The E450 only has a 8 on 6.5" bolt pattern? They run 16" wheels too?

 

That is cool info! I didnt even realize E series vehicles came with a dually outside of ambulances, which I guess I assumed were cab and chassis. Yes, a RSK with SD springs would likely sort out your ride quality. Cary T claims a properly set up RSK with SD springs will ride better than an 05+ suspension on stock radius arms in an OBS (get into different radius arm as I have and 05 +get the nod). I never observed that with my setup, but it might not have been perfectly setup either. And brad mentioned above, many have had much more success with U code springs. But I digress

 

Yep. I'll have to move the spring perches a little, but that should be the only mod to make it fit. It's even got a 4.10 gear in it to match my D60 too! That's why I kept it. Dana 80 is probably overkill for a rear axle for my truck, but for me the disc brakes alone will be worth the swap I think.

It will be a good while before I'll be able to do anything with it, but it's something I definitely wanna do. I think your set up should turn out pretty nice when it's done.

 

Well, here is an update as the deed is done.

I guess to begin, here and the 3-link arms I made all painted and done.



Got the truck in a good friend's shop, and blasted the previous axle (an 04 SD axle) out.





Here is the hanger you must remove still installed.



And here it is removed (on the other side)



A couple other odds and ends rivets need to be removed, and the original shock towers taken out



Then the rear mounting bracket gets located and you start drilling. There are three bolts in the cpture under the frame, and 4 in the face, for 7 per side. I strongly recommend a quality stepper bit for this, with a 1/2 largest size step so you can just keep ramming them home.





3 Link bars get put in place



Then the axle gets put into place after all the prep.









Then locate the coil buckets and drill them in. Some people have removed he capture on the bottom of the coil bucket, I do not recommend this at all, and they fit pretty nicely with it on anyways. I dont have any pics of this process, but once you have them put in, you can put the coil springs in. I had to jimmy-rig a shock setup because mine turned out to be too long, some replacment bilsteins are on the way.



Gets your brakes done up and hooked up. I reused my existing extended lines, but they need to be replaced with proper 05 ones. The fitting at the caliper is kinda wonky and the only reason I could reuse mine was my rims are so offset they allowed for it.

This is important, do NOT try to load the suspension or test ride height, anything until the track bar is installed. The coils are like wet noodles, and if you have your steering hooked up, it will be the only thing holding the axle under the truck. The truck will fall off one side or the other without the track bar installed.

For my track bar, I used some leftover 2" DOM from the 3 link bars, and sleeved the stock track bar (1.5 " ID, which is the OD of the stock track bar). then I had a weld in insert, along with a new gigantic 1.25 heim joint, which was then welded on the other end of the sleeve, and I reused my existed bracket on the frame that we had installed for the previous SD axle.



Get the steering hooked up and fill axle with oil





Wheels went back on,



I am looking for 05+ SD 18" wheels. Mine are heavily offset, and do better of 04 and older trucks. The wider 05 axle has stanced them out a bit too far for my liking, so will have to change rims eventually again. Anyways..

This is how the 3 links sit under load, pretty much dead on horizontal..



And thats all the pictures I have. I reamed my pitman arm out for the larger 06 tierod connection. I wanted an 05+ box but didnt happen on one soon enough. Eventually I will change it. There is a small clunk that I suspect is the shocks because they have a bolt much to small for the lower hole, so I am not even bothering to chase it down until new shocks show up.

Other than that, it rides much much better. I am not sure if my RSK was not set up perfectly or what, but driving home was noticeably smoother. The coils are much softer than the leaf springs ever were.

For a purely subjective example, the 78 going through PA from NJ, has some stretches where the right lane is so bad from trucks and abuse that I would have to change into the left just to make it bearable before. The repeated bumps and oscillations would just keep rattling the truck to the point it was almost undrivable unless you changed lanes. This scenario 100% changed with the new setup. The coils are noticeably softer and were able to soak up the continued bumps and expansion joints without gradually getting worse and worse. Very happy with how it performed, and how it looks.

*I did put upper 2.5 inch coil spacers in which I dont thing is clearly depicted. I was not willing to guess on 350$ coils and not nail the ride height I wanted, so I purchased TGC coil spacers off amazon to get me in the ballpark based on previous conversion threads, and then I can order lift coils of the exact height I want later.

I think that is all for now.

-Andrew

 

Looks great Andrew, lots of work but sounds like the ride made it worth it!

 

Looks great! Great work. I am surprised more and more guys are not going this route over a simple RSK...

Nice fab work as well!

 

Awesome write up Andrew. Congrats on a nice job

 

Nice work Andrew! I may try this myself someday!

 

Looking good! Impressive job on those radius arms.

 

Man you never seize to amaze me, clean work looks beautiful I need to convert the Mule into a 4x4 Ive got enough JK'S to accomplish this task

 

Great work Andrew!

 

Looks good.

Did you make the track bar bracket or is that a production piece?

How did you go about locating the radius arm brackets and the coil tower brackets?

 

Track bar bracket is a production piece from RuffStuff specialties, Ballistic Fab also has one. It was on there from my previous SD axle swap. Its nothing special, when I put it on a needed to shape it to fit frame nicely, other than that its pretty universal.

Locating the Radius arm brackets was done by just butting them into the body mount bracket. Previously guys have done this, its quick and gets them in roughly the right area. The coil buckets was just a bit of where they looked right, and where the fit nicely on the frame. Those two with one trial run under load (2 bolts in) to make sure it looked appropriate, then I drilled in all the rest of them.

Thanks for the kind words guys, truck got bilsteins on the front for Xmas, and fab'ed up a little bracket to regain my steering stabilizer. Some other things in the works, will update..

 

Nice work! Out of curiosity what do ford ball joint D60s like for caster? I know a gm kp d60 likes 5 degrees or so..

 

Don't quote me, but I believe the spec on a 05 truck is supposed to be -2 degrees. I have no idea what mine is, I guess/eyeballed the adjustment on the 3links to have the axle tilted back the slightest of pubic hairs (2 degrees) and let it ride haha