I need rears for the 1985 f150 i am building. I have access to a 1986 f250. It has a Dana 44HD and what I believe is ford 10.25. I was on a jeep site where people were converting D44HD to 5 lugs. I have access to several f150 trucks so parts should not be an issue.Has anyone everyone ever done this. Is it possible to do the same with the 10.25. You input would be appreciated!

 

You can convert a D44 to 5 lugs with new spindles & rotors. People generally want to do the opposite (5 to 8). I don't know of a conversion for the sterling. My guess is that's going to be very hard to find because no one really would want to do that.

 

Do you think that 10.25 with 4.11's is to much for my 302. I am running 33's on it but that is a whole lotta rear.

I know the 8 to 5 lug sound stupid. However, It is alot easier to change a flat. I also want to keep the wheels I have. Thanks for the advice!

 

It depends on the tranny. If you have an overdrive tranny, you might be able to go with 4.56's with a 302 if you don't mind revving it on the road a little bit. If you have a C6 or four speed without overdrive, I would stick with 4.11's.

Try http://www.4lo.com/4LoCalc.htm and plug in some numbers and see if you like where you'll end up with different gears.

 

Thanks! That is a great website.

 

The 4.11 should be good with that tire size.

As for the front 8 to 5 swap. If you have a TTB front axle then forget about any kind of swap. The TTB is in it's own little world and the D44, HD D44 and the D50 TTB axles are all different and you can not swap parts between. I have been down that road and so have many others and parts do not swap between each of them!

If you have a solid axle then the swap would be easy. I would even swap you the 5 lug parts for your 8 lug parts but it has to be from a straight D44 axle. Not TTB axle.

I had also looked at redrilling a 10.25 for 5 lug and if I recall correctly two of the 5 lug stud locations will just bream into two of the 8 lug stud holes. Of course i could rotate the BC and break into only one hole but on a larger scale. So atleast two of the old stud holes would nee to be plugged and to keep the balance right I would just plug them all, 8 lug holes that is.

I know there is a swap out there to take a TTB D44 5 lug axle and change it to an 8 lug set up but one needs chevy parts to do this. I have not seen a swap to take an 8 lug TTB to a 5 lug set up.

You may also want to know that you can not bolt a TTB HD D44 axle in place of a TTB D44 axle because the mounting points on the frame are different and this includes the D50. I think the D 50 and the HD D44 TTB axles may have the same mounting points.

 

I am not sure what a TTB is. It is not a straight axle. It only has leaf springs in the front. What is a TTB?

 

The TTB axle is the 4x4 front axle that is used on 1980 and up trucks. Ford did away with the straight axle and went to a independent front set up which is known as a TTB set up. Twin ? Beams I can't recall the full break down of TTB at the moment.

The TTB came with leafs which will be in the F250 and up trucks and the coil version of the TTB will be the F150. The F150 is a D44, the F250 is a HD D44 and then comes the D50 and as I mentioned parts will not swap between the different TTB axles.

 

Thats a bummer. Its good to know before I start wrenching. How hard is it to change the ratio in in a D44?

 

You must have alot of flats.

 

My dad just wants me to keep 5 lugs for some reason. If I use the f250 axles, I would have to weld the brackets to accept the radius arms. Since it is not a solid axle, I am told that I can not do the conversion anyway. I am considerng using the f250 axles as they are. I wanted to put a 9" in the back. But if the front is a 8 lug, that would be useless. How is the steerling 10.25? How do you think it will be in my truck(1984 f150, 302).