Let me go a step or two further, if d50/d60 is the same in its external set up, does this mean my current suspension/big brake set up could be retained if I go d70 or d80?

Thank you!

 

I'm not very knowledgeable with the 70 or 80 but just as a guess I would say no

 

Thank you John for the help regardless, much appreciate it!

 

2001 was the changeover from D50 to D60 on the SRW 250s. I happened to be at the Kentucky Truck Plant when Lew Echlin, the marketing manager for the Super Duty line at the time, made this announcement, which drew applause. The reason cited was "parts inventory reduction and reduced manufacturing complexity".

 

Let me throw this into the discussion, check out how in the bottom video the Dana 50 soaks up washboard in this Ford E350 Sportsmobile with Agile Off-Road’s custom long travel, Dana 50 Twin-Traction Beam 4×4 conversion with 12″ of front travel:

What Agile Off-Road does to convert a van to 4-wheel drive.

Y2KW57: I am on my second full size Bronco with the Dana 44 TTB front axle. I like them. Why did Ford discontinue the Dana 50 Twin Traction Beam axle?

 

They went solid axle on the 3/4 and up.

 

My recollection from the early 1980s when the 4x4 TTB was first introduced was that they were hard to keep properly aligned and consequently hard on tires. Most guys didn't like them, myself included... but we had come from 1970's era solid front axles in our Fords. I held on to my 1979's throughout the entire 80's and 90's, avoiding the 1980 through 1997 body style altogether, and I counted the front drive axle as one of many reasons for doing so.

However, that entire 17 year period was not stuck with the TTB in the 4x4. In fact, within the first five years after going 100% TTB from F-150 through F-350 beginning in 1980, Ford starting responding to the push back from customers. By the 1986 model year, the F350 model saw the return of the straight front drive axle. That made a lot of formerly disgruntled Ford truck fans happy again, and I saw a lot of F-350 4x4 sales just because of the solid front axle.

The F-150-250 and full size Bronco still retained the TTB front axle until the Bronco was retired and the F-150 was replaced with an entirely new jellybean design with upper and lower control arms... which briefly carried over into an F-250 light duty model for a year and a half until the new linie of Super Duties with all solid axles ended the TTB front drive axle for good.

Most people I know don't miss that TTB 4x4 front axle arrangement. Lucky for you that you like it... spare parts should be plentiful and cheap at the truck grave yards nearest you in Rancho Cordova, while everyone else is looking for the solid front axles.