Okay I feel kinda like a little piece popping up new threads for all this information I can't find.

Anyways here it goes,

Will an econoline "1-ton" axle bolt up directly to my 1996 Bronco without any problems (besides needing a new 8 lug wheel pattern) and "appear" stock?

I'm asking this because I want to swap my rear end to a dana 60 or 10.25/10.5 to prepare for my diesel, but want to keep the current gear ratio of 3:55. I found an econoline rear axle with 3:55 gearing on craigslist that the add said it has 3.55 ratio. The add says "1 ton dana,complete with brakes. 3.55 ratio. lowmiles." I did read however that some econoline axles are wider than the f-series trucks, but also read the widths varied from years and apparently only the older econoline axles are wider.

I just want to know if this will bolt up to my bronco, and if it does, if it will look good (as in not have the wheels sticking out much further than normal.) I have yet to call the guy to inquire what year the axle came from so I'll do that in the morning.

Besides that, what other axles should I be looking for? I did find a 2011 10.5 rear axle that has a 3:55 gear ratio, but the guy is asking 1k. On top of the high price, I believe the bolt pattern of the heavy duty axles in the early 2000s changed to a metric 8 lug pattern compared to whatever it was before. If this is the case, I don't believe I could do the "8-lug swap" for my front TTB dana 40 because I believe that swap only allows the older style 8-lug pattern. I'm currently deciding to keep my front axle the dana 40 TTB because I don't have to ability myself to do a solid axle swap for a dana 60. This is because I don't have access to a proper welder, nor know how to weld well enough for structural pieces like suspension. This would make swapping in a different axle cost a disgusting amount (price of axle itself plus 2-3k in shop fees for labor from the places I called.) I read that swapping the 8-lug bolt pattern on the front axles would cost around 700-900, and would make the front slightly better (because of larger wheel bearings which would hold the weight of the diesel better.)


Anyways that's it for now! If anyone has any experience otherwise, or knows of a way I can swap in an f-250 TTB without welding anything so I can take both the front and rear axles to get the 8-lug pattern on both, then please let me know!

 

The econoline axles are the same width but the spring perches are farther apart, you could use it but those would have to be cut off and repositioned.

 

This is probably a very dumb question, but could I reposition them on by just bolting them in after they are cut off, or do they need to be welded back in place? If they need welding, would a 110amp welder get the job done? That's the type of welder I own and we unfortunately don't have any accessible 220v plugs!

 

Definitely need welding to keep the axle from rotating. I dont know what kind of welder you have but a 110 stick welder would probably do it. Not a wire welder I dont think. If you are going through all this expense and trouble to put together a diesel Bronco, Just order an axle from someone like Currie and have it built like you want. Expensive I know but then you have a very high quality axle that you know is good. Not buying a junkyard axle and spending a good amount to make it fit and not know what is inside it.

 

Yeah I was thinking so. I have a MIG welder so it probably won't cut it then. As for ordering an axle, it would definitely be a good option, I just won't have the funds to do that in a long time. It might be something I do later on down the road, but it would probably stop me from getting a diesel in my Bronco sooner since I need to swap out the axle before putting the motor in.

 

Not sure on the Econoline axle swap into the Bronco. If you want to swap out for the diesel and 1 ton drivetrain you could also start looking for a 96 F-250 4x4 with the 7.3 Diesel in it already and swap all of the drivetrain into your Bronco. That gets you the front and rear axles that you know work with the engine. If you have the complete donor truck you also have every little piece you need and all of the wiring harnesses to make the whole swap work. I would think thats a lot better option then trying to do your whole swap one piece at a time. But its still going to require welding and fabrication that a 110 machine may not be big enough for. I know you do great work so keep it up. :-)

 

The other thought is convert both of your axles to 8 lugs. If you look up racinindrummin's bronco thread in the idi section you'll see what he did for his bronco

 

In my 97 f250 I broke a 10.25 rearend When I went to replace it I wanted disk brakes which isn't offered until the metric 8 lug pattern. I swapped a 14 bolt from a 05 Chevy that had disk brakes already for like $300. I know it's not a ford part but 14 bolts are stronger cheaper and more available.

 

Thanks bigzirb! Yeah I am looking for a donor truck now. Just last night I found a 96 F-250 4x4 7.3 that will be in my price range once my tax return money and some other money comes through! It going to take me about 3 more weeks to get the money though so I think It'll be gone by then. Besides that one though, I haven't seen any 4x4 diesels for under 5k in my area. I'd like to get a wrecked truck so that I don't have to feel bad tearing apart a good working truck, but I'm not sure where to find a wrecked diesel. If that 4x4 sells before I get my money, I think I may be stuck with swapping the rear axle, then finding a donor 2wd 7.3 powerstroke. There are several 2wd powerstrokes in my price range on craigslist. If I stay with a manual transmission and keep the same transfer case (which I read was the same across all gas and diesel platforms in the late 90s), then it wouldn't be too terrible swapping some parts at a time. I do completely agree though that a good donor truck is the way to go if I can get a hold of one!


