It should be ok.

 

Thanks. I am assuming that is what the flat machined area on the front of the beam was for the washer and nut to have somewhere flat to sit. Don't why I didn't notice that while driving in my kingpin locknut. Oh well, it seems to be fine.

 

Hummm...well, I'm not thinking of this as an arguement here, but there seems to be two different schools of thought. I plan to do my pivot and radius bushings and will pull the assemblys to do it. I'll take a look at mine ('73 F100) and post here what I find.

 

Thanks PolKat. The census is that the arms are the same. Please check with stampings you have facing the front and which one is the rear. Also, notice if the kingpin locking bolt has the nut facing forward, and the nut and washer should be in a machined flat area on the beam. Let me know. Thanks.

 

Still not sure that they are the same, but I can tell you that my locking pin nuts and washers face the front of the truck. Now, the locking pin is somewhat tapered, so you should only be able to insert it all the way in from one side, and if you swap the beams, then the nut/washer would have to face rearward.

 

It's tapered so it will drive in from either side.

Quote:

Does the front where your washer and nut sit, are they in a machined flat area?

One side has a flat area, I presume for the nut and washer to mate too, the other side is a little concave. I have the machined flat area in front, but the nut in the back, because I think I put the tapered pin in backwards, but the beams are correct, if you go by that.

 

Was there ever a concensus to this topic? Does it matter whether the D2TA-8 or D2TA-9 beam is connected to the driver side spindle or the passenger side spindle?

 

I think the consensus was that it didn't matter....I could never get anyone to identify by part # which side those beams went to. If you get an answer let me know. I guess I will know the first time I drive the truck when I get it back together as to whether it makes a diff.

 

searching this to double check for myself, but there definitely is positive caster built in to the beams and a lot of bad info in this thread. When looking at the beams from the side, the top of the king pin should be leaned towards the back of the truck. This gives you positive caster. I did check the marks on the frame brackets from the old bushings and matched the DJM Dream Beams up. It's not as noticeable on stock beams because of how they twist.

Found it, 5* of caster built into the beams, top should lean back towards the rear of the truck.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...,d.cGE&cad=rja

 

Agreed. Even though this is an old thread someone searching for a solution to their problem could run across it.
If you look in the Ford parts catalog it shows two different axles for right and left.
There are actually several different axles used, depending on GVW, model, body style, etc. but each one has different part numbers for the right and left side.
Example:
75 F150 regular cab 2WD
RH D8TZ-3006-B
LH D8TZ-3007-B

 

Yep, my '77 F-150 which is AFAIK previously untouched has different part numbers on the original beams, one Dr. side, one Passenger's side. You can look at the original beams laying on the ground and see the positive caster built in if you look carefully at how they twist.

It's a lot easier to see on the dream beams because they don't twist, just have the Kingpin boss welded on at a 5* angle.