Going be writing up a "how to" on putting these '07 axles up under my X. I hope to go more in depth and provide better photography than my predecessors in various forums. There is a member here that did a really good job on the photography, but it is on another server/site. I will include some buying advice on the axles themselves, and removal advice of the actual parts...what to get and how to get it off the donor with the least amount of blood, sweat and tears. I assure you, I have shed all 3 while pulling these things for myself and others.

This will be a place for folks to ask questions as well. This is literally a work in progress...it is not done. You will be adventuring with me through the process as I do it. Need a special pic of a part? Just ask, and I can get it done.

Price:

- Expect to pay $1200-1500 for rust free axles in Texas IF YOU DO THE REMOVAL YOURSELF. If you are buying them ready to load and carry away, expect to pay another $500-800 in labor/time/blood/sweat for the seller to remove the coil buckets and radius arm brackets. If the axles are rusty, then you need to adjust the price accordingly, because your prep/cleanup/paint times will be doubled...at least. Not to mention the replacement of rusty parts on your dime and time.

First piece of advice:

- Get a picture of the door sticker from the donor. You will need that info for parts now...and later.

Second piece of advice:

- Stick with 05-10 axles. There were some changes, although subtle, on the 08+ trucks that will cost you some more money to work around. Rear diff changed a bit, and you will have to shorten your driveshaft. More on this topic later.

Third piece of advice:

- Get everything. Bolts, brackets, washers, hoses, fittings, speed clips...get it ALL. If a bolt screwed into something, and that something will come off, then take it with you. Hang onto everything till you are all done. Then toss what you don't need.

Fourth piece of advice:

- Sharp drill bits are your best friend for removing those %#$@*#%^ coil buckets and radius arm brackets. Prepare to bleed, sweat and hurt while removing them. I bought a drill bit sharpener after removing a few sets, and I am SOOOOOOO glad I did. Cut my time in half for removing the brackets, which are 60% of the labor for pulling a set of axles. I will detail the process that has worked best for me later. Gonna dedicate an entire post to just that with pics and techniques that WORK.

Fifth piece of advice:

Remove the front and rear bumpers and EVERYTHING ELSE you can so you can roll the axles out with the tires on them. Thank me later.

Sixth piece of advice:

- Get the rear leaf springs! Great opportunity to get them for "free" and do your modified B or F code rear springs. I didn't get them (in the pics), because I have already done the mod and didn't need them.

Here are some photos and captions to get this thing started:


You need this line off the hydro boost (5C3Z3A719C). Your older truck has a different line that won't work in the newer gear box. The newer line will work on your older hydro boost, though.


This is the other end of that line on the gear box. The upper line is not needed, but I get it to keep water/condensation from getting in the gear box after removal.


This is what it looks like after unbolting the gearbox from the frame and the track bar bracket just behind it. The track bar bracket on the 05+ trucks is MUCH, MUCH heavier duty than the older ones. You will have to drill some holes to accommodate it on your older frame. More on that later.


You need all the brake lines that are attached to the calipers. You need all the E brake lines for the rear axles. You can get the front steering stabilizer AND bracket as well.

Even if you get a set of cherry axles you have complete confidence in, you will still want to take the time and effort to go through them and look for wear items that need replaced. At minimum, you should be changing differential fluids front and rear and flushing brake lines really good. Calipers also should be cleaned and flushed if the truck has been setting for any period of time. Slide pins will need to be gone over. Check the front unit bearing REALLY GOOD and grease them through the speed sensor hole.

This thread will be very picture heavy, as OldGuyFL has set a very high standard with his thread.

Edit: Final cost of parts and stuff (not the axles).

So, what did it cost for parts?
Working on parts list and costs...this is painful. I wish I could just go about my business and not reflect on the costs. Some of these parts were "wants", but most of them were "needs".

Motorcraft BKCF4 Slide pins; front $9.91 (x2)
Raybestos WK1653 Front caliper rebuild kit $4.53 (x2)
Powerstop K178136 Z36 Severe duty rotors and pads; front $231.79
Ultra-Power DS 80749 Center link $45.99
Dana 54983 Axle hub o-ring $1.50 (x2)
Mevotech MS40625 Tie rod end; outer; pitman arm to steering arm $25.79
Mevotech MES80754 Tie rod end; front left outer; 4wd $37.89
Mevotech MS40622 Tie rod end; front right outer; 4wd $36.79
Motorcraft ASH23413 heavy duty shock absorber $45.79 (x2)
Moog K8656 Stabilizer bar bushings; 30mm bar $10.64
Moog K200880 Stabilizer bar bushings, front $9.54
USA Stand.Gear USA-23007 Differential gasket; Dana 60 $4.98
Dana 2023068 Hub seal; Dana 60 $24.08 (x2)
Superlift SLF11634 Axle u-bolts; rear Ford 10.5; 13.5" $46.07
Rancho RS8129 Leaf spring center pin; 4" x .4375" $6.17
Dana 53877 Outer dust seal; Dana 60 $18.62 (x2)
Timken 710492 Inner axle oil seal; Dana 60 $22.79 (x2)
Mevotech MK80026 Ball joint front upper; 4wd $18.69 (x2)
Mevotech MK8607T Ball joint front lower; 4wd $19.15 (x2)
Moog K80124 Caster/Camber bushing; 2° $15.25 (x2)
Moog SSD131 Heavy Duty steering damper $41.79
Moog K500262 track bar ball joint $40
Rear brake pads and calipers $160
Craigslist - Rims and tires for newer offset $500
Miscellaneous, bolts, gear oil, rags, paint, SHIPPING, etc $400


Grand total of $1,960 for parts/consumables. My shipping costs will likely not be your shipping costs. I was able to quickly sell my old axles and some parts to recoup some of my money.

