Solid Axle
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 302
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Solid Axle
I was wondering how hard it would be to put a solid axle into my 89 f250 supercab. It has the independant axle set up. What are the advantages and disadvantages between the solid axle and independant front axle. Is there less of a bind when turning with a solid axle. Thanks for the input.
Tuned
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 375
Likes: 0
From: Beaumont Tx
The swap is one of the easiest around. The biggest cost will be finding a Dana 60 for the truck. Pull the old one and the brackets from the cross member then bolt the new one up to the leaf springs. Believe it or not the solid axle rides nicer than the TTB. I have a had a couple of Ford trucks with the TTB that sucked for ride quality. I thought my F350 had a problem because it rode so nice.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
Likes: 16
From: Nutter Fort, WV
Alignment is much better, much heavier axles, axle U joints, much heavier lockout hubs means it is less likely to break.
The down side is a lot of people want to make the same swap, so 60's are bringing top dollar at salvage yards.
You need the trac bar and the brackets for it.
You need the complete tie rod setup for a 60 from the steering sector to both wheels.
You need new U bolts to secure the axle to the springs.
And one of the U bolt brackets is attached to the axle, the other is not.
Make sure you get that bracket with the axle.
With a helper and air tools it is a 1/2 day project.
The down side is a lot of people want to make the same swap, so 60's are bringing top dollar at salvage yards.
You need the trac bar and the brackets for it.
You need the complete tie rod setup for a 60 from the steering sector to both wheels.
You need new U bolts to secure the axle to the springs.
And one of the U bolt brackets is attached to the axle, the other is not.
Make sure you get that bracket with the axle.
With a helper and air tools it is a 1/2 day project.
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Elder User
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 519
Likes: 1
From: Bountiful UT
If the right parts can be found at a wrecking yard it is a very cheap and easy swap, Mine will be done in the next 2 months, we are planing on a 1 day swap, I am using the axles and springs out a 79ish highboy, need to relocate the spring perches but other than that a pretty straight forward swap, The local 4X4 shop quoted my buddy $6,000 to do the job, we did his complete for $400. After we were finished we took it down and let them take a look. They told us we were full of crap.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
Likes: 16
From: Nutter Fort, WV
When I did mine I bought a 92 Dana 60 at a local salvage yars for 1500 dollars.
Then I did a complete rebuild of he axle and added limited slip.
So replaceing all the bushings, U joints, bearings and ball joints plus new tie rods and a new limited slip cost another 1500.
So mine was 3000 dollars till it was installed, but I have not had to spend on penny on it in the last two years.
My 44 was costing me over 600 a year in repairs, ball joints and tie rod ends were shot every year plus usually at least one broken axle and a couple U joints.
The extra tire wear has added a year to a set of 1000 dollar mud tires.
Also since I am not breaking down in the winter while plowing snow, which means losing income, I figure the axle will have paid for it's self by this winters end.
I paid more, but I also wanted a trouble free axle, which I now have.
Then I did a complete rebuild of he axle and added limited slip.
So replaceing all the bushings, U joints, bearings and ball joints plus new tie rods and a new limited slip cost another 1500.
So mine was 3000 dollars till it was installed, but I have not had to spend on penny on it in the last two years.
My 44 was costing me over 600 a year in repairs, ball joints and tie rod ends were shot every year plus usually at least one broken axle and a couple U joints.
The extra tire wear has added a year to a set of 1000 dollar mud tires.
Also since I am not breaking down in the winter while plowing snow, which means losing income, I figure the axle will have paid for it's self by this winters end.
I paid more, but I also wanted a trouble free axle, which I now have.
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,701
Likes: 0
From: KY
I have a Dana 50 TTB in one of my trucks and it rides fine. There a few improvements that will help a TTB ride good and handle good. First off with good bushings in the front end and a 9/16 bolt in the spring hangers and not the 14MM that Ford put in at the factory. They put a 14mm bolt in a 9/16 hole. I also put a heavier spring in the front end.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
When I did my swap, it was hard to fork out 1500 bucks for an axle but it was worth it, I ended up getting a Dana 80 front from an f-450+ with the bigger lower ball joints and bigger axles, bolted right up, and I used the hubs rotors and bearings from my TTB cause everything was the same except for the lower ball joints, to make the axle a SRW axle instead of the DRW front axle. Hardest part was finding the axle and getting it home.
New User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
Turning radius is much worse with a solid front axle compared to an independent. The solid axle will carry more weight and is much less breakable off-road. The independent will have a better ride since there's less unsprung weight. Dana 50 isn't too exciting sounding, a Dana 60 housing with axles that reduce to the size of a Dana 44. I would try to get a Dana 60 front.
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
I'm about to do the swap on my truck. I was lucky to find a kingpin dana 60 out of an 1987 f-350 with the same gearing for $225.00 Just search junkyards and don't buy the first axle you find.
Oh yeah- its a 1990 F-250 7.3 IDI
Oh yeah- its a 1990 F-250 7.3 IDI
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,701
Likes: 0
From: KY
The Dana 60's are very good axles but since I have been running a truck with a Dana 50 IFS I like the 50 IFS better. It turn alot sharper and does ride better if it is tight. It won't take the abuse from running into things during an off road situation but the 50 will have better traction in alot of situations. That is the idea of the independant suspention. If one of the front tires falls into a hole the other side isn't influenced buy it like a solid axle is. It can do it's own thing. As far a mechanical strength, the 50 is a strong as the 60 as far as the lockouts, they are the same. The ball joints aren't any bigger in the sixty nether are the axle u-joints. The 44 is a lot smaller the the 50 or the 60.
Now if your IFS suspention needs bushings you will have to herd it down the road.
Now if your IFS suspention needs bushings you will have to herd it down the road.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,330
Likes: 17
From: Dryden, ON, Canada
I suggest you go and look at some D50 stuff beside some D60 stuff... I don't have any loose D50 axles on hand to take pics of, but, D60 stuff is HUGE compared, and it's lower ball joints are larger than 50 stuff(upper are the same between all three in the TTB era though.)
The D50 actually runs the same u-joint as an old high boy closed knuckle 44, and the axles are 44 sized at the differential(they will go right in a 30 spline 44, no problem) so don't argue strength here, in reality, D50 U-joints are 44HD stuff(same joint and external retaining clip setup is found in the closed knuckle F250 high boy 44HD.) The 50 joint may be the same width as a 60 one, but the caps and cross are considerably smaller.
D44 TTB DS axle, beside a D60 DS axle:
D50 Joint beside the 60:
D50 cap beside the 60:
As for the argument of better traction, it doesn't matter what you have, with a diesel over the nose, you're going to have traction.
Personally, my 60 rides way better than my TTB ever did.
The D50 actually runs the same u-joint as an old high boy closed knuckle 44, and the axles are 44 sized at the differential(they will go right in a 30 spline 44, no problem) so don't argue strength here, in reality, D50 U-joints are 44HD stuff(same joint and external retaining clip setup is found in the closed knuckle F250 high boy 44HD.) The 50 joint may be the same width as a 60 one, but the caps and cross are considerably smaller.
D44 TTB DS axle, beside a D60 DS axle:
D50 Joint beside the 60:
D50 cap beside the 60:
As for the argument of better traction, it doesn't matter what you have, with a diesel over the nose, you're going to have traction.
Personally, my 60 rides way better than my TTB ever did.