I recently placed a Dana 60 front axle from a 1978 F250 under my 1974 Highboy. I'm going to put a crossover steering soon. I built a tie rod using 1.5" on .250 wall DOM and 7/8 heims. It turned out nice. I now need to get some u-bolts and some Deavers.<a href="http://s1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/?action=view&amp;current=DSC07364.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/DSC07364.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a<a href="http://s1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/?action=view&amp;current=DSC07357.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/DSC07357.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a<a href="http://s1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/?action=view&amp;current=DSC07355.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/DSC07355.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a<a href="http://s1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/?action=view&amp;current=DSC07350.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/DSC07350.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a<a href="http://s1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/?action=view&amp;current=DSC07349.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/DSC07349.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a<a href="http://s1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/?action=view&amp;current=DSC07347.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/DSC07347.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a<a href="http://s1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/?action=view&amp;current=DSC07345.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/DSC07345.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a<a href="http://s1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/?action=view&amp;current=DSC07410-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/DSC07410-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a<a href="http://s1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/?action=view&amp;current=DSC07412.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/DSC07412.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a<a href="http://s1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/?action=view&amp;current=DSC07411.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/DSC07411.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a<a href="http://s1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/?action=view&amp;current=DSC07410.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/DSC07410.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a<a href="http://s1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/?action=view&amp;current=DSC07401.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/DSC07401.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a<a href="http://s1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/?action=view&amp;current=DSC07400.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/Highboy74/DSC07400.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

Cool. What are your plans for the truck?

 

Congratulations?

 

Plans are a Sunday off-roader, desert toy, camper. I have a built 460 thats going to go in place of the 360, 6 to 7" of lift, a set of 40's and a whole bunch of other parts that will take time to save for.

 

It would be advisable to flip your ubolts upside down and make a new plate for the top, one more thing to snag a rock.

 

@kingofthecows. I am going to do that when I get the Deavers under there. I already have the plates, I just need the U-bolts.

 

Nice work. My tie rod for the crew is about the same - but I am using 1.25" DOM x .120 wall inside a 1.5" x .120 wall DOM tube. Did you use a RH and LH heim & then machine some flat spots in the tube so you can use a cresent wrench to adjust the toe?

Also - have you talked to Jeff at Deaver yet about what springs you will use? Last time I talked with him (about a year ago when he prepped & re-arched my stock springs) he said they'd have to do a custom pack for the front of my truck.
If you're going for a lift (I wasn't as I LOVE the stock ride height with 35's) you may want to put some of their superduty springs on the front.

 

@chasetruck754.

I used 1.5" on .250 wall DOM and I used PSC bungs. The PSC bungs are diamond cut which is nice because it helps from warping during the welding process. I did put two flat spots to adjust the toe.

As far as the springs, I have not talked to Jeff yet. I am going to use the Stupid Duty springs up front. I believe if I use the SD springs, I shouldn't have to do much fab work to get them in place. I think I'm going to do 7 inches of lift, I think....

 

PSC???

Superduty springs should go in easily for you. I think if you are wanting 7" of total lift you'd go for a 4" or so SD spring.

 

@ChaseTruck754

PSC Motorsports. They are a good company with a lot of after market power steering components.

I was thinking 7" lift springs because I want to run 40's.

Another topic. Since you placed your saginaw steering box parallel with the frame will your left front hit the steering box at full right turn?

 

Not from what I can tell. I'm running 35" tires though. Not really a fan of massive lift or huge tires though so shouldn't be an issue for me...

Here's a few pic of cycling the suspension to look for this (both in the beginning & after welding was done).
I've got some clearance at full bump (spring in a slight negative arc) and full lock. What you see in that 1st pic closest to the tire is the pitman arm. It obviously wouldn't be pointing this way while hooked up & the tire turned there.

 

It looks like in the 2nd picture your going to have some tire rub? I'm contemplating welding it up at an angle like Ed or parallel like you.

What are the pro's and con's to your setup?

 

Pic is an illusion. The tire hasn't moved in the 1st or 2nd pic. I took the top one after taking the 2nd one and thinking people would say "but the tire is touching..." There is a 1/2" + there.

As for pros vs. cons of mine vs. Ed's - not sure. I did mine my way because I grafted in a piece of dodge frame to fix the major HACK JOB the PO had done on the steering. I used the piece of frame that was contoured for this box and lined it up so it fit with my frame well. I haven't run mine yet so I don't truly know if there are any issues.

Ed has run his for a long time without issues. I know he has a big drop pitman arm on it though because a stock one would contact his frame with the way he has the box in there.

 

I think what I'm going to do is take a Chebby cracked frame kit and us it to do mine. I think I'll add some angle equal to the Chebby frame and fab the curve at the bottom that will hang below the factory Ford frame. As with changing things comes trial and error, so I shall find out if my idea will work.

 

With the custom fab stuff trial and error is often the only way to figure out if what you come up with will actually work. Be sure to post pics - I want to see what you come up with.

Be warned though that the 2wd and 4wd boxes on the chevy's & dodges turn the opposite way of the 2wds. The box on my truck is out of a 2wd. Also the Chevy vs. dodge stuff have different ratios. I THINK the Chevy is 12:1 and Dodge is 15:1 - but I can't recall for sure.