i have a 1988 f350 dually rear wheel drive i want to convert to 4x4 and i need a list of what to get to do the conversion like axle,steering,brakes also would straight axle be better then IFS and or easyer? my setup as of now has coil springs should i use leafs? and as far as a tran/transfer case what should i look for i have a C6 in it now behind a 7.3 diesel with a ATS Turbo any input would be great thank you

shannon

 

I'm pretty sure there's a tech article on it, I'm thinking of doing the same myself with a '91 F-150; I can't find a supercab with an 8' box and 4x4, so I'm going to have to build one...

 

Here it is:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/articles...conversion.php

 

thanks but is the f150 and 350 the same ? do i just change spendles for the out ward eight lug wheels?i hear the dana 60 straight axle is better with leaf springs but dose my frame have the holes for the leaf brackets and how do i do the steering same box?

 

your F350 does have the mounting bolts for leaf springs in the front... They came out of the factory that way. I do not think you can get a 1 ton IFS... I have never seen it but it may be possible...
Let me know what you decide... I will take your coilsprings off your hand...

 

well iv found early 80's truck dana 60 compleat rotor to rotor with 6" springs for $950.00 or he has a dana 60 out of a 99 Superduty F-250 as well with only around 500 miles on it. It has a 3.73 gear in it. That one needs calipers and rotors. He wants $500 obo for that one but i still need purchs for the springs

 

I'd stick with the leaf springs and solid axle for the 1 ton truck. the coils are great on the 1/2 ton's like mine and my solid axle swap has been a blessing over the ifs. Don't get me wrong, the Ford TTB is a good axle and all (still a dana 44), but it has a hard time keeping aligned if you change anything from stock, i.e. adding a lift of any height.

As for the tansfer case, easiest thing would be get a divirced case from your local junkyard and have a set of driveshafts made to your specs.

Lastly, just make sure your R&P's match on the front and read or you could be in for a BIG surprise.

Good Luck!

 

ok i have the axle and springs and the transfer case out of a 88 f250 c6 will my wheel adapters from my stock ifs front end fit the dana 60? to match my dullay dana 60 is out of a 84 f250 with a 6" lift also do i have to find a pitment arm to fit my box or will mine work . and last my truck has a bracket to hold the coil spring and shock can i leave this on there and use it for just the shocks? thanks

 

The wheels should be the same 8 lug pattern, so that should not be an issue. With the 6" lift you should just get a drop pitman for your truck, the steering linkage should just bolt right in, wort case you may need to ream the pitman some to fit, no biggie though. You will need to change the bracket for the shock towers. Your coil spring towers have the shock mounted towards the rear, where the leaf sprung axle had the shock closer to the center, you can buy a set of multiple shock towers for around $60-70 a set if you look around.

Hope this helps

 

ok i just found out my axle is out of an 1979 f250 will this still work in a 1988 truck the 79 is compleat springs linkages hangers brake lines brakes drive shaft and all but is the frame diffrent from 79-88 or no?

 

ok also iv found out its a 79-f250 dana 44 id tag says 4.09 d7tA ZC and 610010 4R im guessing its a 4.10 gear and it has 3" springs will this fit in a 80 and up f250 or should i keep serching? spring purchs are 32" springs are 53.5 long anyone have some input?

thanks shannon

 

how do find out what gear is in the back of my dually i can't find a tag any where but i did find some info on the sticker on the door jam front 3690 and rear is 7400 is there a way to run the vin to find out what it is ? 1FTJF35M1JNA62933

thanks shannon

 

That axle should drop right in to your F-250. The only concern I would have is clearing the crossmember. I know that when I did the solid swap on my F-150, I had to put in at least a 4" lift to clear the crossmember. You can trim the crossmember and weld back a plate to support if you are handy with a tourch and welder though. Keep the steering linkage from the 79 axle and you may still need to get the spring hangers/shackles that fit your year truck, You should be able to make the 79 hangers work, but they may not match up exactly to the factory holes that are in your frame (your frame should have holes already drilled for the hangers/shackles).

As for the ratio on the rear, best bet is to jack the rear up, put the truck in neutral, and to the spin the tire trick and count how many times the pinion yoke turns, if you can't find a tag.

 

kjett, was your truck origiinally 4x4? i've done some homework and it looks like i can make my 2x4 a 4x4 no prob, but i wanted a straight axle conversion. i found the kit at broncograveyard, but that look way expensive. how did you do yours? i got a 92 f150 ext cab.

 

Mine was originally a 4x4 with the TTB front. I swapped in a from a 72 F-100 and converted it to disk brakes. You can do the same thing with a 2wd, there are a couple of tech articles that will help you along the way, like:

04/02/2001 - 2x4 to 4x4 for '80 to '96 F-100/150's
By Dan MacDonald

and:

Installing A 1978 F150 Straight Axle On A 1995 F150
By Daren Woods

I started there and basically took a complete front end from the 72, I had the complete truck to compare and measure before I took anything off, which helped a bunch. Jeff's Bronco Graveyard has some good parts, but I searched around the internet and found better deals on the lift parts. You will basically need (for the front axle only) the entire axle assembly including track arm, steering linkage, radius arms and all of the connecting brackets(i.e track bar bracket and radius arm brackets). I went with the 72 axle for a little more strength (check this article for more info: http://77cj.littlekeylime.com/web_rs44.html
but you can use any front from 70-79, just be prepared to convert to disks if it is from a 70-75. For steering I went with a drag link from a 92 F-350 4x4 (Perfect length for my 6" lift) with the stock 72 steering arm. Drop pitman is for my year truck ('95). You will need at least a 4" lift to clear the crossmember, I went with 6" cause the cost was $30 different. Lift is for a 70-79 F-100/F-150.

For the Tranny/transfercase and rear, see Dan MacDonald's article (good stuff!!).

Good luck and go for it. If you like your truck, don't let anyone discourage you into just buying a different truck, make your's the way you want it to be!!!