This is my first post in this forum, but I have been searching, and studying for quite some time, lol I just havent taken the time to ask questions..... I've looked over quite a few threads as well as the tech article on the swap, but I have some questions of my own....

At the moment I have a 90 2wd f-150 with a 300/6 and a 5-speed (not sure what kind), I have a 6" rough country lift, with 3/4 ton dually leaf springs in the rear, on top of that I have a 2" body lift and 31x10.50's.... at this point my truck looks like a 4x4 (more people that I can count on both my hands have asked me)... What I really want is the serious off-road capabilities, but not spend the money on a solid axle conversion (spent too much on the lift kit to convert now), so I intend on putting together a TTB 4x4 drivetrain out of the best parts available in f-150's that will work together without too much serious fabrication.... before I put the lift on I was going to put my cab, bed and motor on a 79 frame with a solid axle front end, but I turned away from that because it seems like a needles hassle....

I'm fully capable of doing fabrication and higher level mechanic work, so I'm not going to get too scared away from doing this... I want a manual shifting transfer case that will work with an older 4-speed with granny gear transmission (I will try to get info on the tranny later, all I know is that its a "bulldog" tranny and it is very tall), and I want a front TTB axle with manual locking hubs and maybe a 4.10 gear ratio.... In the near future I'm going to put 35x13.50's on my truck, so take that into consideration....

What I'm basicly asking for is opinions on components that would able to handle more of a serious off-road situation, and information as far as what year and model trucks it was available in... for all of you that have TTB 4x4 or are converting it I want to know what things you wish you would have done and should have done, and what parts you wish you would have gotten instead.... I hope I didnt write too much of a novel, but I hope I got my point accross somewhat... Btw this is one of the most informative forums I've been on in a long while, lol I'm a converted chevy driver, so please dont hold that against me, I didnt know what a truck was until I got my 150....

 

want you really want is to do a SAS. Solid-axle-swap. From a 76-79 F150. You have enough lift to handle one. You'll probably spend less on that then you would getting all the TTB 4x stuff. You don't need that fabtech kit.

You currently have a crappy mazda 5speed tranny. You want to get either a ZF5, NP435, or a T18. Any tcase Ford produced b4 '96 or '97 should fit fine.

All the TTB stuff from a 4x4 truck will bolt up.

 

The one question I have though is will my lift kit work with the front axle, I have the 6" lift springs and shocks with all the alignement brackets... which I realize that there is no such thing as alignement problems with a solid axle...

I can buy an entire 79 frame with the solid axle front, rear axle, transfer case, and transmission, with all the suspension parts for $600... the main reason I'm so reluctant is because I just put the lift on yesterday, and I know there is no way in hell that I'd be able to get all my money back..... I just want to do a TTB front.... there are plenty of donor trucks and I know how to make some deals.....

I appreciate your opinion but I'd rather just go TTB, I just dont know if there were better front axles in different years and all that, thats basicly the info I'm looking for....

 

one transmission bremen forgot to mention would be the nv4500 it is still a 5spd od but it has a granny 1st gear, and seems to be able to handle abuse alot better than the mazda trans, as far as the front ends there wasn't much difference in them from 80 to 96 for the most part they were D44s in the half tons, and D50s in the F250s (this is a general rule not hard, and fast). As far as finding one with the 4.10 ratio you will have better luck in the F250s (although they could be had in the F150 also just not very common) but you can buy whatever gears you want, personally for ease, and parts availability, plus the ability to keep the 5 bolt pattern to match your rear I would stay with the D44 from a F150, and put whatever gears in it you like, just don't go over 35" tires this seems to be the limit on recommendations for that frontend.
I understand what your are saying about not wanting to go with the sas, but my personal preference would be to go that way now, and save the money cause if you stay around here long we will corrupt you, and you'll be needing more, and more.

 

If you have decent fabrication skills there is absolutely no reason you can't use those 2wd lift springs and make them work with a solid axle. If you're serious about wheeling you'll end up spending far more on repairs of that TTB front then you did on your lift kit to begin with.

SAS! SAS! SAS!

 

"What I really want is the serious off-road capabilities" serious off-road capabilities and TTB do not mix well, you will spend more fixing your TTB after it breaks in the first year than a SAS would cost.

 

well ok, maybe not serious off-road capabilites, but better than 2wd, I've done some amazing things with 2wd (I know 4wd people are skeptics), but I want to be able to make it up a trail without having one of the rear tires picking up, and I want to be bale to actually sling some mud instead of revving the hell out of my motor to get my truck covered.... I dont plan on going to tellico (even though its in my back yard practiclly), but I do want to have some fun in the mud..... lol I guess my title and my comments were a bit misleading, I ment bulletproof as far as the capabilities of TTB can go, what I'm saying is I want to set-up the best of this crappy system....

I want a set-up with 35" tires that can handle it without major problems..... and I think my decision will be swayed before its all over with because I'm already contemplating a sas.... I want to keep a 5 lug and I want to keep it practical as a DD, I dont mean small tires and high gear ratios, I mean being able to get a minimum of 10 mpg and atleast being able to go 70 mph without having my engine revv too high... lol I dont mind having to take a running jump to get into my truck, and I dont mind listening to the sweet melody of the tire humming..... but damn I'm not trying to get too far into this, either way I only have a 300/6, so I cant get too carzy (please no one suggest a motor swap, this baby aint coming out).....

