Running gear swap question

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Mar 17, 2013 | 09:47 PM

okie72

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Running gear swap question

I have a 1978 F150 4wd Supercab with leaf springs front and back. I found a frame with rear ends for sale from a 1979 jeep pickup 3/4 ton truck. Would the front and rear rearends fit my ford or is this just a big pain in the rear? I have not gotten to look at the rearends yet but from what I have read it should have a Dana 44 front and a Dana 60 rear both with eight lugs. Just want to know if everything will work before I buy it. Thanks

Mar 17, 2013 | 09:57 PM

75Three90

Cargo Master

Joined: Dec 2009

Posts: 3,452

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From: Santa Fe Tx

If im not mistaken,those old jeep j20 is basicly and internation with a jeep body id stay away from it cause its in the amc era and thats a bad bad thing. Hell buy it as a play toy

Mar 18, 2013 | 12:46 AM

redroad

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From: Pa.

Quote:

Originally Posted by okie72

If you have leaf springs in the front then do you have the HD high pinion Dana 44 already with disk brakes ? You already have one of the best front axles there is short of the dana 60 in fact all the jeep boys are looking for your axle

what is your reason for changing ?

Mar 18, 2013 | 06:13 AM

okie72

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Quote:

Originally Posted by redroad

what is your reason for changing ?

Yes I do have the Dana 44 in the front with a 9 inch rear. I was just looking at putting a little more heavy duty rear ends under it with lower gears. How do you tell if my front end is a hp or not?

Mar 18, 2013 | 08:30 AM

redroad

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From: Pa.

Quote:

Originally Posted by okie72

Yes I do have the Dana 44 in the front with a 9 inch rear. I was just looking at putting a little more heavy duty rear ends under it with lower gears. How do you tell if my front end is a hp or not?

It will have 8 studs and a larger locking hub .. What gear ratio do you currenly have?

Mar 18, 2013 | 08:38 AM

okie72

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Quote:

Originally Posted by redroad

It will have 8 studs and a larger locking hub .. What gear ratio do you currenly have?

I have 350 gears with 35 inch tires. It is 5 bolt lug bolt pattern is that what you mean by 8 studs?

Mar 18, 2013 | 08:38 AM

brian1080

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Feb 2010

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From: Near St. Joseph,MO

78 f150 4x4 supercab has 5 lug. Your best bet is to do what I did and find an f250/350 and swap the axles straight over. Mine had 3.73 gears in the stock axles, most of the others have 3.50 I think. I got a set of Dana 60's with 4.10 gears now going in this afternoon.

correct me if I'm wrong, but HP does not always mean big hubs and 8 lug. I think the stock one on mine was high pinion and it was just the regular d44. The d44 with big hubs is the HD/Big lug 44.

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Mar 18, 2013 | 08:59 AM

redroad

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From: Pa.

Quote:

Originally Posted by okie72

I have 350 gears with 35 inch tires. It is 5 bolt lug bolt pattern is that what you mean by 8 studs?

A wheel stud the threaded part that goes in one of your 5 holes .. The HD Dana 44 has 8 instead of your 5 .. I agree with brian1080 to a point except when looking for the high pinion Dana 60 your going to spend at least $600 more for it and there hard to find .. Spend the money on a matching set of 4:10s and with what you save use for the 8 hole wheels .. A high pinion HD dana 44 is a strong axle have a look that's a high pinion HD dana 44.. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1213110-my-1977-f150-4x4-build-how-we-do-it-down-under-9.html#post12958915 T

Edit: after looking at craigs list in Ok. and some surrounding states it's going to be hard to find the HD high pinion 44 axle .. That's why buying a whole parts truck is sometimes the better route ..

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Mar 23, 2013 | 10:17 AM

bigperm2

Senior User

Joined: Jan 2004

Posts: 367

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From: denver

I would not buy that truck for the axle swap. Any 73-79 2wd or 77.5-79 4wd f250 Dana 60 rear will bolt into place and be the correct width. For the front, you should be able to simply bolt on spindles, backing plate, hubs and rotors and have the same thing as the 77.5-79 f250 axle. There is likely other front Dana axles that you could get the 8 lug swap from. Google is your friend!

Mar 23, 2013 | 09:37 PM

#10

okie72

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Thanks for the info just took a 1978 f250 2 wheel drive parts truck to the crusher. I should of saved the rearend and I would have been half way there.