 44 front axle and a Dana 60 rear (I don't know if the rear would be semi- or full-floating).

And what does "no lift" mean to you? A 4WD '78 F-250 will sit a lot higher than a 4WD '87 F-150. You'll probably end up around the F-250s original height if you do this.

 

What I meant by "no lift" was no aftermarket lift components. I read lots of posts about including Skyjacker, etc. parts in their swap and none of that applies to me. Stock F-250 height is good.


No problem, especially since I will have the 1978 frame as a reference for the measurements and bolt hole layout. I am hoping there won't be any other items in the way, such as crossmembers, engine mounts, or cab mounts.


Can I just use my 2.5" springs with the F250 axle? Wouldn't it just have flat perch thing on the axle tube with a centering pin just like the F150 rear axle?

 

I thought 4wd F150s used 3" springs? I know 2wd uses 2.5" but I thought the 4x4 version used the wider spring.

 

You are correct. After I posted my last response I confirmed that my F150, and the donor F250, both have the same 3" springs. The F250 has 4+1 leaves, and my truck has 6+1 so I already have the heavy duty spring upgrade.


So this is good news, and won't be an issue after all.


It is also the full-floating axle (has the protruding hubs with 8-ish bolts) so this is more good news. I tried to read the axle tags but they were rusty and caked with mud. I'll have to get a better look once I can clean them up a bit.

 

The rear will literally bolt in. No mods needed.
The front is pretty straight forward. Two thing of importance: the spring pad width on the 1978 solid axle is about 32" and your frame horns are around 36". Not a big deal though, lots of people have done it.
You also need about 3-4" of lift for pumpkin to clear the engine cross member. You would end up about stock F350 height roughly.The springs that come with the axle would likely give enough lift.

Below is a pic of a cross member used with a 32" axle on a 36" frame.

 

 

The rear is a Dana 60. It's worth about $50-250 (often free if you buy the front).
The front is either a Dana 44 (most likely) or a Dana 60. The 44 uses ball joints and the 60 has king pins.
Both axles are worth saving from the scrap yard even if you only plan to resell them. The 44 is worth about $300-600 depending on condition. The 60 is worth $800-1600. These axles sound like the lower end of the range, but still worthwhile.

 

VERY unlikely that a '78 F-250 had a Dana 60 front. The front Dana 60 didn't even come out until '78, specifically as a 1 ton axle (that was the first year you could get a 4WD 1 ton). And keep in mind that what was called an F-250 then is now called an F-150 (high 6 to high 7000 GVWR). The F-250HD didn't come out until about 5 years later.

 

There is no such thing as a 1978 F350 4x4. They came about in '79.
The F250 got a D60 in the front as part of the "snow fighter" package or in the F250 Supercab. A majority of the supercabs had 60's in the front (never heard of one that didn't in fact, but I'm sure there was a few).

Also, the dana 60 was used in the front prior to '78, though it was low pinion and only available in the F250.