Dana 44 & leaf spring, setup for my F150

[Gabacho_Baja]

I have a '98/ f150/ v6/ 5spd/ 2WD project truck. It's coming along nicely.

Things I've done or have the parts to do this week:

- Head's rebuilt and block cleaned up(done)
- Master rebuild kit, new oil pump(done)
- New clutch, master and slave cylinders(next up)
- new power steering pump, pressure and return hoses(later this week)
- Water pump and fan clutch (later this week)
- painted a bunch of parts, black and blue (later this week)
- swapped 3.73 rear end from the bone yard (later this week)

I have the bottom end back together and the heads on. I'm basically in the clean and paint phase before I set the motor back in. This is my first, long term, non daily driver build. So I wanted to take the time to clean and paint all the stuff and have a nice clean look under the hood.

Next on my agenda, is the front end. I want an old school, resto-mod look. So, I'm going Leaf Springs, dual gas bypass shocks and a 44 up front.

What Transfer case do you guys like for this application?
I don't want to go over kill and something electronic would be nice so I can wire it up vs. making new holes in my floor.

Any thoughts on this project are appreciated. I'll update this post with some pics tomorrow.

Edit:
I wanted to add, this will be my first time rebuilding axles from the ground up and setting up ring and pinion gears. I'll be learning all the good stuff. Pre-load, lash, bearings and races. All the fun stuff. If you have any pointers or warnings, I'd love to hear them.

Reguards,
El Jeffe

 

[Ted]

Yeah...I'll sound like a dick here but I have to ask why?
Unless I'm reading that wrong you want "old school"? Leaf springs, in the front? Of an f150?
Might want to move this to newbie before a Rockwell transfer case is recommended .

 

[TRINDU]

I have a '98/ f150/ v6/ 5spd/ 2WD project truck...

- painted a bunch of parts, black and blue

Any thoughts on this project are appreciated.

Sounds badass!

 

[Gabacho_Baja]

Yeah...I'll sound like a dick here but I have to ask why?
Unless I'm reading that wrong you want "old school"? Leaf springs, in the front? Of an f150?
Might want to move this to newbie before a Rockwell transfer case is recommended .

You've never heard of a resto-mod? It's blend performance eras. Google it some time, It's an interesting read.
Don't need the newbie section. I've been a diesel mechanic for 15+ years I think I can handle some light duty drive train.
If I want to fab in leaf springs and not coil over, four link Or keep it 2wd and make a truggy, It's my business. I do what I want. lol

Thanks & Sorry, Bud. Buy you a cup at Timmy Ho Ho's?? Cory, Trevor, Smokes now!

Just in case anyone is googling this later,

You're looking for:
- 63 inch universal swap kit and 63 inch Chevy springs from the yard - welding/fab work required
- ZF5 from a 300 i6 - or SBF, 250/350 - bolts up to 4.2 v6 and 4.6 v8
- NP205 for the transfer case
- my boy Skeeter at OC drive-line is going to fab up axles. I'll update this post with measurements some time in Dec.

 

[Gabacho_Baja]

Sounds badass!

Yea, some of us take pride in our work. It's the little things that stand out when the truck is finished. Some of us don't want to ride around in a busted bucket of bolts.

 

[Ted]

Sounds badass!

Whachooflyin Trindu,? You fawker left chemtrails across my computin machines televisiony part, and the swoosh blew all my whale oil candles out.

 

[Toreadorranger]

You've never heard of a resto-mod? It's blend performance eras. Google it some time, It's an interesting read.

That's usually older vehicles getting better tech not newer vehicles getting old tech.

-painted a bunch of parts, black and blue (later this week)

We are all holding our breath for pictures of painted things.

 

[Gravy]

Find a factory transmission and transfer case would be my suggestion.

 

[bobbywalter]

resto mod?..........that would be putting 2020 superduty suspension on it.....death wobble and all.

you mean retro mod. yeah...pull the engine and get a couple of horses to pull you around on the buggy springs as well.


i run stock rear chevy blazer springs over a d60 with shackles out front now...was too high with the shackles rear and i needed a super travel slip yoke..

