High Boy 3/4 to 1 ton axle swap ?

[eggman918]

I am at the point that I need to overhaul both axles, heavy 44 front and 60 rear.
what later 1 ton running gear are the best fit? Disks in front would be ideal,and I could run mill hummer tires and wheels
Any input would be helpful
Steve.

[Doug Comer]

I'm running dana 60s out of a 78-79 ford F250 and have been happy with them. Pretty easy swap with some fab work. I've heard some talk of swaping in stuff out of the newer superduties but I don't know anything about that.
Doug

[averagef250]

Yep, 78-79 60 front is the only nearly bolt under option for a 1 ton front.

The newer axles all have wider spring centers. I've moved the springs outboard to run the later axle under a highboy and I've retubed later axles to run the early spring centers and bolt in. Retubing the axle was easier and a better result for me. Coughing up the dough for a real 78-79 60 was hard to swallow for me, but was the simplest way to go hands down.

Offsetting the front spring hangers is easy- new crossmember. The rear shackle mounts, when relocated, pass the inner shackle through the frame rail. There are work arounds, anything can be made to work with enough skill and time, but I found retaining the original spring centers in the front was easier with fewer problems all things considered.

[eggman918]

Thank's gentlemen that helps off to the bone yards maybe Ill get lucky.
Steve.

[eggman918]

I have an idea I want input on do you think that it would be feasible to make spindles to accept the 1 ton hubs/calipers?
I do not need the more than the #3500 capacity just the offset to fit the mill hummer rims,I am not having any luck locating a bone yard axle
next plan is to get spindle measurements and see if there is room and locking hubs that might make it possible.
Do Y'all think this path might bear fruit?
Steve.

[fordman]

here are soem links i bookmarked over the past few years. http://77cj.littlekeylime.com/Dana44_2.htm http://www2.dana.com/expertforms/demenu.aspx?prod=AXL http://www2.dana.com/pdf/XGI.PDF

this last one is probably the one i was looking for that would help you the most. but the link is dead. http://www2.gol.com/users/neasham2/bron ... hange.html maybe you can find it somehow. one of these showed how to use the F350 disc setup on a F250 and i think it was this one.

[averagef250]

If you put the Dana 60 hubs on your knuckles you'd still have the same track width. The newer axles are just wider, it's not a factor of the knuckles. I built and ran a 35 spline low pinion kingpin disc 60 under my '70 for a little while that was the same wms width as the old drum axles.

Lots of guys are running around with wheel spacers on their trucks, look at the guys running 22.5's on thier 1 tons with big adapters.

To answer your question, I'm positive you can build spindles to bolt up whatever hubs you could want. Measure 20 times, cut once.

[eggman918]

Roger that I am going to a bone yard that specializes in pick ups with my mics. and make some measurements/drawings.
After reading Fordmans link 35" tires with 44 axle shafts and a #6500 truck might open a whole new can of worms.
Thank's for the input guys.
Steve.

[averagef250]

Under my '71 with 4BT/M5R2 I had a 4.09 78 HP 44 front on 35 BFG muds. That truck was usually sitting around 7000 and didn't seam to bother the 44 at all. I never cranked the wheel and laid into the throttle, but it did spend about 20 days with the hubs locked in when we had that snowstorm of the century up here a couple years ago and I know know I spun the front tires pulling trailers up steep gravel.

If your life is going to depend on that front axle working get a HP60, if not then just fix the 44 if it breaks. I'm sure I don't need the 60 front under my '70, heck, I just picked up and 80 I'll probably use for the rear. It's overkill, but I like stuff like that.

[zakt]

I have a D70 in the rear now and going to a sterling 10.25 but doing that for a reason... mostly I need the VSS sensor (toner ring) for the computer on my EFI. The axle tube OD are almost identical on them also so can use the same axle plates for the u bolts, shock mounts etc...Im going to a D60 or possibly a D70 Front but not sure the D70 will fit with the differential and spring width (will be custom ordered) They say also the knuckles on the D60 and D70 are the same and thats the weak point so might just do the D60 (more research needed)