Years ago the county had an old GMC 6500 (If I remember right,maybe 7500) that had a 471 and a 13 speed in it. Single axle truck with a tandem axle dump trailer. Take off from a stop light loaded with rock and run thru the first 6 gears just as fast as you could change them. If you was lucky and there was no cars between you and the light you could make it thru before the light turned red again. Those were the good ole days. huh, speak up. LOL.

 

LOL I hear you sorta. I have worked on drove and generally been around trucks all my life and can only remember seeing 2 trucks with 471's one was a hay hauler that hauled alfalfa out of new mexico to the texas hill country. I thought then that would be some time consuming trips.

 

Good read, I have been OBSESSED (LOL) with Detroits ever since we picked up a L9000 Ford with a 671. I love the sound, and the power is a lot better than the Topkick with a 3208

 

You set in a detroit powered rig you will learn to hate them.lol
In 1979 I quit a job making 979 bucks a week (excellent money in those days) because of a buzzin dozen.

 

Figures.....

Dad has been telling me to convert to 4wd for the last little while and it would be nice, but I don't want to choose between 4wd or 3.08s.

Dana 61 front end might be possible but they are all low pinion and that would involve ripping apart a perfectly good D60 high pinion to get the pumpkin on the correct side. Even if I did blow the cash to pull that off, I doubt anyone here would ever speak to me again if I did that to an otherwise good D60 HP.

Other option would be to look for a used set from a bronco and go with an F250 version D44 TTB.

Oh well, not a priority right now.

I've heard of some one that put a brownie box behind his ZF5 and he loves it. Just because you have 15 gears doesn't mean you have to use them all the time. I think he has under/direct/over but I'm not sure.

 

You might consider using a 150 axle with coil springs, then change the hubs to the Dana 44HD 8 lug hubs.

Since the two wheel drive already has coil springs up front, I can't help but think that would be an easier route to go.

 

I have thought of that it would ride nice. I have heard it is just as hard because the coil buckets are a different width, but I was talking about a solid axle too.

 

Coil springs would also not require any extra re enforcing of the frame so that would be nice. However, I remember reading that the spring length is different between all the different 2/4wd trucks of the era, so nothing would really match. I guess some custom coils would be possible.

The beam lengths are however different between f250s and f150s so they aren't easily interchanged.

I do like the simplicity of a solid beam but TTB offers lower ride height and more suspension travel. My truck rarely leaves the pavement so high clearance will only eat fuel in my case. I'd never really need it.

Some info here:

Dana 44 TTB Axle Information

 

I have to question most of that article.

Dana 44 HD, 1986 F250 regular cab, 8600 GVW.

I have installed F 150 axles in that housing.

They are considerably different than what you find in a Dana 50 as far as axle diameter.

Hubs, bearings and spindle tubes were heavier than the 150 version.
Brake calipers from the 44 went right on my 60.

I must have had a really weird axle under mine.

 

i've got a set of 3.07 gears for a d44 if you want em all you gotta do is pay for shipping

 

Dave, I think they are referring to the swing beam lengths, not the axle lengths.

I'm seriously considering buying Jim Allen's book "differentials" after all this talk of gears. Been wanting to have a good resource for a while and frankly, the web doesn't seem to have much.

Saying "dana 44" might as well be the same as saying "tree". Doesn't really cover whats out there.

 

Hmm, might have to send you a PM.

 

Well after reading the only parts that were interchangable between the Dana 44 IFS and the Dana 44 HD IFS were the lock out hubs.

Then down a little farther the 44 HD and 50 had interchangable parts, I have to question how real any of that info is.

Like I said above, 1986 250 with 8600 GVW, should be a 50 from that article.
Since all 250 diesels were rated HD with a gross weight of at least 8600 or 8800, that means there should not be a 44 HD in any of them.
But we know almost all of the regular cab 250's did have them.

Then there is also the statement that starting in 87, the 50 replaced all 44's in the 250 line, which again I know is wrong.

And that was even on a what I thought was a reputable site if I remember right.
But since it is geared toward Rangers, I guess they may not look at as many 250's as we see.

I may have to do some cross reference research on the Dana site to see if anything in that article is true, but most is not from what I have seen/done.

Dana Holding Corporation The Expert Librarian - Information for driveshafts, u-joints, axles, heavy axles, light axles, Drivelines

Now how about something funny I never noticed before, there is no Dana 44 HD IFS listed on the Dana literature page.
Just Dana 44 IFS and Dana 44 IRS and the 44 solid axles.

Well, here about all I need for proof.
Open the pdf file and scroll down to page 126 for the 1984 model Fords with the 44 IFS according to Dana.

Now look at the info in line one under F150 Snow Plow.
Then go to line one of the F250 and F350 HD, compare the numbers from the 150 above.
Now look at line 4 of the 1984.5 - 1985 F150 & Bronco.

TRS is full of it.

 

Yeah that 1987 change over year they state got me too.

I also heard that the term 44 "HD" doesn't show up in the dana literature. If anything, that might be good news for me because that should mean all D44s are interchangable aside from the case split.

I don't even know where to go to find ford literature on what they put in their trucks in that era.

 

Somewhere I have/had a link to sales/option literature for a bunch of model years.

Unfortunately, I do not know where that information is right now, it may have been on my crashed hard drive that unfortunately looks like everything is gone.

Diagnostic and recovery software has been running on it for two days, so far just junk is all I have recovered.