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So my daughter is interested in a 1976 F150 for sale at a local classic car dealer that, from what I can tell, has been converted
to 4wd and has had 3/4 ton axles swapped in. Can anyone id what the axles are?
Thanks...........GP
Looks to me like a F-150 4x4 with a swapped in Dana 60 in back and likely ends swapped in front, and some badge changes. Front axle is a Dana 44, likely as came on the truck. Hood fit is off too.
There's a VIN stamped into frame, passenger side, top of rail in the engine bay. That should match for tag and more importantly the title.
I see a radius arm suspension that came on F150 4x4 standard cabs. F150 super cab 4x4 and F250 4x4 had leaf springs on the front. Not saying couldn't be done, but I'd say it's unlikely they converted a leaf spring suspension to factory style radius arms.
Instead the factory 9 inch rear end was swapped for a Dana 60 or similar from an F250/350 which 77.5 and up to '97 I think, have the same frame width and wouldn't require moving leaf spring perch, they would be almost a straight bolt in. Might have used an adapter u-joint if they kept stock driveshaft.
Up front you have a D44 which was also offered in the F250 leaf suspension. The steering knuckles out can be installed on the radius arm D44 on the F150.
You can certainly weld on new radius arm pads to the axle tubes, but it's probably easier to swap out the knuckles and brakes and such from a 250.
Sure that's a Dana in the back? Looks more like a Sterling to me. But I'm an expert in neither. Just that the center webbing looks more like later model Ford stuff.
It did start out as an F150 as evidenced by the married transfer case. An F250 from 1976 would have a divorced transfer case. However, if I'm not mistaken, the front crossmember under the engine for this year would be straight across from left to right and this appears to be angled like a 1977-later. It still has an FE engine in it though.....
The rear axle is a Sterling 10.25 and has an aftermarket disc brake conversion (RuffStuff Specialties style). The front is a D44 and I suspect it's a "knuckles-out" conversion based on the welds for the radius arm brackets looking factory yet having the bigger brakes and 8 lugs (with huge spacers).
It also has the wrong rivets on the door plate.
What a POS. Slap a cheap paint job on a pig and it's still a pig. Also, the body lift probably makes it a bear to shift either box properly and how in the world can the shift **** be that worn out after 78K miles? Places like this take advantage of somebody looking for shiny stuff but sell mechanical nightmares.
