I'm looking to convert my 97 HD F250 w/460 to a dually, it already has a one ton rear axle set up (so I've been told) but I'm looking to put a light dump bed on it for snow plowing and firewood hauling. Is there any way I can put dually hubs on the existing axles or would it be better to just axle swap. I have a set of front and rear solid axles off of a 2000 f350 parts truck but have no idea if that swap is possible. I know most people would say just buy a dually truck but I only have $1200 in this truck and it's a fairly rust free truck, witch is hard to find in NW Ohio. Any input or existing threads on this topic are greatly appreciated.

 

Single wheel hubs and dually hubs are essentially the same. The axle housing on the dually axle is wider. You could run 3 inch spacers and be the right width. The hubs on the front are different between the two. They can be swapped to make it a dually. The front axle housing is the same width for single and dually

 

Thanks for the response, I was told by a couple people to avoid the aftermarket spacers and go with factory style hubs, also I forgot to add in original post that I want to convert from 7 lug to 8 lug as well

 

Disregard all I said in this case because I know nothing about 7 lug trucks.

 

You don't have a F250 HD. You have a light duty F250, or more appropriately, a heavy duty F150. It's essentially an F150 with different hubs and heavier springs. I doubt you'd even be able to fit 8 lug hubs on that axle, given that it's not the Sterling 10.5 that typically is found under 250/350 trucks. It's a 9.75" ring gear axle, same as found in the F150. It's also a semi-floating axle, and dual hubs would be on a full floating axle. And you're still on an axle with a weight limit far less than what even a good pair of load range E tires would provide. So going to duals would not get you any more weight carrying capacity, as your axle is the limiting factor here.

I'd be swapping axles, but then I don't know if I'd want to put that kind of weight on a 1/2 ton frame either...this was actually the reason I ended up with my 350. I was running an '05 Ram 1500 for years, and wanted to run a slide in camper in it, plus tow a small trailer. Adding air bags would have gotten me the carrying capacity I wanted, and swapping in 1 ton axles would have been easy enough, but I was still concerned about whether the frame would hold up long term. I eventually decided selling it and buying a true 1 ton was a far better option.

 

A 7 lug axle really isn't suitable for duals. I have seen duals on semi-floating (flange) axles that guys used for wood trucks, but things usually didn't work out too good. Sounds like the axle swap might be the best solution. Wider wheels with heavier tires on the back (think super singles on a semi) may be an option also.

 

Yes, frame is a concern. 7700 GVW is heavier than a regular 1/2 ton, but not as heavy as a 3/4 or 1 ton. It would make an interesting hybrid though!

 

This...is why I refer to them as a F150HD, even though they left the factory badged as a F250. It bugs me that the OEMs did this, just like Dodge did with the Mega Cab 1500, though at least Dodge didn't sell them as a 3/4 ton truck, they did put 8 lug axles under the thing so many people assumed it was the same thing as a 2500 or 3500 truck (of course, this didn't stop the sales jockeys from pushing them as a cheaper heavy duty truck, or my other favorite - the fold out bed extenders that make a short bed some how equivalent to a long bed). Seems every week I see people listing 8 lug axles as "1 tons" just because of the 8 lugs, and just can't understand that in no universe is a 10 bolt or Dana 44 a "1 ton" axle, regardless of the number of lugs on it.

 

I agree 100%! One of my Dad's favorite sayings was, "Don't worry about the mule, just load the wagon". That is how a lot of people use trucks.

Blew out a tire. Must of been a bad tire. Couldn't have been the tandem dually trailer with the 20,000lb tractor loaded all the way up front. No way. Stupid cheap tires!

 

I'll check the truck when I'm home but it's definitely a 250 HD

 

The truck is in fact an 8 lug, I've never counted the lugs I just assumed it was like my other 250 with 7 lugs. The frame thickness is no problem, it's actually about the same thickness as my old F350. I've hauled 12,000lbs with it no problem but didn't want to go much over 45mph for stability.
How hard is it to swap axles from an OBS to a SD, I don't plan on towing anything with it as I have a 2012 with the 6.7, I just want duals for the dump bed and better traction for the plow.

 

Is this a square body truck? If so then my response at the beginning applyies

 

Yes it is, it's still the obs, not the f150 looking one, I know 97 was a transitional year

 

Check out arrow craft.com. quality products that many have done conversions with. I have their spacers for between the rears and they are a heavy quality part.

 

You REALLY want a dually PICKUP axle
and really a F350 dana 60 front axle with the dually hubs