for those of you that haven't heard my rants before this one is about my 1966 f100 aptly named Da Twister has a 391 hd industrial FT with a granny 4 speed 16'' wheels with a dana 60.2 or 60.3 (i have yet to figure out how to tell which one it is) 4.10 gear ratio...........now on to my plan, since my truck is my dd and i am searching for better mileage and have plenty power to spare the way it is i plan on removing the dana and putting the 9" out of my parts truck 67 f100 (smokenchoke) and i have found a 2.78 gear ratio to put in it so i know of all the things so far to change that, and i have plans to put on my good 390 heads and intake but leave my stock FT dizzy but possibly do a pertronix upgrade but of all the things i know and have found out i have a couple things left to search for if they even make them that is..... i need a stout driveshaft that is 76-3/4'' long from knuckle to knuckle but i want it in a single shaft not a 2 piece with carrier bearing i can fin those all day long but where would i find a single shaft that long? a van maybe? a supercab long bed? any idea's fellas? i do have a local machinist who said he could build one but he cannot balance the shaft let the ideas flow fella's

 

Have a new shaft made to the dimensions you want.

All you will do is wast time and effort looking for what may or may not fit.

Garbz

 

that is kinda what i figured would happen i have been looking under all the different types of vehicles and if they seem like they would be long enough they always seem to have a 2 piece driveshaft kind of a pain in the rump..... they real question i have now is am i barking up the wrong tree by wanting a one piece instead of a 2 piece? i know the 2 piece is mainly for suspension travel and keeping the front half of the driveshaft from moving so it is pulling directly on the tailshaft of the tranny in a straight pull instead of an angular pull but i have a problem with the 2 piece style not holding up to the torque my motor it putting to the ground i have twisted three 1/2 ton drive shafts in two and 2 3/4 ton shafts they just don't seem tough enough for the abuse i send their way..... but i do also kinda wonder if by going to a one piece it will torque the tranny tailshaft and give it a higher probability of breaking the tailshaft.....keep the ideas coming and lets hear what you all have to say thank you inn advance

 

Where have you been breaking them? Just a thought, could you try using a drive line out of a newer diesel?

 

too much grip, not enough slippage, lead foot syndrome, combined with an occasional wheel hop issue just to answer your question Frankinstine...... Today i purchased my new set of gear's they are indeed 2.78's and also another 3/4 ton driveshaft .....just got home from drilling all night it was colder than a witch's -it if i wake up early enough i will grab my 9" today if not i will do it tomorrow morning whenever i start the project i will make sure to take some photo's

 

i'm in pain and my heart is broken after all that i have done to da twister and as faithful as she has been no matter how rough i had treated her she always held firm and tough but i have been babying her for the last 2 weeks and she died today sounds like a spun bearing i swear every time i get to where i love and start treating my vehicles nice they break down and just give up about like how i am feeling i know something had to go wrong i was feeling to dam good.....

 

update i have pulled the 391 and tore her apart.......previous owner said it had never been apart and he was wrong proof in pictures to come..... rod number 4 didn't even have a bearing left on it and rod number 8 was razor thin and squashed in a bad way (as if there is a good way) but motor is to be replaced by my backup 4 bbl 390 gonna throw my good port n polished heads and matching intake and make her really come alive.... yesterday i removed the dana 60.2/60.3 rear end with the 4.10 gears in favor of the 9" out of smoke'n'choke with my brand new set of 2.78 gears now i can tear some stuff up and still get halfway decent mileage hopefully

 

smoke'n'choke before we removed bed and rearend her last moments before she was sacrificed so others can live da twisters rear end pics smoke'n'chokes rearend motor out strippin down previous owner said motor had never been apart but the bolt on the left is not standard fomoco i guarantee it ...this is the oil pump and finally the bad rod bearings

 

well i have rebuilt a 390 with d2 heads and just finished installing it in da twister this evening i have yet to get it to fire up i just got too cold and tired all that i have left to do tomorrow is put in new drive shaft and radiator fire her up and drive her home.....

 

FE motor parts fitting on a FT.... ?

 

FE parts do in fact work with FT in the right combinations.... you can use FE heads and intakes on FT blocks and quite a few other things but i have just gone with a regular FE 390 with d2 heads could not get her fired up today but i gave it a good go and finally found out why she would not fire.... the dizzy is broke and it needs replaced which i may do tomorrow or next day

 

The higher rear end ratio is going to be harder on drive lines.

 

but it will change a little bit of my driving style less acceleration more top end

 

waiting on a drive shaft and a couple finishing touches and my baby will be back on the road I am finally gaining........ found out why it was wheel hopping so bad the previous owner had removed a few leaf springs and the way he did it caused it to be too weak and let the axles wrap and hop when torque was applied but with replacing it with a 9" and its springs i am indeed hopeful that it will eliminate this problem...... interesting info when replacing dana 60.2 with a 9" you gain a few inches in length of drive shaft needed the former drive shaft only had about 3/4" inside slip yoke first bump i hit would have knocked it out if it had even made it that far and the other drive shafts i had are all too long so i am having my machinist buddy cut one down to the right length...... it is good to have friends everywhere especially here FTE is the best forum ever created IMO

 

drove Da Twister home this evening and the motor and gear combo is exactly what i had been hoping for just 1st gear alone is a hair faster than what 2nd gear used to be and when you lay into the back barrels at about 50 the 390 just sets you back in the seat and makes me grin ear to ear it is like a rocket sled on rails compared to my wife's truck which i have been stuck driving for the last two months..... she sounds good and nice smooth purr under the hood around 2000 rpm for 65 mph a whole different world compared to what it was...... and the new rear end set up doesn't have any wheel hop issue so three birds with one stone.......