This should help....
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There was a TV commercial depicting an operating room with surgeons and nurses gathered around the patient. One member of the team begins issuing orders on what to do to save the patient. A second asks, “Are you a surgeon?” He replies, “No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.”

 

[quote=iwanaflattie;10489201]UPDATE:
I been thinking of changing the astro discs with the dually discs with the 8 lug pattern.
quote]

I'm gonna guess that you can't convert to 8 lug using the astro spindles etc. You would need to have the wheel bearing races spaces the same and have bearing the same size and use all hub and rotor from a 8 lug doner.
If you just try to drill the Astro to 8 lug, I'll bet there isn't enough room for the bolt circle and the brakes would'nt line up probably.
Next I thought you could make an adaptor to use an 8 lug spindle where the Astro was. Its likely its way to big to bolt on there. If you made an adaptor, I assume it would stick out so far you would run a chance of ruining the wheel bearings sooner.
If either was still possible, you would still need to fab up brakes etc. which would require more thought, welding and engineering.
I have seen 8 lug 3/4 ton light duty trucks. If one of these would have the same ball joint spacing and size, its possible you could attach it and have it work out. I'm gonna guess bigger ball joints etc. though. Maybe use custom "A" arms and the whole wheel end would fit.?
I do believe any of these options are possible with enough machine work etc., just not the best way to go.
I have seen five and six lug hubs made for the rear of some vehicles where an 8 lug was, but usually the bolt pattern was 5 1/2" or larger and I doubt the Astro is up front.

I'll be watching to see which way you go and what you come up with.

 

You want to switch hubs from the astro to a 1 ton 8 bolt pattern hub??? geez! if your going this route your probably going to have to find a suitable donor with a complete spindle assembly and try to adapt that to your astro control arms, the one ton uses a way bigger diameter spindle shaft than the punny astro one.

 

Hey my bad guys I didnt want to **** on anyones donut.
So I go and find out that the dually is a 1981 3/4 dually.
I tried what the pitstop said and It looks like it would work but there is a couple of minor issues.
the upper bolt and the lower bolt the hold the "arm" are different sizes and the plate that hold these bolts are riveted so I dont think is a good idea to swap them and use 8 grade bolts.or IS IT????
I also need TO CUT the coil spring to bolt everything back.
other than that I think it would work.
I will also try to swap just the discs.
This is the whole assembly on the astro arm.
(THIS THREAD IS TOTALLY OFF TOPIC! SHOULD I GO SOMEWHERE ELSE WITH IT????)
The last picture shows why I need to cut the spring and why I need the 3/4 dually bolt(the astro's is too short and too thin)

 

You are mixing apples and oranges.......astro vans and 3/4 tons are totally different designs. Even if you could somehow bolt it all together, the geometry would likely be all wrong. At best it would be impossible to align, at worst it would be a deathtrap!
Please just use one or the other.
If you had a 3/4 ton van, you would have the best of both worlds......

For my COE, I plan on using a 1 ton truck frame.....if I have to, I will use a van steering box..

 

Tinman you are deff right I just had to try it you know????
I tried the spindles and there no way in hell that it can be done.
I was looking at the steering box swap too, i am going to unbolt the steering and mock it to the 3/4 dually.
There is a 3/4 ton Ford econoline offered to me free it has no rear axle but it has a frame and the whole front end including the nonrunning motor.
I woud hate to unbolt the body from the frame in the heat tho.
MY OPYIONS
1-3/4 ton truck dually with a steering box swap
2-Astro subfrsme with f1 chassis and chebbi vad rear end
3-Get the 3/4 ford van and use the 3/4 van rear end or look for an econoline DW rear end.

 

not that my 2 cents matter either way or....i like the sound of the FORD van chassis!!! but thats easy for me to sit here and say!

but if there is a better fit with something else, i would lean towards easy(er)
i like the dually lowered thing!

 

#3 would be the best pick, don`t knof if theres any insurance salvage auctions in your area, out here you can sometimes pick up one ton cube vans for $500.00 because there smashed up, usually the fenders, doors grill or hood are all damaged but powertrain is good, don`t need any of the cab sheetmetal anyway, rip the box and cab, the cube you can either sell to recoop some $$$ or makes a good storage shed, then you got a real chassis with a steering box that i`m sure can be easily adapted to your coe

 

The doner vehicle is tough to decide on sometimes.
1/2, 3/4 or toner. Chevy or Ford. Van or Truck. Running drive train or not...
I'm not quite ready to decide myself, but I think it would be best to lay out everthing you think you would need for any doner on paper and compare to the others taking into mind the parts your already have and the labor involved and even consider scrap prices for the stuff you don't need.
A free doner vehicle may cost more and be more work than a purchased one.

 

Yeah, I have a line on a 1 ton from the local county road dept......auction will be soon. Hopefully I can sell the body parts or scrap the rest and get some $$$ back.

Also don't forget about motor homes.....they are basically 1 ton vans. Removing the body would be a pain though....

As much as I like Fords, I think a Chevy 1 ton chassis is a better fit for me. Ford trucks and vans had the twin I-beam front end (which I dislike) up till the late '80's. The GM's can also be lowered fairly easy.....

 

I was wondering if any Ford vans had control arm IFS similiar to Chevys?

The TTB (Ford Twin Traction Beam) wouldn't be as easy to swap, lower or buy parts for.

 

Hey guys.
I 92 miles from Las Vegas where there is alot of auctions and junk yards.
While the donors are cheap Think how much gas and the hassle to bring a 1 TON vehicle here.
The nearest town is Barstow 60 miles from me where there is 2 junk yards that sell their stuff like it was gold plated.
If I lived in a big city I would not try to ghetto-rig it.
Now the 3/4 van is in a creek tires 1/2 into the sand and I have no idea how to get to it.
The 3/4 is fairly complete and is half was dismantled but some one stole the steering box and steering arm.
You guys have it easy-nice weather-big shop-friends but im just a littleee ambitious guy who wont stop at nothing to build this thing and drive it.

UPDATE:
I put tires on the 3/4 ton and I will most likely have it towed to my place.
I will have to try the astro steering on the dually.
if it doesnt work out I will need to find a stocksteering box and mock it up.
I just wish it would cool down.
It was 104 degrees at 10 pm last night

 

Holy crap! thats hot! hey didn't u just get married? and don't you have air conditioning? maybe you should say hey to the wife at that time of day and heat...

My wife had to be out of town for work tonight, so i just came in from the garage! i am putting CHASSIS SAVER on the frame and bottom of the cab right now! i am brushing it on and its not so pretty but i like its toughness/protective nature.! its nice to see a little progress too!

oh its like 65 and breezy outside here. almost cold

 

I dot have air conditioning on the driveway Jeff
I meant it was 100 degrees outside not inside.
Actually now that i am married I want to spend more time outside the house before I become too homely

 

LOL homely? as in not so good looking? or homely as in...domesticated?
either way i have dealt with both!

heck i even listen to country music now! it helps me curb the road rage...most of the time!

now when you bring home a paycheck for say a chunk of cash for whatever, scrap or sold truck part, etc., do you feel the need to get approval before you spend it? i still struggle with this!