Hey guys. This will be an on going thread and updated as I make progress and budget allows me to do things. I recently picked up a 2000 CCLB F-350 ZF6 truck. It had been layed over, but fixed. I bought it from the owner of the body shop that fixed it. Needs a little bit of TLC, but I wanted a crew cab. I will be doing some part swapping from my 02 ECLB and fixing little things on it. I plan to pull the lift and tire setup, sell it, and buy a 4 in. I have Method NV 305s and new 315/75/16 Falken Wildpeaks AT3s. I swapped my stock wheels and tires back on my 250. I will also be swapping the front axles. The 350 has a D50 and the 250 has a D60.

2000 F-350

Pulling the rack and toolbox.

02 F-250


Plug swapped. The one that came on this truck was cracked.

Vacuum lines rerouted. Vacuum hubs disabled and capped at the hubs. Now I have my heat/ac from vents other than the defroster.

Cleaned up ready for a potential buyer to see. He passed on it as of now, so this week once I am home, I will be swapping the axles.

 

Axle swap/lift removal underway. Got the front end dropped and ready to move out from under the truck. Also pulled the 6in leafs out. Tomorrow I plan on tearing into the white truck and pulling that axle. Question for you guys though. I am looking at the Superlift K632 and am wondering about the pitman arm and track bar bracket. Are all brackets pretty much the same and place the track in essentially the same place? This one does not come with a pitman arm, and I was reading that a drop arm will hit Superlift's drop bracket? What's your guys' opinions on a drop arm for a 4in?

My work space for the swap. Didn't want to kick my wife out of the garage for it.


Getting him started young. He loves working with me and being outside no matter what we're doing.

 

I was under the impression 2000 MY trucks came with a D60.

Interested to see what else is done to the truck.

 

Only DRW 350s got the 60 before 11/01 I believe. They isn't really anything else done to the truck. It's stock with a K and N. I'm ditching that filter for an AFE dry filter. I have a downpipe and a stick of 4in. I was looking and can get just the piece that goes over the axle to complete an exhaust system. I'm pretty sure this truck has never had a tuner on it at all. I have a TS chip, but from a little bit of reading it seems like the manual trucks like manual tunes. This one has some blue/fuel smelling smoke at idle until it's warm. Read on here that alot of guys with manuals have that same thing. That's the most it will get right. Chip, exhaust, new filter. Tossing around getting an edge for monitoring, but I will cross that bridge when it comes.

 

Well I did a little more work today. The axles are out and under the right trucks. I have to go get new u bolts for the white truck, then it will be a snap putting it back together. The axle is centered and the pins are seated. Wasn't near as hard as I thought it would be. Should be done tomorrow and post it for sale. Then I'll pull the rear blocks and pitman arm on the blue truck and post that lift for sale.

My make shift outdoor light. $20 from Costco and 5000 lumens I think. I'll figure a better way to hang and angle it later on. This was just to clean up the driveway and move the 60 up under the 350. It's alot brighter than it looks.

 

I have a couple of those lights hung in my garage. They are pretty decent for the cost.

 

Yea my original plan was to make it an underhood work light. It's way brighter than any automotive worklight, just more fragile.

 

Man I don't know how you guys in the rust belt work on your trucks. That would drive me insane. I have an impact, but the u bolts were too long to use it. I ended up using my tpost driver as a cheater on a box end after soaking it in PB Blaster. Those nuts were stuck pretty good.

 

Been a while since I updated. The white truck is running and driving again. The track bar was a big pita. I tried pulling the axle over with a ratchet straps, but that didn't work. I put a prybar in the back side of it and was able to get enough leverage to start the bolt. Then I just sent home with the impact, sorta. Once it got through the eye of the track bar, it didn't align with the other side. The bolt was kinda crooked so I used a floor jack to lift on it slightly and adjust it. That did the trick. I received the 4in Superlift on Fri and started putting that on the blue truck. I left the drop pitman arm from the Rough Country 6in on there mainly because I didn't really want to mess with it. I'll just sell the 6in without the arm. I am really happy with the Superlift. It came with the correct length u bolts. So on the passenger side I could keep a socket on it and not have to go to a wrench. That was super annoying with the other u bolts. Made hanging the axle a breeze. But I guess one thing did bug me about this kit. The kingpin bolts are bigger. The top hat or whatever it's called where the ubolts clamp down on the spring, was not even close to fitting. Had to take a drill and basically wallow out the hole until it sat down like it should. I'll let the pictures talk about that. Oh and I discovered that it seems Ford changed the ABS connector in the later years. The old connectors don't plug into the newer truck. There is a step in the female side that requires a smaller diameter wheel speed sensor male. Super annoying and not worth my time to fix.


Comparison of what I needed to get it to sit correctly.

After the "fix".

 

Got the axle up Sunday night and put the wheels on. I'm at work til Thursday morning so I should be able to button it all up then. Nothing is really torqued yet. I hope the springs settle...tires look to small as is.

 

Looks like the 315's measure between 34" and 35". Never understood why people think a 4" lift is necessary for a 35" when you can run a level with 35" tires. IMO a 37" plus may be the ticket. What size did you have before?

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I did ATS X code springs on mine and 295/70/18 Nitto Ridge Grappler's, which is supposed to be a 34.25" tire. Measures closer to a 33".

 

Yea I understand their size. It was a 6in with 37s. Too tall for my liking. I just bought brand new tires on these wheels before this truck came for sale. I rubbed ALOT with a level on the old truck. There is a picture up in the top of the thread with the leveling kit and these tires. Granted I had saggy springs also. Figured a 4inch would be just right. I looked at pictures and it seemed like a 4inch for the bill. This just seems taller. Time will tell if it will settle down, which I'm sure it will. I also looked at x codes, but from what I was reading, I wouldn't get the height I wanted. Thanks for the input though. I appreciate it.

 

Well everything is bottomed up on the blue truck now. Drove it 100 miles to work this morning and it drove fine other than some driveline vibration. I think I need to take the carrier spacer out or get a smaller one. The steering wheel was crooked, so I adjusted the drag link and got it straight. I was happy that it fits in the garage and isn't too tall, even once I get the rack on it. 9' doors FTW. The lift seems to definitely have settled. I also sold the RC lift and 37s today for $1k.




Best thing about a 350, the clearance lights.

 

Looks good! Now I am depressed. Appaerently I have a Dana 50, not a 60....dammit.

 

Its unlikely you’ll break it. Slightly smaller pinion shaft and the axles neck down into carrier. A friend broke his D50 pinion shaft once. But he is on 46” tires and the pic showed damage to the tree that was between the truck and trailer. (Truck slid downhill and put tree in the way. He was apparently trying to knock the tree down with trailer... 46’s don’t sling mud - they sling chunks of sod with rocks, roots and shrubs in it)

The project is looking good!! I just read about your struggle with track bar. I save that for last and with tires back on the ground, have a helper turn steering wheel until bolt lines up.