Hi looking to soild axel swap my truck(1992 f150 ttb) away from the ttb axel. Local junk yard has a truck with one in it. Can anyone help me know what all I need to grab out of it to make the swap work. any help is much appreciated.

 

axle, driveshaft, all steering linkage, possible the pitman arm.

 

also the older straight axle radius arm brackets. The ttb brackets locate the axle too far forward.
Having done this myself multiple times, what makes you want to do this swap?
edit: and at least a 4 inch lift kit or you have to trim/hack a good amount of engine crossmember to clear the diff. And no long tubes for the newer frame, you habe to use shorties or manifolds.

 

Just have a chance to get a axel for alittle cheaper then most people. And I have a 6in lift on 35s ride quality is bad was told the soild axel would improve that along with being more "offroad capable"


thank you

 

A few years ago, some friends and I did a Dana 60 swap on my '95 F-150.

Later, another friend suggested redesigning the front suspension because the front leaf springs were bottoming out.



A bit after we started. Credit to my buddy Jack who had the experience and designed and built the spring mounts. Also to my friend Tom who assisted us and his dad Jerry who loaned us his shop for a while.


The previous owner had done a solid axle swap so it wasn't too tough to reuse the springs.



One of the newly fabricated front shock mounts.



Kingpin Hi-Steer kit to reduce jump steer.

Dana 60 swap all done with new rims and tires.

Added Pro-Comp stabilizer shocks to reduce jump steer even more.

A few years after the D60 swap we redid the front suspension as it was bottoming out. 2004(?) Super Duty mounts for the front and 52" leaf springs from a '74 Chevy truck with a couple of leaves added to each.

Track bar drop mount ordered from Ballistic Fabrication. Got it cheaper than I could have made it myself.







Crumple zones welded to strengthen them. And we moved the sway shackles from the front near the bumper to the rear of the leaves.





All done! Note the Super Duty pull eyes sticking out from beneath the bumper.

 

Cool you are mostly set then if it is a coil spring dana 44. You will need the solid axle raduis arms and mounts.
I recommend some stock size tires to have it on during the swap, makes things easier.
I have always measured center of front hub to center of rear axle with stock suspension. Then after cutting all the ttb stuff out, roll the solid axle under the truck and bolt it to the springs. Then use a jack under the radius arms to get them against the frame. Next I measured the axle to hub centers again to see where they are. I use ratchet straps to pull the front axle backwards if needed. Once close I then measure criss-cross LF shock mount to RR shock mount and vice-versa to see if they are the same or close. Then drill and bolt the arm mounts in place.

Oh yeah forgot in earlier posts. You will need the panhard/link bar for locating the front axle side to side. So yeah that is important too. I can't remember if you will need to do anything with with brake lines to run the old style calipers or if the line threads are the same. Also, the 92 calipers won't work on the solid axle. So add brakes to the list.

 

First thing that's cool af with what you did with the dana 60 swap

Ok thank you for you help man. Other then ride quality and off roadless do you lnow of any other benefits for the swap? Besides the better ball joints and stuff

 

I haven’t driven a solid axle truck for a long time so I’m not sure about that. I don’t think the ride quality is bad. If you have some stiff “off road” shocks on the thing it is going to ride like there is no suspension. How would solid axle Dana 44 ball joints be different than TTB Dana 44 ball joints.

 

First off what kind of offroading do you do?
Light trail riding a few times a year?
Fender deep mud bogging?
Rock crawling?
Creek running?
What engine and drive train?

In my experience with these trucks TTB and solid axle, unless you are really beating on them... you won't see much advantage to a swap. I knew guys running 38s on the stock ttb and 8.8. Never broke parts doing the creek wheeling and trail rinding. Now when he got frame deep in a bog pit he lost a shaft in the ttb.
Ride can be stiffer or softer that all depends on the springs really.

 

94 150 5.0 4r70w and 3.55s

Same truck after a nose swap ( small front end collision), and solid axle swap

Original f250 light duty. 2wd conversion to 4wd coil sprung 44 and 8.8 out of the blue truck after a fuel leak burned the blue truck down

D44 swap flex... basically no suspension flex with 4 inch springs for a 79 f150

Same red 250 converted to 1 ton running gear and coil sprung D60 conversion.

6 inches of lift on 1 tonsand 37x12.50R16.5 Hummer surplus tires

 

89 f150 300 with a 5 speed and 3.08 gears. Was a dog on the 38s but would still go anywhere in Low range. Didn't hurt the ttb till he got door deep in a big pit. And started slamming the clutch in and out to rock the truck.

 

just start getting going offroad but probly only rough trails and maybe some mud pits. Just have the chance and was told that soild is just better. Kinda leaning towards not doing the swap especially since just did all new ball joints and stuff
just wanting people like you who have beat on them to share your experience on whether if it worth doing it or not. Starting to seem with the much off road I do might as well keep the ttb. Also have a 1992 150 with a 351 e40d 6in Skywalker lift on 35

 

not sure how there differnt was just told by somone I trust that they were stiffer I belive or more durable. Might be wrong

 

I think arguments could be made either way depending on who you talk to.. I’ve heard good and bad for both.

Imho, if I were building a trail machine, I think you could have a lot of fun building up the TTB, and keep decent on road manners too. If you like fabricating, you could get into building your own set up.

There’s a couple places - Solo Motorsports, Carrick Customs, you could check out and get some ideas from… a few other members here have built up their own TTB’s, worth searching for.

Good luck with the project.

 

The BIGGEST thing in beginning to learn wheeling is picking your line.

1. DO NOT WHEEL ALONE.
A. You get stuck and dont have good cell service, you are walking. ( Been there, not fun)
B. Something unexpected happens you could be not alived. I CAN NOT CLARIFY THIS ENOUGH DO NOT GO OUT ALONE. ( We had 3 kids in a dodge ram charger from out of town show up to hit the local spot about 20 years ago give or take. Middle of January. Told them not to go, and if they were they needed to call friends to go with them. They laughed and took off. A couple hours later my scanner went off as the fire department was dispatched to the creek north of the county bridge. Ram fell through the ice and even though it was only about waist deep, they were stuck with no phone as it was early 2000s. One was unconscious with carbon monoxide poisoning in the vehicle, one went into shock after getting out and getting wet. He fell on the ice and stuck to it... the ems had to PEEL HIM OFF THE ICE, because he didn't have a jacket on. The third managed to get to the road and was luck a car was passing and actually stopped Or I believe all 3 would have died.
The Ram Charger was abandoned and scavenged for parts when it warmed up that spring...and eventually sank below the sand in the creek.


2.Get out and walk the obstacles. You are wheeling you will get dirty, face it. Either before you attemp an obstacle or after you get stuck.
( Walk the water, how soft is the bottom, how deep is the water. How steep/off angle is the hill how loose is the dirt?)
I used to go places with open front and rear diffs all the time. If you know where to go it is easy. Add 20 feet to your trip by going left around a big rock instead of around the right and maybe you don't slide sideways and ding your door.

3. Correct recovery gear.
A. Tow straps ARE NOT ****** straps. One gives for yanking a truck out... tow straps don't, and will break stuff.
B. Chains will break stuff
C. Never hook to a trailer ball....ever


I would go on, but I think this will get you started.


As for the swap. I don't think you really need to if you aren't slamming it around. On 35s the lockouts are the weak link and you will have that with either axle. IF you wanted to you really need to make sure you have all the parts before starting,