I was thinking of converting the front axle to 8 lugs in order to prevent any major welding work required for a front axle swap (which I'm not capable of currently and would be very costly in labor.) I did want to swap the rear end out though because I didn't think the dana 44 would handle the 7.3 for very long, despite me not driving too aggressively. I would want the option to drive aggressively if needed. If the 44 could handle the diesel, I may keep it in there for a little while. I do know I'll need a ZF5 transmission though to bolt up to the back of the 7.3.

Hmm that wouldn't bother me being a different manufacturer, as long as it would bolt up to my current frame (and brake system) fine with little work. I actually own a 91 camaro I restore that I use as my daily driver now. I bought the camaro (which needed a complete restoration) in order to have a daily driver for when I started my diesel swap for the Bronco. Just recently, I finally got all the kinks out of the camaro where I know its very reliable now. That being said, I do like Ford better than Chevy, but I still like Chevy. I like Ford trucks much better than Chevy trucks though. If I can find a cheap 8 lug rear end that can stand up to the 7.3, I'm all in though.

 

You should actually have an 8.8 rear end under the Bronco. And the front end from factory is a ttb dana 44.

 

That's right I always forget the rear is an 8.8 and not a dana 44. I don't know which is stronger though. I should probably check under my axle too because I know it has been replaced. When I first got the truck, the axle went bad soon after because the previous owner used it as a weekend vehicle to go camping/hunting. He must have gone through some river and got water in there, then had it sit for a while. I had the rear end replaced and haven't had any issues with it since.

 

Why not just swap in a 10.25 from a f250/350? I have heard that they bolt right in.

I was looking on craigslist, and I saw this truck:
95 Ford F250 Turbo Diesel low mileage

It would have the right engine, rear end, and all the wiring. All you would have to do is sell your M5od, and the 2wd ZF5, and buy a 4wd ZF5.

 

I was actually going to contact that person today. I'm pretty sure I'm going to do exactly that. I thought I found a 4wd ZF5 also, but the guy didn't contact me and I'm not sure if it's the diesel/460 one, or the small block one. Since he never called back, I'm thinking it may not be available anyways so hopefully those ZF5s aren't too hard to come by and not incredibly expensive. I read the 460 ZF5 can work with very minor modification to the bellhousing.

I just texted him (hopefully it doesn't bother him this late) to see if I can take a look at it later this week. I'd have to convert my front axles to the 8 lug bolt pattern, but I don't think that's too hard at all. Then I think I'll be all set! Well I will also have to see if I can get 4" lift F250 springs for my front axles since my truck is lifted 4" as of now. I don't think these springs will stay the same height with the diesel.


The major problem here (or with any new rear axle) I see is if the gear ratio is different in the back. If so, is swapping gears a task that could be done at home, or should I pay the big bucks for this? Also, I'd preferably be wanting to aim more for MPG, so should I change the rear to 3:55 (that's what my front matched for) if it's not already, or match the front to whatever the rear is and forget about the 3:55 gearing. (on another side note, I think I remember reading that the front axles for the BW1356 transfer case are actually slightly different ratios than the rear. I.E. if the rear is 3:55, the front would be 3:54 I think. Is this true?)

 

I was going to mention springs, glad you thought of that. I am currently putting a 3/4 ton driveline under my '91 bronco. I got lucky and bought a non running '92 F250 for cheap. The rear 10.25 housing bolted right in. I am going to use the D50 TTB front as well. Did some measuring and I am hoping it will bolt up without heavy modification using the stock style coil springs. The extra weight of the diesel engine will quickly flatten your coils. I looked around and found most suspension shops can get heavier springs at a price. Thinking of trying a new set that is a couple inches longer for my '78 with the 460 cid engine.

 

Yeah I've looked a little into seeing which springs I should get. I saw some online that are for a 4" lift, but am unaware if they are meant for the diesel engine or not. I may contact some suspensions shops and see what they can recommend. I wouldn't want them doing the work because I guarantee they will charge a whole lot to swap springs in.

As for the F-250, I'm going to take a look at it this Friday. I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy it, but I have to check it out first and then find a place to store it where I can swap out the clutch. I don't think I should bring it home first if it's not derivable because my parents would get mad. The owner said in the add that he stopped driving it because the transmission went out. I'm thinking it may just be clutch related, but clutches for diesels are kinda expensive... plus the transmission is too heavy without a jack unlike my Bronco now...