hi all i got a 85 ford f250 with a 6.9 in it ive done some looking around but would still like your guys input. im planing on putting a 6in lift on it here in the next few weeks and have a set of 37s im going to put on it. My question is if my front twin i beam axel will be strong enough im not gonna be doing anything super crazy just messing around in the woods alittle and im not gonna b trying to flex it out alot. The only reason im asking is cause some guys say there all right others say not so good. thank for your help.

 

Whether or not your TTB front end is strong enough depends on a couple things. First of all your driving style, with 37s and that big heavy diesel engine in the front. If you are going to be pounding the chit out of it going though mud holes etc, probably not. Secondly which TTB front end do you have? The early 80s F250 4x4s came with either a Dana 44 HD or the Dana 50. The Dana 44 is basically a 1/2 ton axle with eight lug outers and slightly bigger brakes... the answer is no, PERIOD! The Dana 50 is actually a pretty stout piece: bigger ring and pinion, bigger axleshafts, bigger u-joints, bigger hubs and lockouts, bigger brakes etc. I would have more faith in a Dana 50 for your application. The Dana 50 I had in my 84 F250 served me very well for several years with no problems other than uneven tire wear. Your best bet, and I'm sure everyone on this forum will agree with me... swap in a straight axle Dana 60.
I recently did the swap on my truck, not that the Dana 50 wasn't strong enough... I was fed up with the tire wear and alignment issues. I plow snow with this truck, keeping an alignment is hard enough as it is! The hardest part of the straight axle swap was parting with the money to do it. It's pretty much a straight forward direct bolt in, two holes have to be drilled for the track bar bracket. Looking back on it, it was worth every penny spent the drivability is so much better and it carries the plow like champ.

 

yea i was thinking about he dana 60 swap but i was just curious about the ttb front end i think it is the dana 50 is there any certain way to check, as far as tire wear this thing might get driven once a week if that to the wood, but i might start looking for a dana 60 but then i gotta match gear and all of that which wouldnt be all that bad if its stronger>

 

chances are the ttb will be fine for your application. i say go ahead and do the lift first and keep an eye out for a cheap d60. i generally see them going for $800-1100 here in the midwest, but i have seen a few complete ones go for $600-650 lately. you just gotta check craigslist and the traders on a steady basis.

as to matching gears, you either have 3.55's or 4.10's. all the d60's you'll find will be one or the other and to be honest it'd be cheaper to just try to get the matching rear axle at the same time if possible, instead of doing a gear swap. but that's up to you and what ratio you feel is good for how you drive.

 

The quickest way to tell that I know of is to look at the hubs. The Dana 50 will have the big hubs with big lockouts. IIRC the D50 hubs measure approximately 3.5" or 3.75" in diameter, somewhere around that size anyway. The D44 will measure somewhere around 2.75" or 3" diameter.
I picked up my D60 for $600, then I put around $400 in parts (bearings, seals, king pin kits, tie rod ends, bushings, etc) into it before it was ready to go in the truck. Fortunately I was able to get $120 from selling the D50, so I did recoup some of the money spent. They're not cheap to buy or rebuild, but for the piece of mind... it's worth it.

 

alright thanks guys im out of town right now but im pretty sure there the big hubs in which case il keep the ttb setup.

 

First off...

THIS is an Axel:



THIS is an axle:



and THIS is similar to what you have minus the coil springs:

 

I lolled


gd10cl

 

haha yea sorry aboutt my lack of good english and spelling

 

If you can't tell if they're the big or small hubs, the D50 has "50" cast into the pumpkin about 2" tall, look under the truck and it's right at the bottom. Also, the axle u-joints have external clips on the 50's, internal & smaller U joints for the 44's.

For your year, all extended cabs should have the 50, & most if not all reg cabs will have the 44, unless it's been swapped over the years.

 

I almost agree but I wandered across a D50 TTB without the outside circlips yesterday and it was definatly a 50 I was looking for a shaft a D44hd.
I broke my axle shaft first time out with a lockrite and nearly bald 35's I would steer clear of a locker with the 44 and big tires I would have probaly been okay with open or limited slip. cause I wouldn't have got as far as I did with the others. my 2 cents

 

first time out with my welded front in a solid dana 44 and a BB pushing 38's i ended the night with

1. Broke long shaft
2. snaped the pinion in half and droped it in the carrier...
3. Broke wrist and injured shoulder






PS. i know someone wants to make a joke about the shaft and my wrist

 

That is a bad idea no matter the size of axle

 

nope ill never lock another front end my rear is spooled but never again a locked front

 

I love having a locker in the front. It the welded fronts that have issues. Welding is for the rear axle.