I have a list of things that i am wanting to do over the winter.

I have obtained a 79 D60F for my truck, i am not sure if i want to run leafs or if i want to run coils.
Opinions on pluses and negatives of each?

I will re-gear most likely to a 4.56, it has 37"s on it now, but will likely go bigger eventually. Suggestions here?

Rear will get welded, front will get a locker.

Will go with a 6"lift to clear the pumpkin on the 60.

Motor will get a few upgrades as well.
Money left over will depend on how extensive the upgrades are.

I want to run hi-steer, but i havent done much research on it honestly.
any helpfull links would be great!

i am open to any and all suggestions.
lets hear them guys.

oh all of this is goin in the truck in my sig btw...

 

You want to run hi-steer, or just crossover?
Hi-steer on stock ford knuckles is a bad idea. Ford knuckles are weak, and will break if you steer both wheels from the tops of the knuckles.
Crossover is hard on the pass side knuckle, but if you retain the stock tie rod location, it can help save the stock knuckles. Hydro assist on the stock tie rod location helps relieve the stress on the knuckles.

Which lockouts do you have on your D60F? Are they original Spicers? You are probably going to install Warns right?
Wanna sell the old Spicers?

 

so hydro assist would be a good idea?

As for the lockouts. Im not sure yet. The axle will be on its way here next monday.
Just curious as to why you are wanting the spicers?

 

Hydro assist is really the only way to go when you use stock ford knuckles. I doubt that you will use the truck in large rocks, so hi-steer (though cool looking) is probably not a required modification. However, crossover is a must.
Here you can see a modified knuckle:
Image of D60 Steering knuckle with a little extra beef - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
And if you browse around a little, you can see other images. I think I even have a pic of a knuckle that had busted completely.
I also have some images of busted sector shafts from steering that did not have hydro assist.
See the hydro assist ram takes all of the punishment, and really saves the other components.
Remember you guys were talking about broken thumbs from having the steering wheel ripped from your hands? Well this is a thing of the past. You can run into a wall at full speed, and the wheels will not turn.
This becomes pretty important when running heavy mud with large ruts.

Now as far as the Spicers, I will PM you!

 

I bet that front d60 was a sweet find!

With 37's I might go a little lower: any faster then too slow is to fast. I say that becuase your welding the rear, so I assume you won't be driving on the road to much.

I don't know to much about this but if your choosing between coils/leafs, it might be easier to stick with what is already there.

I think (and again I don't know) the 250 would have already had a straight axle and leafs???

I would stick with that just to keep it a little simpler.

 

Its got leafs, there a neg rate spring, and its got the ever awesome TTB. It will still be driven on the street, just not nearly as much, mostly around town or whatever.

As for as crossover steering i havent done ANY reading on that, so do you have any that i could read up on. Hydo assist seems like a good idea. Got any links i can read up on that too by chance?

 

Oops... I thought the TTB only went into the f150/ranger/bronco, learning something every day.

I did a quick search on the Hydro assist and there was a thread the came up from a guy with the same question. These links were from a comment by Fishmandotcom.

Must have been an older thread, the minions were still around... Gone for a few months and everything changes.

4x4.forensick.net: '88 bronco: steering box rebuild
Tapping Steering Gear Box for Hydraulic Assist Lines (PICS) + ram/hose install - FSB Forums
Pirate4x4.Com - Extreme Four Wheel Drive

 

Which truck and what are you using it for?

If you're still daily driving it and just dickin around in the mud I would stick with the leaves, do a RSK, and whatever lift is required from there. For the rear, sky manu. shackle flip.

for gears. depends on terrain, motor, what size tires you want to run, etc, but 4.56-4.88 seems like a good all around gear with a little room to upgrade tire size. Lower for rocks, higher if you're keeping it on the street, right about there for mud. The BW case and zf granny gear will help out too.

 

its all goin in my truck in my sig.
95 250 "stock" 351w zf 5 speed....

As far as the ttb in my truck its the danda 50ttb not the 44... which is what the bronco's and 150's had. But still i dont like it...

Brian thanks for the links...

 

Are 5.13's available for your truck? If they are, I would probably go with those.

 

Im sure they are...
Just not sure if i want to go THAT low or not....
We will see when the time comes.

 

Leaf springs generally are stronger and more stable than the coils.
Leaf springs are also ALOT simpler.
Leafs have more load carrying capacity.
Leaf springs are also alot cheaper.

I have nothing good to say about coils other than a better ride quality. Which could be obtained with the right leafs.

 

Nothing good to say about coils huh?
Lighter weight, superior progressive rates, more articulation, less wheel base change during suspension fex, coil overs offer the ability to obtain dual or triple rates.
Far more accurate dampening, painfully simple tuning, ride height adjustablity.
Lets see,,,,,, off road racing fabricators have leaned towards the coils spring for its superiority, as well as new vehicle manufacturers. A proper coil spring can have an equal amount of load capacity as any leaf spring.
Leafs are antiques.

If you plan on upgrading to a coil type spring, consider a coilover. Once the link or radius arm set-up is in, the coil and shock package will make for a far superior suspension set-up.

 

coil vs leaf, another one of the great debates. I personally like leaf because of simplicity but that is just my thing. owning a bronco I have both lol. anyway it's more personal preferance than anything here is a link to a couple of different points of veiw.Four Wheeler 4x4 Throwdown - Coil Suspension & Leaf Suspension - Four Wheeler Magazine

and not that I saw it mentioned but I leaf springs have more planting force than coils springs do.

 

My bronco has a pretty basic coil set up, just some superflex coils from broncograveyard. Not even extended radius arms or anything like that. I don't think you'll find a leaf setup that will flex like mine without big dollars leaves.





Leaves are probably the simplest to set up, but other than that it depends on the spring rates and set up as to how it will perform..