 

That 79 parts truck . . . is it an F150? If it is you'll already have coil buckets and radius arms. $600 wouldn't be a bad price for the parts you'll be getting though I'll bet you could talk him down a bit on it. TTB's are fine for a pavement pounder but they're just not a good option for an offroad rig.

 

the NV4500 is a good tranny, but its not a cheap swap, im going to go that route, but just becasue its a shorter combo than the ZF and i would like to still have room for a doubler under my rig without the pogostick rear drive shaft (common problem with people with E40d trannys due to length)

but the problem lies with the fact that there is no NV4500 ment to go into a ford, you have to get a Dodge version and get a conversion plate and a fewe other items to make it work, since you have a F150, id go with the ZF tranny, any T-case from 78-96 will work, but youd be better off to go with the NP205 for strength, the lowrange sucks on it, but otherwise id just go with the BW1356 for its .7 higher lowrange.

i really think youd be happy with the TTB setup, if its open diff, 35s would be no problem, if you lock it, carry some spare shafts. no big deal. the nice thing about the TTB is that in your case, its a durect boltup to what you already have! just take out the 2wd stuff and bolt the TTb in there! where are you located at? if you are anywhere close to snohomish Wa id sell you all the TTB parts off of my Bko, i removed all of it in favor of a D60 leafspring setup. it will need new U-joints, balljoints and tierods, but the spindle hubs and bearings where taken care of. lemme know, mybe we could work somthin out!

 

I wish we could work something out, but I'm on the other side of the continent, I'm located in the western most corner of NC right in the corner next to GA and TN, thats why I said Tellico is pretty much in my back yard...

I understand why everyone is trying to convince me to go to a sas, but right now I think I will just focus on TTB with this rig and later on build a true mud stomper, with a solid front axle and a motor combination worthy to sling mud.... my friend has a 79 4x with 33's and a 429 cobra jet, he gave $800 for it, and quite frankly that would seem better for serious off-road... one good thing about this forum I realized that with TTB its not gonna be as capable of what I want, but for a DD that will see some weekend fun it will be more than plenty, I just have to look around for another deal like that 79 my buddy got....

I have my eyes on a donor truck that hasnt moved an inch in a year or two, it bellongs to the NC road department and I think I can work something out with them... I dont know exactly what year it is, but I know everything is exactly like mine, 300/6, 5-speed, so that should make for an easy swap....

the main reason I want 4x4 is because another friend of mine has a 4x4 s-10 and it really irritates me that he can go places that I can in 4wd, but cant move an inch in 2wd, and I can go all these places in 2wd but he still talks poo-poo like his truck is the hottest thing around, we are talking about having a pull-off bumper to bumper and I have a feeling even with him in 4wd I'll pull him around....

I dont know right now I'm getting alot of glorification for having the most capable, mean looking, and tallest 2wd truck in the area, but right now more than being "different" I want to have more fun..... I'll have to get some action shots to show that I can make my 2wd do things most cheby owners are in envy of.....

 

I just don't understand why, if you're doing the work already, you'd swap in an axle that you know to be inferior when you could just as easily put in a solid axle and have a good strong rig.

 

Because I spent too much time and money to put these brackets on, and the TTB is just a simple bolt-in swap... plus my lift springs would probably not serve their purpose as well... maybe in time I'll decide to do that swap instead of the TTB, but it will take some convincing....

How much work is invovled in swapping that axle into my rig??? please be somewhat descriptive I want to weigh my options...

 

There is nothing wrong with the TTB in terms of strength compared to a straight axle 44. and they will perform pretty good off road too-BUT- the worst thing about them is alignment issues. Either keep it on the street or make it an off road only rig so the constantly changing(when used off road) alignment wont eat up your tires on the pavement.

 

ok i am gonna throw you guys a curve ball here... back a month or so ago when i went to cheer Ho on at a mud bog i took special notice to one inparticualr truck! why? it was exactly mine... same body style and drivetrain. i was shocked completely, to say the least, b/c i have never seen another truck like it romping in the mud. i say this b/c he was running a full set of 44" boggers! yes i said it right and Ho and I looked it over to our amazement the D50 ttb held up very nicely! no, ttb will not last 10 feet on rocks but in the mud it won't be as bad as everyone thinks!

i totally agree with everyone here about doing a SAS b/c you only have to spend the money once. you can't help it you jumped the gun and bought a lift before the truck was even 4x4! BUT a ttb can be pretty dern strong and you will need to learn to keep your foot off the mat...although with a 300-I6 i seriously doubt you will break it with 35's!

i have a D50 ttb axle complete from hub to hub including shocks and leafs. i will sell it cause all it is doing is getting ion my way. if you are interested in the D50 lemme know cause i wheel at Tellico quite often as we have about 50 acres up there and are building.

-cutts-

 

I myself am running the dana 44 ttb in my 81 f-250 that i run strickly in the bogs with 35x16 boggers and i have had great success with only finishing a worst of 5th out of 20, but i was only 5 feet out of 2nd place. If i hadn't of found such a good deal on a pair of dana 60's in a 77' i would be keeping it underneath.

Yeah the TTB's can handle the mud and dune hopping, but in the rocks the will do diddly squat cause of their lever type design. If you could get that guy down under 500 on that 79 frame, that would be the way to go cause you will get a stronger tanny and t-case, and finding all the ttb parts will cost about the same, but you won't get the better t-case and tranny.