I have a 78 F150 custom with a 302(2 brrl carb), C4 3 speed auto tranny and a dana 40 rear end with 411 gears.

My plan is 2 rebuild the engine and bore it 20 over and put a 4 brrl edlebrock on it. i am gonna make it a 4X4 with a 4 in. body lift & 33X12.5X15 mud tires. should i put a C4 or C6 tranny under it? i was told by a buddy 2 put a dana 50 under it with 410 gears. i'm gonna run dual exaust to an X pipe then to 2 glasspacks that turn down behind the cab.

 

Both are good trannies. I guess a C6 is a little more robust than a C4. You know you have a lot of work cut out to make it a 4x4, right?

 

I could be wrong, but im pretty sure your rear axle is a ford 9". From what ive been told, a dana 50 for a front(if they made them in a solid axle) is not a very good choice do to parts availability. you would prob be better off with a dana 44.

 

Some of the F-150's came with the d44 rear - so he could have one. Although the 9" was much more common.

I believe the front axle your friend said you want is a d60 - which is the much desirable front end.

 

Ford offered the Dana 44-3 rear axle in 1977/79 F100/150's, with or without Limited Slip.

Axle ratios available:

With Limited Slip: 3.23-1 & 3.54-1.

Without Limited Slip: 2.72-1; 3.00-1; 3.23-1 & 3.54-1.

No 4.11-1 ratio was available.

With a 302/C4, the common ratio's would have been 2.72-1 or 3.00-1.

btw: I wonder if y'all know that if you ordered Limited Slip in a 1959/67 F100, the rear axle is a Dana 44, not a Ford 9 inch.

You could also get the Dana 60.2 rear axle in 1961/67 F100's...with or without Limited Slip.

 

So lets c if i understand right..... I more than likley have a dana 44 with 2.72-1 or 3.00-1. And if i put dana 60 under it wut ratio should i have in it 2 play in the mud and have pullin power and b ok on the hyway? And will everything match up the same with a c6 as with a c4?

 

You are planning on converting this to a 4wd right? Your current C4 will not work without removing the tailshaft and replacing it with an output shaft for a 4wd.
The same is true for any trans, so if you choose to run a C6, it too will have to have an output shaft that will accomodate a transfer case.
The exception here is of you have a long bed and whether or not you choose to run a divorced tranfer case or not. If you do run a divorced case you can still use the 2wd transmission.

Next is the axle up front and the method in which you chose to suspend and locate the axle. If you have never tackled a 4wd conversion in one of these trucks you have your work cut out for you. Something tells me that this might be new to you and something tells me that this might be a little bit advanced,,,,,,,,,for now.

Take into consideration that a buddy suggested a D50 for your front axle? Well the Dana 50 solid axle is probably not the greatest choice. This is a ball joint, unit bearing axle with 8 lug metric pattern hubs. This large ring gear small axle hybrid of an axle is not a very good choice for anything. Besides, the width of the spring perches and the difference in your current frame will make this a very difficult install.

Perhaps the suggestion of a Dana 60 front will be better, but this is also an expensive 8 lug axle that still requires quite a bit of work to install under your 2wd truck.
Having 8 Lugs means that you will have to run different wheels from front to rear since you rear axle has 5 lugs.

Once you consider all of the stuff that you have to convert and all of the cash that it is going to take, you might find much better results and have better luck putting a for sale sighn on your current truck and using it to find a truck that is already a 4 wheel drive.

I applaud the ambition, but I am not sure of the technical skill is developed enough to take on a project such as this.
Everyone learns, I just dont want to see you get 1/2 way into a project and give up. I buy many trucks for dirt cheap from others that start a project and never finish.

Know what is involved and weight the costs to determine if this is a dream or if it can be a reality.

 

The axle you have should have a tag mounted on it somewhere with some numbers stamped on it - if not, check the flanges/tubes on either side of the differential for any numbers and post them here...

Here's a chart that does a pretty good job with identifying the different axles:
http://www.coloradok5.com/axleguide.shtml

 

wellur right that i dont have alot of money. that is y i am askin about wut i'd need 4 this project b4 i have started. but there r alot of junk yards around that i may b able 2 find things 4 very little money. now another question would b.... is there a 5 lug dana 44 i could find and put under my front end?

 

1st - please stop typing like this is a text message, as it surely is NOT!
I'm not sure about others - but it's annoying to me to try and read that. I swear the youth of today are loosing any/all grammar skills they once might have posessed thanks to the stupid phones...

Dang, I sound like an old man - but I'm only 29... Rant over.


For the d44 5 lug front. Yes, the F-150 and bronco 4wds had these axles. They are actually a good axle to use for a 4wd swap as well, but I will go into that more later if you want.

I will stop there and be the one to stomp on your dreams and say you will most likely be better off just buying a 4wd than going forward with the conversion.

Before you get defensive - note that I came onto this board a few years ago saying I was going to convert my 76 2wd crew cab to 4wd. MANY people come one here and want to do this - very FEW ever pull it off (or even start).

I have more than enough fabrication experience and skill to pull it off, but what about you? The fact is - you'll most likely save time, money and headache by just saving up and buying a 4wd. I found a 4wd crew before I got the chance to start the conversion on my 2wd and I'm pretty glad I did. I could have done the swap - but I didn't need to...

Now if you want to continue with the 2wd to 4wd conversion I and many others will be here to help, but you need to REALLY sit down and look at your skill level, tool availability, workspace access and amount of time you have to work on the thing BEFORE you start.

What have you built in the past? Are you confident enough in your skills to trust your life (and others driving next to you) to them? I mean we are talking about re-doing the front suspension, steering, etc. here. This is what the car rests on when you drive. Doing something wrong and having a failure while driving could get ugly...

 

To give you some idea of what's involved with this conversion, have a look at this thread:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...cks-parts.html

 

ok well i understand where you all are coming from. how much do you think i can get for it if i sell it. like i said before the C4 tranny is screwed up and the engine needs rebuilt and it has a little rust on the body. or i can rebuild the engine and replace the tranny and leave it a 2X4. there will be no problem for me to rebuild the engine, i know what i am doing when it comes to that and when it comes to replacing the tranny.
on another note i just relized that it is kinda hard typing full words.

 

Yes it is , but practice makes perfect and others may help you more ,not all of us old guys can read or even want to read text message writing . My typing is so poor I keep a dictionary next to me . So if you need help ask it in a way that will get our attention . Good luck on your project and wellcome to the best ford forum . JIM

 

The AXLE code is listed on the Warranty Plate...this plate is located on the face of the drivers side door below the latch.

Here's one example of a 1977/78 F100/150 Dana 44 AXLE code: 12J / 12 = 3.00-1 // J = Power Steering.

Dana 44: The Ford rear axle ID tag is under one of the bolts that retains the inspection cover to the housing.

Do not be surprised...if it's missing.