4x4 front axle?
 

(1956 F600)




I have been looking to make my truck a 4x4, this was always the plan. However I have assumed that I would not be able to find a front axle that would have the same gearing as my rear axle. This of course is critical in a 4x4, otherwise half of you spins faster than the other half.

I have 5.83 for my normal, though it is a 2-speed with 8.11 that I can switch it to (I recognize I could only use the 4x4 with one of these, unless there are 2-speed front differentials but I have never heard of them, if they do exist that would be ultra cool)

So I guess my question is would it be do large truck 4x4 axles exist with a gear ratio like this (and if so does a 2-speed exist? Might not be something I'd use much but that does have a cool factor to it) and if so would it be worth the effort of finding one? And what would be the best donor?

I know some of the large trucks have been 4x4, I don't care what it comes out of as long as it works, a "newer" model might be a better choice to help upgrade the brakes.

One of the problems I can see is matching up wheels and bolt patterns. I would like to think Ford used the same for most everything around this size but I have no idea. I'd probably have to do something with the steering as well depending. And I'm sure after things like the transfer case and all thats involved I may just have to find a whole donor truck, and at that point I start to wonder if it's worth finding a large truck for a donor, it's a daily driver.

Thoughts?
Thanks.

First factory installed 4WD in F600's = 1971, previous years are usually Marmon-Herrington conversions.

The 1971/72 F600's front driving axle and transfer case were from Rockwell-Timken. Available front driving axle ratios: 6.20-1 / 6.80-1 / 7.20-1.

First factory installed 4WD in F350's = 1979, previous years were all conversions.

First factory installed 4WD in F100/250's = 1959, previous years were all conversions.

What is the stock front axle max weight rating? It would help to come up with something that might fit. Dana 70/60/44 seem to be available with 5.89's...

AFAIK, there is no such thing as a Dana 70 front driving axle used in any Ford product...in fact I've never heard of any such thing.

AFAIK, the highest numerical ratio used in Dana 44/60 front driving axles installed in Ford vehicles is 4.55-1.

Bill, this is one case where your Ford-parts-counter-guy thing isn't helping you see the big picture ;)

Since the F600 never came in 4x4 for his year, he's gonna have to go "custom" in one way or another. Dana 70's do exist for front running-gear, which leads me to the question I asked above:

What's the front-axle weight rating for a '56 F600? Using that, you could figure out if a Dana 70 (or even 60 or Super 60) would be enough, or if you'd need to go even bigger like a Rockwell.

:-X07 C1TT3010E .. Front Axle, 4700 lb. capacity / 1955/56 F500/600 (only front axle listed-C1TT-E replaced the original 1955 part number, what that was, I dunno), some 1957/66 F500/600's.

I wonder if the OP knew this? I know you didn't know. I know, since I have the parts catalogs! :-missingt

Info sources: 1948/56, 1957/63 & 1964/72 Ford Truck Parts Catalogs.

Stephen, Not an expert and can not give any factory part numbers and dealing with 50+ year old trucks some of what I've seen may not have been factory anyway, but I love the old heavies and every time I've seen one in the salvage yards I've crawled all through it. I'm also a low buck do it myself and learn it kind of guy. So heres what I have seen. I've never seen a two speed front axle. Marmon Herrington was the ford recognized converter of these. There were others who converted heavies aftermarket. I'd really think a whole parts truck may be the easiest way to collect the parts especially the matched rears. Since you talked about possibly looking for newer equipment you may even want to consider other makes as they may have the same parts as a Ford since they were conversions. The ones I'd seen were all divorced transfer cases so this may simplify some things. Now for my opinion, your truck looks sweet with the stance it has now how about keep it and find a 4x4 heavy and put a pickup bed on it like your 4x2. Would possibaly be an old fire engine to be 4x4 so it would have spent a lot of its life indoors. See how much help I was?!!!

Thanks for the help guys.

I think I'll probably end up finding a complete donor truck, I imagine I may need things like a heavy duty transfer case as well. I'm not so concerned on keeping it factory or anything else, I just want it to work well. It's a daily driver and where I live the snow can really suck sometimes.

Do you use the truck for heavy hauling or any "real" work?

If not, it might not be such a bad idea to put a newer 4x4 complete chassis like from a 60's-70's F250 under it. Or just downconvert to a 4x4 F100 ? Sacrilege?

Stephen, I saw this post come up and thought it would interest you and might even be helpful to ask the poster questions as he learns about it.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...questions.html

If the link doesn't work its in the bumpsides forum under f500 4X4.

FYI: Everything I've read is that in 1959 Ford started building their own F100 4x4s, but didn't build F250 4x4s for some years. Napco and MH built them until ford decided to 4x their F250 themselves.

precision gear shows a 5.89 for a dana 70 . that would mean a custom front axle

Everything you've read? Where have you read this BS?

First year for F100 & F250 factory installed 4WD = 1959, F600 = 1971, F350 = 1979.

The 1957/63 Ford Truck Parts Catalog is available on a CD from hipoparts.com.

Take a gander in this parts catalog...for the correct info.

And it wouldn't be the first time the parts catalog listed something that was never ordered, and/or never built. Or, just plain wrong.

If you have picture of a 1959 F250 4x4, or actual production data, that would be more conclusive.

And there's no excuse for the nasty tone...

well this is sounding like its going from trying to help the guy out with a front axle for his old truck ( WITCH IN PRESENT STATE WOULD MEAN A CUSTOM JOB ) to whose WRIGHT about what years ford started to build there own 4x4 in house !
any one want to fuss about how many hairs ole HENRY FORD HAD ON HIS HEAD WHEN HE PASSED ON ??