This total should stand barring any unforeseen expenses I incur on install.
Edit: $185 for front end alignment that required extra work by the mechanic to get it all dialed in. They did use my 2* sleeves listed above.

Not everyone will spend this much money. I replaced almost everything on the front axle. The only thing I didn't replace were the hub assemblies. Luckily, they seem to be good to go. I barely touched the rear axle. I only needed to clean and paint it along with brakes, but it is most certainly the simpler of the two assemblies. Re-use whatever you can. Put some elbow grease in, and you can save money here and there. It all adds up, in either direction, very quickly.
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Here is a great read while you go through the brakes on your new-to-you axles:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-calipers.html

 

I started going through my rear axle first:




Put it on jack stands and pull up a chair...and, yes, that is algae growing on the axle...



Check, clean and inspect the e-brake parts really, really good. There will never be a better time to fix anything that is amiss.



After cleanup with wire wheel and 80 grit sandpaper. Paint is next for these three.

Slide pins were frozen solid after sitting for 3 years. I got them out, and will try to salvage the caliper brackets. New slide pins incoming.

Caliper pistons retracted without any issues, and they operate smooth in the bores.

 

Is there any lift involved? I guess do you know how it will sit compared to a V/B coded
EX? I found a chassis but it has a 6"bds lift on it.

 

This modification will lift the X 2" in the front over a stock X, and 2" in the back on a stock X. That is assuming you transplant the rear leafs with the axles (might as well if you get them with the axles... and you should). If you were to keep the stock X leafs in the rear (no reason to), you would keep about the same height in the back. The other factor that is going to lift the truck would be going to the newer (no spacers!!!) 17, 18 or 20" ('05-'17) rims with larger (?) tires than are on your stock X. That would lift the X in the back however much larger the diameter of the tires are.

 

Great start! Looking forward to seeing all your hard work and documentation. Reps given...

 

I am particularly interested in how you adapt the steering box/pitman arm and it's mounting.

I've got a '05 F250 4wd to swap to my 2wd '05 Excursion.

good luck I'll be tracking your progress.

 

Good tip on the hydroboost hose.

Since you are taking parts from a diesel equipped f250 to a diesel equipped Ex you should also take the Donor vehicles larger master cylinder since your new axles have larger diameter pistons in the calipers.

The larger diameter pistons in the 07 calipers take more fluid to fill, the smaller diameter Ex master would require longer pedal travel and may or may not have enough fluid displacement to get the job done when your pads are worn.

Excursion specs :

Front Caliper dual piston 2.12"
Rear caliper dual piston 1.75
Front rotor 13.03
Rear rotor 12.83
Hydro boost piston 1.56"
Master cylinder diesel 1.375"

2007 F250 specs :

Front Caliper dual piston 2.36"
Rear caliper dual piston 2.36"
Front rotor 13.66"
Rear rotor 13.39"
Hydroboost piston 1.56"
Master cylinder diesel 1.5"
Master cylinder gas 1.3125"

Edit for MC size correction

 

Great idea, Pirate. Your numbers show the hydroboost specs to be the same? Typo?

 

Same piston size and same ford part number, however the 2007 has a later part number suffix which means it has changes but is the same part.

As you noted the fitting is different but I suspect the porting is the same since both use the same power steering pump and as far as I know different porting would not be required unless you were running different Gpm or psi.

The later suffix is interesting because you can use a later suffix parts on a vehicle with an earlier suffix ( backwards compatible )but not the other way around. That is part of ford design parameters. In this case the hose fitting seems to be the change but that suggest the 2007 booster should work with the
Excursion hose. ( a moot point since you are using the different part number steering gear )


Van at vanco would be the guy to talk to if you want to learn more about the booster.
Technical Information

 

Following along as this is a plan I want to do eventually

 

Ah, the '05+ Superduty hydroboost has the integrated trailer towing connection - but should otherwise be interchangeable?

 

No.

Hydroboost is the hydraulic unit that provides the power in "power brakes"
On most gas vehicles it is a vacuum activated booster.

The intregrated brake controller on the 05 super duty TBC is just a factory install electric trailer brake controller, However unlike aftermarket TBC the factory TBC uses a brake pressure transducer that wires into the master cylinder, the 05 F250 master cylinder has an additional port for this. It also has to be programmed into the GEM which your Ex would not have a provision for.

 

REPS for clarifying, I was thinking they were integrated together (hydroboost and master cylinder)

 

Why are you going coil spring? The ride and turning radius are a bit improved but the death wobble woes outweigh it in my opinion. I was looking to do it on my 2003 7.3 dually for the turning radius (its a 4 door long bed), but the radius wasn't as improved as much as I thought it would be after riding in a Ford coil spring dually. I have a 2nd gen Dodge 12v with coils that turns on a dime. I was expecting the same out of the Ford but was disappointed. It was after that, that I ditched the idea. Something about these Fords requires a parking lot to turn around compared to Chevy and Dodge. I will still watch the progress because its a very cool conversion. I had a folder on my laptop with pictures that I had scoured the web when I was planning to do the swap. Now that photobucket is gone, I doubt there is much out there anymore so this will be a big benefit to the community.