Anybody want to chyme in with some good ole knowledge of axle swaps?!?! Lol......I've looked at 92 pages, literally 92 pages now and it's all blending together. I've put my reading glasses on but still no clarification for my exact situation. Here's the deal. I want to convert my 56 F100 with a 80s F150 frame under to 4wd and doing so with the parts I have on hand. I just don't know which axles I can run.

Sure I can anything with the money and fabrication, right? Well, I'm a don't have the fab skills or the confidence to do something that I'd be comfortable with nor do I want it completely jacked. I also don't have any shops within 3 hours of me. So I'm doing it myself and trying to find out what bolts in. I've currently got a 460 with C6 bolted to a 205. Motor will have a mild cam and probably push about 400hp by the time I'm done with it. I'd like to run 35" BFG tires on a 6" lift. with 4L10 gears. What I need help with is axle setup so that it's a comfortable daily driver that I can throw in the mud for fun every now and then. I would tow my boat or a trailer every now and then.

Questions:
1. Thinking of the typical 44TTB because it will bolt in. Iv'e read the center section of a 50TTB is a direct bolt in swap for the 44TTB. Is this correct?
2. I've got a chance to get a and a 10.25 sterling rear. The sterling will bolt right in correct?

I've got more questions, but I'll wait for some responses before I post them.

Be gentle fellas.

 

Welcome to the 80-86 truck side.
It sounds like this needs to be kind of a bolt in deal right?

You said 80's F150 frame do you know just what year it is?
You have the motor / trany / transfer case (460 / C6 / 205) Do you know what they came out of and the year(s)?
What motor & trany is in the F150 frame now and is it the same year(s) as the frame?
Do you have any of the 4x4 axles yet and if so what did they come from & year(s)?
I am asking about the years as it may make a difference how this all plays out.

I am pretty sure if you came up with all the 4x4 parts for a F150 they will work & bolt in but lets hear from the people that did it first.
Once you have the needed parts then we can look into the 6" lift.
Good luck
Dave ----
ps: can you post up a picture or 2 of the truck as it sits now we love pictures.

 

I am a little fuzzy on the 44ttb and the 50 ttb center sections, but I think you are right, they are the same. So there is really no advantage to swapping them is it? There is also the dana 44tb HD, which is a f250 axle. It is more related to the dana 50 ttb which is a f250/f350 axle. I am not sure, but I am thinking the center section on all these axles are close to the same, it's just the outer axles, u-joints and wheel bearings/brakes that are heavier. That is why I am thinking just the center section is no advantage.

Which brings up the 10.25 Sterling you mentioned. It's a f250/f350 axle also, and all these axles have 8 lug wheel lugs. So are you going to build a f250ish/f350ish truck or stick with a f150 truck? You are correct, the f150 stuff will bolt in front and back. The 8 lug Sterling rear will also probably bolt in, but you are still left with a f150 frame and the f250/f350 8 lug axles will not bolt up in the front.

If I were you, and decided I wanted a heavy duty play toy (good idea with a strong 460 engine) I think I would find a f250 or f350 frame, and swap your body onto that frame which is thicker and is designed for the heavier axles you would be using, It even would have the proper 460 motor mount spots, since a 460 came originally in the f250/f350 trucks. Yes, you will have to do over your custom mounts for the old truck body, and you more than likely will have to shorten the frame like was done to the f150 frame. But it's your decsion, all the work and modifications to fit the front 8 lug axle, or the modifications to make the old body fit on the heavier frame.

If you want the ultimate front axle to swap in place, find yourself a 1985.5-up f350 with the dana 60 front straight axle. Much more forgiving when a higher lift is in the works. That would still be a lot of fab work to add it to the f150 frame, or you could use it's f350 frame, whatever you think would be less work.

 

Hey Dave,

I loaded some pictures. She sits exactly like the photos.
You hit it right, this needs to be a bolt on thing or somewhat close to it. The motor is a 73 out of a Lincoln. I plan on swapping the timing chain out, using performance headers, and a true dual exhaust. Believe the transmission/transfer case are out of a 78 F150.
No clue what year the frame is. Best the seller could give me is it is a 80s F150. Definitely has a TIB in it. It's got a Inline 6 300 I believe. Bolted to a C4.
I have no axles yet but good leads on a few that are well priced.

 

Mr. Dave F,

Couple of advantages for swapping in the 44TTB. First I get to accomplish an upgrade to a 4x4 with bolt in parts. When I said replacing the center section I meant that and the inners/outers. If I beef that 44 with the 50 TTB I can do so with bolt in parts as well as keep my coils and bolt pattern. Bolt pattern would match my 9" rear too. As you know with a 50TT you go to leaf springs and 8 bolts. I'm not doing leafs in the front. Which is also why I'm not just installing the 50TTB; it's leaf and not bolt in.

The biggest advantage is that I get to keep the IFS. I've owned a couple of straight axle trucks, even one with the " ultimate front axle to swap in place, dana 60." They ride like crap. Destructible or not its not good for daily driving.

