TTB F250 Leaf Spring Alignment

[posford]

Finally quit fucking around and tore the front end down on my 94 F250 to do ball joints, small lift, and alignment bushings.

Doing a Zero Rate AAL pack, cut the old center pin out and it was tapered where it meets the beam. New center pins are not tapered. Assembled the new spring pack and struggling to get the center pin to align to the hole in the beam.

Already pulled the center pin and ground a lead angle onto it so it would hopefully find its home, and its still fighting me.

Anyone dealt with this and have a slick trick to getting it back together?

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

Taper the new pin the same as the old one so it fits in easier?

 

[posford]

Taper the new pin the same as the old one so it fits in easier?

Yeah thats what I started to do, but the old tapered head was probably 1" long and the new center pin head is closer to 1/2" long. I'll likely pull it again and grind some more taper into it

 

[AK_F250]

Drill out the hole to match the diameter of the pin like every aftermarket and most factory spring perches out there

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

When you pull the beam up to the spring how far off is from the hole and in what direction?

 

[posford]

Drill out the hole to match the diameter of the pin like every aftermarket and most factory spring perches out there

Hole size is right, can't swing it around like you would a solid axle

When you pull the beam up to the spring how far off is from the hole and in what direction?

3/8-5/8 of an inch, left to right, as in passenger/driver.

I left the center pin loose when I bought the axle beam up to it and held tension on it while tightening the center pin. Seems to have worked.

 

[AK_F250]

Hole size is right, can't swing it around like you would a solid axle

Ah, I had it in my head that the hole was tapered too. I did the exact same setup on my '90 close to 20 years ago and don't remember having any issues with alignment, but it does make sense since the beams travel in an arc in relation to the springs.

 

[[486]]

chain the leaf pack to one of the tires
steer in the direction that'll pull the shit into alignment
a little bit of weight on the tires will push the stuff together once it lines up

your beam pivot bushings are prolly shit, btw

 

[Ummduh]

chain the leaf pack to one of the tires
steer in the direction that'll pull the shit into alignment
a little bit of weight on the tires will push the stuff together once it lines up

your beam pivot bushings are prolly shit, btw

I just ratchet strap ttb shit to other shit on the frame and crank until thing go back together. I thought that was SOP

 

[Tiha]

Ditto ratchet strap. I use port a power and come along.

Nothing ever falls into the correct place on those things.

 

[posford]

When I put the driver side together I left the cuter pin loose and it worked perfect 1st try

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Anyone ever run just a single leaf and an air bag? If you added a big truck self leveling valve, you wouldn't have to worry about camber being off.

 

[[486]]

Anyone ever run just a single leaf and an air bag? If you added a big truck self leveling valve, you wouldn't have to worry about camber being off.

too much doing for it still being shit
I'd at least go with proper radius arms and longer d44 beams with the D50 lower ball joint socket welded onto them
then your beams are like 4' long instead of 3'

 

[Cowboy63b]

too much doing for it still being shit
I'd at least go with proper radius arms and longer d44 beams with the D50 lower ball joint socket welded onto them
then your beams are like 4' long instead of 3'

Or do an 05+SD60, coil springs, radius arms, and solve all the TTB junk problems…..

 

[[486]]

yeah there's that
especially because 05+ frontends are $300 all day while TTB stuff has aged out of the junkyards by about 10 years now

 

[YotaAtieToo]

I actually know a guy who went from a long travel D50 Ttb on coilovers to a 05+ on coilovers. He said the ride is noticeably worse, but he wanted more durability and to lock it without worrying about it.

I can find Ttb stuff for free, while 05+ axles are at least $800 on this side of the country.

I just figured for the cost of a pair of airbags and some lines, it would probably ride pretty well and solve the sagging issue. Not like I'm swapping my D50 out of my 97 for it though

 

[arse_sidewards]

I think the air bag thing is worth a try. It probably won't help tire wear all that much but it should help the ride a fair amount.

Of course ditching the leafs all together and going to radius arms with coils or bags would be better.

 

[arse_sidewards]

yeah there's that
especially because 05+ frontends are $300 all day while TTB stuff has aged out of the junkyards by about 10 years now

You're being dramatic. There's still a steady trickle of trucks into the junkyards.