So im very confused of what to make of my truck. its a 1993 f250 4x4 7.5L.

i went to put some blocks on my front end to level it out today. and i came the a shocking realization that my solid front axle of leaf springs is not solid. it looks like a solid front axle but it bends in the middle.
When i lifted it the bottem of the wheel was to far in, and the top of the wheel was to far out.
my grampa called it a twin i bean axle.... iv never seen this befor, nor has any of my friends(they are all about longtravel 2wheel drives :-( )
so my question is.
what is it that i have. good bad or ugly?
How do i lift it?
And how do i keep the front end aligned?


im so confused. kinda sad its not solid. and i dong know what to do. how much will it cost..... Blahhhhhhh... heart broken

 

ok so here is a lifted version of what i have

 

You have a TTB front axle, The only axle avaliable in a 4x4 F250 from 80-97. And you can NOT use blocks in any front suspension ( EVER ). Just look up ford f250 and you will find about 10 different companys making leveling kits.

A D60 (solid axle) swap is a commom swap fro these trucks. The TTB is prone to ball joint failure, and premature tire wear. They are far from an ideal front axle

 

how complicated is the swap. how much fab. and how much does the axel usual run for.

 

D60 are a complete bolt in. You will need everything from a F350(axle,springs,steering linkage,panhard bar+bracket,driveshaft)


Just do a search for D60 swap.

I have hear of them going for as little as 500 and as much as 1500

 

I hear many referring to using the Dana 44 swap on theirs. Isnt that another option?

 

The Dana 44 is the less heavy duty version of the Dana 50, it's still a TTB, as far as original Ford axles are concerned. There is a straight axle version of the Dana 44 used primarily on Jeeps, but I believe it to be much less beefy than the Dana 60.

Just a note, for these years of trucks:
F-150 -> Dana 44
F-250 -> Dana 44 or Dana 50 (check casting number on differential)
F-350 -> Dana 60

 

Very good to know.. If my donor truck deal doesnt go through, that is something I need to keep in mind as I am swapping my 2wheel for 4wheel on my dually! LOL

 

1. Soooo sorry about the friends.
2. You probably have a D50 (just speculating, could be a 44, but unlikely due to the 7.5L) which a lot of people don't like. Granted it isn't as tough as a Dana 60, but it will stand up to plenty of abuse. I've run mine into plenty of things and an waiting for it to fail to replace it with a D60, but that hasn't happened yet.
3. Lifting the TTB is more expensive than a solid axle. What I would recommend if you want the solid axle and a lift is to swap in the solid axle, an extended pit man arm, front and rear lift springs, and possibly longer drive shafts if necessary. And of course deal with any brake line issues or whatever as they come up.
4. You don't really keep it aligned... I can honestly say that last time I got an alignment, it was gone before I got home.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

You can do a D44 swap from a 70's ford to get a solid axle, but I wouldn't unless it is a half ton

 

Came across this article, might be relevant?

1989 Ford Bronco Suspension - 4-Wheel and Off-Road Magazine

 

awwwwwwwww man!

all front ends are posi correct?
if not,are these? do they come both ways?
how could i tell?
thanks.
one other newbie question.TTB stands for?

 

Posi is the chevy term for a limited slip differential, ford calls it Trac-Lok. It is possible that your truck could have one, but its super rare in the F150s, on clue on a 250. TTB stands for twin traction beam, its the 4x4 version of Fords twin I beam that they have been using for a good 40+ years now. To tell if you have a limited slip diff in the front, jack up both front tires off the ground, lock in the hubs and spin a tire. If the other tire spins the same way its a posi/limited slip/trac lock, if it spins the other way its an open diff.

 

thank you.

 

ttb isnt as bad as alot of people say. if your a heavy off-roader solid axle swap is the way to go but i work my truck hard no problems...except camber alignment needs alignment every 6months-year but im running 37inch tires