I appreciate the advice but I'm not doing a frame swap. That's not bolt in, which is what I'm asking for. It's also way more work than just bolting in a front axle. You're right about frame support though. Forgot to mention I'm going to add a couple of crossmembers and box the frame. That's not bolt in I know lol, but there's no geometry or anything crazy to crab some clamps, put metal to metal, weld in place, and cut.

All food for thought. Thanks for the advice.
Vince

I

 

You will have to get a f150 4x4 front axle and bolt it in place. No, you cannot mix in dana 50 ttb parts, like I said that is f250/350 stuff and it's different. The dana 50ttb axles are shorter and more square, it's made for leaf springs, nothing is going to bolt together. None of the 5 lug f150 stuff on the outer axles interchange either. If you stick with a f150 dana 44 ttb axle, it will all just bolt in, it's a wonderful thing. But that's about it.

If you want to bolt in the 460, you will have to pretend you have a f150 and want to install a 460. I know there is one company called L & L that makes a conversion kit. It's expensive, but it has everything there, I know how people love "kits". It has the conversion mounts (460 was never offered in a f150) the conversion headers, and the oil pan stuff. All these 80's trucks had rear sump oil pan systems. So if you get a 429 or 460 from a older car, you will need the conversion pieces to convert it to a rear sump oil pan. If you want to go parts hunting, you can get some of this stuff from the junkyard. There is also usually no clearance for the stock oil filter, so a remote oil filter is required.

Here's a link to L & L L & L Products - Engine Conversion Kits, Heaaders, Ladder Traction Bars for Ford, Chevy, GMC and Dodge Trucs

 

I guess the issue I'm wondering about is the body mounts. I guess you will have to relocate the originals (or facsimiles of) to the bullnose frame in the necessary location?

Just personal preference but I'd like to see an old timey vinyl bench seat in there too
But I like original.

 

The cab & bed are on the 80-86 F150 frame already so no need to re-locate the body mounts.

I think the truck looks pretty nice the way it sits now.
I may want to drop in that 460 & C6 as a 4x2 and try to keep rear tires on it but that's me.
Dave ----

 

F150 and Bronco frames were interchangeable for a number of years. Believe it was 1980-96. I picked up a nice rolling 89 Bronco chassis complete with transmission/case/shafts, the works this morning. Everything but the body.

There's a lot of information out there that says you're wrong about the 50 being hot swappable with the 40. At least the inners anyways. One thing you had right though, those kits are expensive. I can get classic truck mounts for 460 for F150, headers, nearly everything in that kit for half that price. Wonder why so much?

Thanks for the input.
Vince

 

Dave,

I like a bench seat too. The seats that are in it now came with it. Down the road I'm going to put the original seat back in after having it reupholstered to look like two seats with a middle. I also like the classic look, though, it's a work truck and I like slinging some mud every now and then. And I saw a 56 in 4x4 lifted and spitting exhaust when I was younger. Been wanting one ever since.

I thought about just running the 460 with 2wd but I don't want a street truck. I originally bought two 56's to make a sweet street rod. Ended up changing my mind and now I'm trying to sell them lol. I'm too far in the whole to look back to 2wd now. Side note, the Bronco I picked up has an AOD with transfer case that had a 302 in it. I might just leave my inline 6 in there for a while and just bolt those up. Six is only a 200 though lol.

Thanks
Vince

 

Reading between the lines, I am thinking you want the dana 50 ttb because of the beefier parts correct? What I am saying, the parts that are beefier and worth swapping in to make the 44ttb stronger will not swap. Yes, the center gear part will probably swap, but they are the same thing so what is the advantage? All the other stuff that makes the dana 50 stronger (the u-joints, the axles, the ball joints, the wheel bearings, the brakes) will not swap. If there was something about the dana 50 center section that did make it stronger and you could swap it in, what would be the point when you still have all the dana 44 axles, u-joints, and brakes on the outer ends?

 

Dave,

Don't take this the wrong way, but where does your expertise of these axles come from? I'm not trying to be rude or strike down completely what you're saying, but I do have one guy telling me one thing, and another telling me something else. Just trying to make an informed decision. I'd rather have a guy who has put his hands on these things versus a guy with nothing but hearsay lol.

Thanks
Vince

 

I will admit I do not know much about swapping the center section, but I have first hand experience with the outer parts being different. No way is the dana 50 ttb axle assembly going to bolt into a f150 chassis setup. If you have a way to do it, I will certainly sit back and learn something.

 

I think what I am reading that Vince is saying take the 50 center, inner & outer axles and use them in the 44 TTB housings.
Now the only thing I might see wrong with that is will the 50 Ujpoint fit in the area for the Ujoints and will the outer axle fit the 44 hub assy.?
May be he has to use the above 50 parts along with the 50 ball joint on out parts? Then he has to deal with different wheel bolt patterns.
I think he is saying be it a 44 or 50 the inner parts will swap between the two just don't know on the ball joints on out?
Dave ----

 

The dana 44ttb hd and the dana 50 ttb for the f250/350 have shorter arms. The center pivot brackets the axles mount to are in a totally different position on the truck.