I have a closed knuckle D44 front axle and a D60 rear. I have to clean the axle tags to pull codes and figure out what they are.

As soon as I can figure out how to post pics on here I will do it. Or - I can email pics to someone if they want to post for me. If that's the case I will make sure and take pics tonight.


As far as the dual tanks - maybe they added the rear or side tank?

My crew cab has the in cab tank and the side tank. I am thinking about adding the rear tank I have lying around as well. Either that or sell it - along with the spare side tank I have...

 

Very possible. It was an option.

 

Chase,
Like you noticed, the 4x4 frame is boxed, and the 2wd is not. Also, the x-members are at different locations. From what I have noticed, the front of the frames are quite a bit different, but it is very possible that the frame rails are similar. The good news is the 2wd frame has the x-member riveted on, so it could easily be removed. I was planning to do the same thing you are planning. Someone on the list (search the posts) cut the welded in 4x4 x-,member and carefully welded it in the 2wd frame. If you have experiance with tube frames etc. I am sure that you can fab something up. Just be sure to box the frame. On the 2wd frame isn't boxed becase the motor mounts are at the same location as the x-member (full load path to resist torsion on the frame) On the 4x4, the axle is in the way, so the frame must be boxed. You didn't mention motor mounts, my 78 4x4 F250 has bolt on motor mounts, you could either find stock mounts, and bolt/weld on, or fabricate the mounts.

The front spring hanger on my 78 3/4 ton, is two plates sandwiching each frame rail.

Good luck!

 

there we go! Now we're getting into more of the info I think I will need.

Fabricating this stuff is pretty easy for me, and it looks like I will do what you did for front spring mounts.

As for the engine x-mem. I think there is a 4wd included in what I got. I'll have to look tonight. If not then I can make something easily. I'm not sure what I'm going to do motor mount wise. It's got a 460 in it now, but I was planning on dumping a 7.3L diesel in there later on, so whatever I make will have to come out eventually.

Not sure I'll box the frame too much - maybe just do it with the spring hanger plates in the front only. We'll see how the motor mounts end up, but I plan on making tubular shock mounts so I can stick a resivoired shock in there, and these shock towers should stiffen up the frame a bit. The shock mounts won't do anything for the torsional load applied to motor mounts (making them want to rip off frame), but a nicely designed mount can handle the load without having to box the entire frame.

Any way I look at it - it seems I have a lot of work ahead of me...

Thanks for the help so far guys!

 

my 78 is boxed to the front of the cab. If you are planning to use a diesel, I would really cosider completely boxing it from the motor mounts to the nearest x-member. C-shaped sections have almost no torsional rigidity compared to boxed sections, so that diesel will put a lot of twisting force on the frame. Ford put a lot of time and money engineering frames, and didn't add extra unneeded steel!

 

Chase, in the blue bar running across the page just above your first post heer ..click the CP tab on the left.
That's for your Control panel.

Create a gallery and then Tech albums for your photos .
make sure you click the "Hide album" box so we can see them but don't show on the main photo page.

The software will automatically compress them if they are too big

 

I'm not used to this style forum at all and it's confusing me - so you'll have to bear with me. I have been in my CP since day 1. I tried to make an avatar but couldn't get one small enough (I have them set up for other sites just fine). I also have tried to add a signature. Read the "edit options" and other areas 2 and 3 times over - couldn't figure out how. Just now (before reading your post) I was looking for the way to make a gallery (guy tried to explain in another post), but I couldn't find that either.

Am I really that slow, or is some of this stuff locked because I have under 50 posts still???

*edit* - got the gallery figured out - kinda. I put a couple pics in there. Hopefully it works. If it does I'll add better pics and other albums for my race truck and 38 pickup hot rod project

 

No sig allowed until 26 posts

Avatar max size for NON-ClubFTE member 60 x 60 ....(ClubFTE Member size = 120 x 100)

 

I got it to 60x60, but couldn't get file size small enough for some reason - oh well. Maybe I'll mess with it more later.

Until then - got some pics of the "big a$$ biotch" and the "never gonna be done ranger" projects set up in the gallery.

I'm outta here in a few to take some pics of the 4wd parts the guy gave me. I'll post them up tomorrow.

 

lets see 2wd 3/4 ton coil springs twin I beam,steering behind engine suport crosmember
4wd 3/4 ton leaf springs ,steering box in front of engine support crossmember (wich is mounted farther foward and a complete differnt piece than on a 2wd frame)the frame rails on the 4wd frame are bent different from the cab mounts forward to accomidate leaf springs, shock mounts are different, the tranny crossmember is different the early (73-77)uses a seperate crossmember to mount the transfer case the 77.5-79 uses mounts through the frame rails the rear suspension is different btween 2 and 4 wd other than that there the same ie ford made both of them

 

Its not a regular cab...its crew cab...its his truck...if you look at the desertrides link that he put up youll see...same truck...white crew cab rust on roof and same camper shell....missing the same handle and everything.....where did you ever get that it was a single cab?
Look at this link.....
http://www.desertrides.com/forum/vie...r=asc&start=30

Now look at the craigslist again......
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/pts/317407791.html

You can even see the parts that hes talking about in the ad

Same truck...same camper shell
-Chris

 

Thanks Chris - that is my ad. Camper shell is still sitting here - anybody want it????? It's FREE! Also - all the handles have been removed now - so she matches. I need to weld up those holes - with about 300 others - haha

Back on topic. I took some pics last night, and looked at the VIN on the door and frame - they match. I haven't run the number yet (it's F25JC026178), but based on the tail light numbers it may be a 74 - not a 76 like the previous owner told me. No big deal.

After looking at the 4wd parts in the bed it was a 4wd frame he cut up - just not the same 4wd frame in the autozone link Mil1ion posted.
The front of the frame on the 4wd stuff was not boxed, but it is different than my 2wd. There is a weird welded section on it that looks like he did a steering box swap though. I'll add some of these pics to my crew cab gallery

 

Niiiice sarcasm... Yes Ford made um both, but in true ford style there are 3,051 combinations of frame, etc. Makes me wish I would have been turned onto Chevy's instead of Fords... Chevy seems to have a way to keep things simple, and make it easy to swap parts (did I just type that?!?!?)

How is rear different? From the 4wd parts I have (pics are up in gallery - check um out) and the 2 2wd trucks in my yard right now - they all look VERY similar. Yes, the leafpacks off the 4wd and the crew cab are bigger (larger arch and more leafs per pack) than the 2wd, but other than that - how much can they differ? Coming from a backgroud where guys cut the frame rails off at the back of the cab and go all custom from there - this can't be as hard as you guys seem to make it.

 

So far, I see it's a 3/4 ton 460 truck built in Ontario...but you need to recheck, because the rest aren't valid.

 

That is an O26178...Not an 026178.

Letter O not number 0

1975 & 1976 Build Numbers