Has anyone ever thought about welding up the ttb to make it a solid axle? After welding it, I would remove the dropped pivot brackets and it would keep my camber in line better I think. Any opinions on this would be cool.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 26-Aug-02 AT 11:17 PM (EST)]Have you been drinking??
No, seriously.....

Jon
1989 F-150 XL- 4x4, 302, M50D
1995 Bronco Eddie Bauer- 351W, E40D

 

I'll have to admit that the thought did cross my mind but I figured it would be easier if I let my best friend total my '88 so I could by an early bronco.

 

Why go to the trouble? It would be easier and more beneficial to swap in a solid axle from an F-350.

 

I have heard of it being done.... but couldn't understand why.... your geometery would never be right....

I wouldn't recommend doing it... maybe.. and maybe if it were for an OFF-ROAD ONLY rig... but even then...

I am personally waiting for my D44-TTB to explode... so I can swap in my D60 from a '79 f250

-Steve

 

Are you the same guy that asked about this on MBB and POR?

 

 

This idea is always met w/resistance because people don't understand it, and people fear what they don't understand.

If done right it could work well, just as well as any solid axle (strength issues aside) for a FRACTION of the cost of a D60. OTOH if you can pick up a '78/9 D44 for $200 that might be the better choice.

It's a super cool idea. I'm sure you already saw this link:
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/jzettel73/TTB_Conversion.html

If you've got the time and welding skills go for it! You'll get coolness and originality points in MY book LOL, and once you out-wheel everyone here w/TTB they won't be laughing anymore.

 

Its not so much that we dont understand it, at least I do understand what it is that you want to do, its more along the lines of what your first reply was. Have you been drinking? TTB suspension is a bad idea in general, I admit that I give it to you for thinking of it, and it might very well work, but it wouldn't work the greatest I must say, for starters, im sure the coil springs under that pivoting axle are probably a little softer than they could be. And There is just something about that idea that makes me cringe a little bit, and pretty much anything that you aren't entirely sure about, probably isn't a safe thing to do. It would be much more beneficial to you to find a solid Dana 44 out of a 78-79 or an early Bronco and swap that in there. I used to know of a website of a company that would do it for you, but I don't know it anymore. Sorry.
I wish you luck in whatever you choose to do.

-Daniel

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 05-Jan-03 AT 05:03 AM (EST)]>TTB suspension is a bad idea in general.

I guess Ford engineers just stuck it under every fullsize half-ton for nearly 15 years because they figured they could get away with a "BAD idea"!

The idea does have merit to a degree. It would take less time than pulling an entire axle and installing another I would think.

The dilema is the fact that there would be no trac bar and the stock raduis arm mounting would slop around too much given the "bayonet" style mounting. Axle would walk around under the front of the truck too much.

Oh and if the springs under TTB are so much "softer" why do they still hold the truck up...we are talking about bearing the weight of the truck. The springs are doing the same work for either setup. Consider this too, half an axle worth of unsprung weight beats a solid axle worth in my book. Keep the TTB and keep the ride from feeling like a 1 ton.

 

It wouldn't be hard to add a track bar, but probably even easier to convert to leaf springs like the heavier TTBs use. You KNOW leaves can hold the axle in place - they obviously do on the REAR axle!

 

Ford DID get away with using Twin I-beams in their 2wd trucks since, what? 1965? 66?
So I guess it IS possible to get away with using a BAD idea for that long of a time, but its alright because all of the newer 1/2 ton pickups have gone to a more useable A-frame suspension style.
I thought about putting leafs under my 78 Bronco, but the work that you would have to get involved in just isnt worth it.

 

A arm suspension sucks for offroading. It is way too expensive too lift, it generaly is weak(see chevys), And even if you do lift with this suspension your front end has those a arms that like to hang up on stuff. just my opinion. Now I am not talking about hi doller baja racers that have the money to build super strong suspensions, Or anyone else that can afford or bulid custom suspensions.

 

Ford did away with the straight front axle on 4wd trucks in 1980 to lower the ride height! This was done to make accessability easier! They had success in the 60's with the twin I Beam 2 wd. Why not try this with 4wd? The result was satisfactory with the ride and handling, however tended to wreak havoc with heavy loads (plows) placed upon it! Thus the solid on the F350.
If one suggests welding an IFS to operate as a solid axle, one does not understand how an IFS operates, does not comprehend the concept!
To attempt to weld one together would make as much sense as to affix a washing machine to the front fender!!!

 

Thanks for keeping this clean guys! Sounds like you generally don't like the idea of welding the TTB. It would seem to be a lot better to install a straight axle than welding the TTB into a rigid and very heavy mass. AFAIK they started using the TTB on 78 F150 series trucks. When offroading an A-arm suspension does hang down a little farther than the TTB at the wheels but it can be made to angle up sooner giving more clearance towards the middle... Good old "Engineering tradeoffs".

I personally have never liked the TIB/TTB suspension. It is robust as hell but it does everything wrong in the suspension geometry department. Ford has been floundering around for ~30 years trying to make it work right with changes and adjustments every year and they finally gave up. It was a idea that was pushed by their marketing department so the engineers tried to make it work as well as they could.


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