...but i have a humvee engine and 4l80 so fixed yoke gm cases are not too easy to get on the cheap... so i adapted a fix yoke ford 208 to that via clocking ring and 32 spline 208 input shaft. like mentioned above, a factory t case applicaton for your year makes for a simple install..may need to swap gems/bcm as well...


it works great on the road overall, a bit rough wheelin though. i have thought about replacing the shackles with slider boxes.. its already been 14 years like this....so probably not.

 

['84 Bronco II]

I don't understand why there are people talking so much shit about running a Dana 44 with leaves It is a cheap, simple, proven setup. It is not like the torsion bar SLA IFS originally on the truck is worth a shit, and Ford themselves were using leaf springs and solid axles on the 250/350s of the same vintage.

 

[Toreadorranger]

Next on my agenda, is the front end. I want an old school, resto-mod look. So, I'm going Leaf Springs, dual gas bypass shocks and a 44 up front.

I don't understand why there are people talking so much shit about running a Dana 44 with leaves It is a cheap, simple, proven setup. It is not like the torsion bar SLA IFS originally on the truck is worth a shit, and Ford themselves were using leaf springs and solid axles on the 250/350s of the same vintage.

His reasoning is shit. Ford has been using Coils under the 1/2 ton F100/150 since what 1966? If he wants retro, coils and radius arms are much more fitting and most likely easier.

 

[billybob_81067]

His reasoning is shit. Ford has been using Coils under the 1/2 ton F100/150 since what 1966? If he wants retro, coils and radius arms are much more fitting and most likely easier.

This is what I'd do... Use a 5 lug dana 44 from a 70's era ford with radius arms and coil springs... In fact that is about the only way I'd throw a dana 44 in anything. If you're going leafs why not step up to a dana 60?

 

['84 Bronco II]

His reasoning is shit. Ford has been using Coils under the 1/2 ton F100/150 since what 1966? If he wants retro, coils and radius arms are much more fitting and most likely easier.

I agree the resto/retro mod thing is stupid, but I fail to see how coils and radius arms are much easier or more fitting. Coil and radius arms are not a bad option, but then he would have to deal with a track bar and coil buckets which are unnecessary with leaves. What do you have against leaves? Aside from potentially eating into your approach angle, leaves can ride and flex great.

This is what I'd do... Use a 5 lug dana 44 from a 70's era ford with radius arms and coil springs... In fact that is about the only way I'd throw a dana 44 in anything. If you're going leafs why not step up to a dana 60?

Because you don't need a Dana 60 and they cost a lot more If you are running smaller than 37" tires, a Dana 60 is almost certainly going to hurt more than help compared to a Dana 44. A buddy of mine put a '76-'77 F150 Dana 44 in his '03 Dodge 1500 on leaves and ran 35" tires and converted it to the 8 lug outers. The truck drove great, and honestly, if you didn't see the front end before you got in, you would think it was just a run of the mill lifted half-ton based on the way it drove on the street. I have a '78-'79 F250 Dana 44 on leaves swapped into an '85 Bronco II, and it rides decent for what it is and flexes great. It also feels way more stable off camber than my coil rig.

 

[Toreadorranger]

I agree the resto/retro mod thing is stupid, but I fail to see how coils and radius arms are much easier or more fitting. Coil and radius arms are not a bad option, but then he would have to deal with a track bar and coil buckets which are unnecessary with leaves. What do you have against leaves? Aside from potentially eating into your approach angle, leaves can ride and flex great.

Most modern style frames don't lend themselves to leaf mounts as well as radius arms. you usually end up taller or with front mounted shackles. To setup a radius arm system and locate an axle is as easy as two frame mounts and the axle positioned where you want it. Weld those on, put your coils on weld buckets where they land. Hardest part is the panhard bar and even that is easy these days with the amount of off the shelf brackets available. Then after is it setup, tuning and adjustability is much better with a coil setup. You don't have to deal with leafs getting in the way of your steering.

I'm building a leaf sprung truck not because I think they are best, but because they were there already. If I had not gotten a free KP D60 I would have gone 05+ D60 with radius arms.

 

[Will12785]

What the fuck is going on here? The only reason to put a leaf sprung 44 under anything is because you got it for free and spent all your money on busch latté's. You can easily throw a 05+ 60 on radius arms under the truck.