Help!!!!!

I bought a 1990 F-350 4x4 7.3l ATS turbo dually (suppose to be a dually) that was actually converted from a single wheel. On the rear axle it has a 3" adapter bolted to the original lugs, then the dual wheels are bolted to it. My question is how do I properly change this to the correct way? I talked to a Ford parts guy who said I would be better off just getting a Dana 80 dual wheeled axle and putting it under it. Secondly, I thought that the rear was a Sterling 10.25 or 10.50 not a Dana 80. Also, how badly has this decreased my towing capacity?

 

The ford 4x4 dually is a conversion from a 4x4 SRW. Ford did not make 4x4 Dually's. The spacers are available from the converter company (i.e Centurian) about $300 pair.
Make sure that your brake shoes are for the SRW. A FMC Mechanic put the oversize DRW shoes on mine and .25 inches of the shoe made no contact.

Who made your conversion?

 

It's probably more trouble than it's worth trying to make it a true dually. I did it once to a 3/4 ton. It involved making steel spacers and finding longer studs for the hubs. The leaf springs are closer together on a true 1 ton dually to give more tire clearance also. The one I did only had about 3/4 of an inch tire to spring clearance when I was done.

 

I don't know what brand it is. I didn't even know it was like that till I took off the rear tires. I have seen many 4x4 duallys that are dumptrucks or tow trucks around here and we even owned one that was a factory 4x4 dually, not converted.

How much difference in spring spacing is there? If I got a acutal dual wheel rear axle, would I have to put spacers on it to fit out side the leaf springs? I am pretty pissed about this and I am concerned about how much I have lossed on towing capacity because this thing was jimmy-rigged together for a look and not for strength.

Thanks for the input

 

Will a Super duty 99-04 dually rear fit or is it too narrow also? I really want this to be a dually, not a convert-a-truck-dually.

 

OK, here is the deal, if you really want to know.

If the truck came from the factory as a cab and chassis the frame rails are 34" apart outside to outside. The rear out of any pickup that came with a bed on it will allow you to install dual wheels.

If the truck came with a bed on it which has a 37.5" frame outside to outside you can not install dual wheels "UNLESS"

Option 1, You use spacers, "NOT" a good option if you plan to haul any serious weight "ON" the truck. If you do you are better off with single wheels due to the strange wheel bearing loading caused by the spacers. This is a good option if you are looking for more stability/traction for towing the weight.

Option 2, If you want to haul serious weight "on" the truck, go get the rear end housing out of a 1 ton dually with the pickup box with the fender flares on it from the factory. This rear will be a Sterling 10.25" / 10.5" axle. They look identical and all that but if you measure backplate to backplate you will see the 1 ton dually axle is 4" wider than your rear is backplate to backplate. You can also measure the tube length from the punkin to back plate and see a 2" difference on each.

What they call the axle is dependant on the year. In my 86 it is a 10.25" Sterling, in the new ones it is a 10.5" Sterling. I am not sure about the year of the change from 10.25 to 10.5".

Either is almost bullet proof. I haul 4 tons on my single rear wheel 250 and I tow 14,000 with it.

Find one in a salvage yard and pull your punkin out of your axle. Then pull the punkin out of their axle and install your punkin using their axle shafts. Then you install their punkin in your housing with your axle shafts. Now trade that axle back to them for dollars off the cost of the swap. I found one to swap like this for 400 dollars. The axle had 4.33 ratio in it is why I did the punkin change cause mine had 3.55's, but all this means is you do not have to lay out 600 for new gears cause the ratio is wrong.

A down side is you will "have" to run 235/85-16 tires on the dually rear end to get proper tire spacing between the tires on the duals and between the inner tires and springs.

I have a good differential guy that knows his stuff to know all this, and I have been under 50 trucks checking his info with a tape measure. He does know his stuff.

 

I forgot to tell you the Dana 80 will probably not work for the conversion to duals because it probably came off a cab and chassis.
That did not reduce your towing capacity if properly loaded.

 

thanks,

I measured mine and it was 37.5" wide outside to outside. I don't haul a lot in the bed , but will be using it for towing. I guess I will leave it the way it is for now, unless something happens to it. Who knows, I my turn it back into a single wheeled truck.

 

My 87 F350 CC Dually is a conversion with the spacers. I used to pull a 35 ft fifth wheel with no problems. Also when I bought the truck it had a 10.5 ft slide in camper on it. I beleive it was on there since new. I bought the truck with 16,000 mi on it in 1990. The only problem I had was that when I had the brakes repaired this past year the spacers were siezed on the drums in the back and had to be heated to remove them and they cracked. That is why I bought new spacers from Centurian. The truck now has over 123,000 miles and the DRW conversion from SRW has not had a problem. I would not worry about your towing capacity. it should be the same as what is quoted in your manual for your configuration. Most people excede that limit anyway (LOL).
What type of trailer are you going to be towing? What is its GVWR?

 

the biggest would be a 35 ft gooseneck I think about 20-25k, but that would be a rareity. I will be pulling at least a 2 horse trailer, a bumper single car trailer, and a bumper dual car trailer. Not a lot of weight being it is for two Jeeps, but still need to know. I will be pulling the trailers offroad to get to the camp sites. How much were the ones from centurian?

Thanks

 

How much were the ones from centurian?


How much were the what? I will check the truck this weekend and see what the gross weight is. I believe it is around 14k. but i was always around 17k when pulling my rig. It should say in the owners manual.
I am currently out of town but i am heading home tomorrow.