A few months ago I scored a king pin Dana 60 from a '87 F-350 that I'm planning on swapping into my '84 F-250 over the winter. The axle is complete with rotors, calipers, and the lower spring plate for the driver side. The springs were not included though as the guy I bought it from had scrapped them with the rest of the truck. Currently my truck has a Dana 44 TTB with the Tuff Country 2 1/2" lift which consists of drop brackets, leaf packs for the front, and an add a leaf for the back which amounts to about 1 1/2" lift in the rear, 2 1/2" in the front. Here's how the truck currently looks with 305/70R16 tires:



While the Tuff Country lift is certainly an improvement over stock I've always wished I had another inch or so of lift to give it a more aggressive stance. Since I need different springs to do the Dana 60 swap anyway, I was thinking of going with a 4" kit for a F-350. I'm aware of the RSK kits but I've ruled out that option because it involves welding to the frame. While I am pretty good with a welder, I don't want to make any permanent modifications. I'm leaning toward Skyjacker springs front and back (I don't like lift blocks). Which brings me to my point:

From what I've seen and read, a stock solid axle F-350 sits about 2" higher than a stock TTB F-250. So, if I install a 4" lift for a F-350 along with the solid axle, is this comparable to putting a 6" TTB lift in my F-250? I don't want too much lift for my tire size and I don't want to go with larger tires. I've been trying to find pictures of 80-86 solid axle trucks with 4" lift and 33 inch tires to get an idea how it would look but I can't find much.

Second: I know F-350 trucks use taller spacer blocks under the rear springs. I'm assuming the blocks are removed when installing lift springs in the rear? I don't have the F-350 spacer blocks either.

Third: How vital is the front sway bar? The guy I bought the axle from didn't have it and my TTB doesn't currently have one either.

 

I think the F-350 4" lift will result in about a 6" lift over stock on your F-250. Personally I think that would be too much and I'd aim for about a 2" lift if I were you. I'd also reconsider the RSK if I were you. Not only does it give about the lift you want, it's also supposed to give a significantly better ride. But it's your truck...

It probably depends on the lift kit, but I'd guess most use the stock F-350 blocks with slightly lifted springs, or possibly even just taller blocks without taller springs.

Front sway bars are not necessary. Some people really want them, others don't. I wouldn't worry unless you find it needs it (although with a taller lift it will need it more)

 

The f350 solid axle trucks use a track bar. You need that and it's brackets.

The f350 solid axle trucks use a different double cardan equipped front driveshaft. Some people have use the f250 front driveshaft on a solid axle conversion with success, but with a lift you are putting even more angle on that shaft. Keep that in mind if you have vibration problems.

I am not sure why a f350 4 inch lift kit is going to give you 6 inches of lift on your f250. I guess it's in the wording; A 4 inch f350 lift is going to give you 4 inches of lift, but you will be 6 inches higher than a stock f250, since the f350 solid axle truck is 2 inches higher already.

You will probably need to adjust the rearend some with springs. You will have to determine if the springs re-use the factory 4 inch f350 blocks. If they do, then you only have 2 inch f250 blocks. You may need to make some new ones.

 

How about add a leafs? Tuff Country makes an add a leaf spring for the front axle on 80-97 F-350 trucks that's supposed to lift it 1 1/2". If I combined that with a set of stock springs I'm guessing it would be about 3 1/2" taller than a stock TTB F-250. I'm not sure if the track bar would reach but I plan on making my own out of DOM tubing and heim joints anyway so it would be adjustable.

 

I have the driveshaft from the donor truck as well as the transfer case yoke, but I'm not sure if the yoke will fit my 208 transfer case since it came from a 1356.


I don't have the track bar but I'm going to make my own. Amazon sells 1 1/4" DOM tubing and the weld on heim joints. New brackets are readily available from several companies. I'm going to have to drill the holes to mount it though...my truck is a '84 and the solid axle was never an option that year so the holes aren't already there like they would be in a '85 or '86.

Yep, that's what I meant. Since a F-350 already sits 2" higher than a TTB F-250, swapping in the axle with a 4" lift would be like putting a 6" lift on a TTB axle. About the only pics I can find of this lift/tire combo are these:

Bronco Graveyard Registry

I'm afraid I won't like that much lift with those tires.

 

What are you going to do about front springs? I guess you know the stock ttb springs were reversed arched, and won't work well with the solid axle. The ttb springs also will give you a very stiff ride, the f350 solid axle springs were actually softer than the ttb springs.

Any type of lift spring will be stiffer. That's why the reverse shackle kit with the later model long springs is becoming so popular. It gives you lift and a very nice ride. They have the reverse kits with the regular springs, and the reverse kits that use the longer springs from a later model, I don't remember the specifics.

P.S. If your double cardan 1356 yoke won't fit your transfer case, I could use that yoke if you wanted to sell it. Just PM me if you decide to sell it.

 

Also, you may already know this, but they key to the track bar working with a lift is to keep the track bar as level as possible. I would look into some sort of drop bracket if you decide to buy one. And of course you will need a dropped pitman arm for the steering box to keep it more level with the lift.

 

I know the TTB springs won't work. I was thinking about finding a set of stock F-350 springs and adding an add a leaf to each side. That would give me more height than stock but not as much as a 4" kit. Still knocking around different ideas.