Does Anyone know about converting to a strait axle on a 4X2 2001 Supercrew? I am planning to do it in the next 2-3 months.
I am thinking to use F-350 axles Front and Rear with a four-link suspension setup riding on airbags. But, I don't know if the F-350 axles come with disc brakes in the rear, OR if my ABS sensor stuff can plug into the sensor stuff on the 1 ton axles? My end goal is to have at least a 44" tire and enough clearance with the airbags deflated to just clear turning needs on the street and with the airbags inflated to clear fully articulated ( with a little extra of course) and yes for anyone curious factory warranty just went up.

 

My questions is why? On a 4x2 a strait axle will not benifit you because you really cannot do hard offroading, the reason for a straight axle . I am not bashing your idea I just think it would be money wasted unless you are going to make it a 4x4? I have IFS and run 38's and would see no problem running 44's.

 

First of all, if you are planning on converting to 4x4, I'd recommend not using the factory engine, tranny, and tcase. The electronics are a pain to deal with. The PCM requires about 10 inputs from the 4R100 and 9 from the 4R70W. If you go with an older carb engine w/ a non electric tranny / tcase it could be done. Don't forget about having to fabricate new crossmembers if you're going to put leafs or coils on it. If you are really hard core about going to straight axle, i'd say go for it. If not, just trade in and buy a 4 by.

~Mark

 

I've been collecting parts for my straight axle conversion that's gonna happen one of these years. I figured I'd have to start from the frame up. So, since my wife denied me my 02 2500HD, and bought herself a new car...I've been allowed to start buying parts. So far, I've bought a cobra jet 460 that I'm rebuilding. I've found a good C6 that I'm going to have rebuilt. I don't have to worry about PCM's or electronics so I'm happy. I'm not sure if i'm going to put new cross members on my stock frame or if I'm going to find an older 1-ton frame yet. For a Transfer Case, I think i'm going to go with an atlas transfer case. I figure they have an adapter that'll bolt to the C6. I think i'm going to go with leaf springs, that way I can avoid links. I might have to do some body work to force the 460 in there, but we'll see when it comes time. I'm looking for a dana 60 and a dana 60-R. So, this project will probably last me years, but hey it'll be fun.

~Mark

 

I should have said that I am converting to a 4X4 also, along with the strait axle. I was shopping the salvage yards today and It looks like my ABS will have to get shut off and just run regular old braking, seeing as how the piston diameters in the calipers on the axles are calibrated to work with each trucks (ie:F-150,F-250,F-350) load capacities and brake sizes. I expect that I will have to use the proportioning valve from the 1 ton truck I get my axles from, along with it's master cylinder. I am thinking of using an Atlas T-case but 2k dollars is alot for a T-case, so if a Dana 300 can work I like those. I plan on fabricating all the mounts for the T-case, and building a drop down style cage in the middle of my truck's frame to mount all the front and rear four link bars to. Does anyone know if the tailhousing on a 2WD Trans. comes off and the factory T-case bolts up to the spot where the Tail shaft-to-driveshaft is currently? Orr if there are 2 different tranny's; 2WD and 4WD? (4WD tranny's being the only tranny capable of bolting right up to a stock T-case?? cuz they already are on a stock 4X4... It looks like 1 ton late model F-350 axles will run me about 1500-1800 $ each (disc to disc, front & rear) is that a fair price????

 

Why not just trade your truck in for a 4x4 screw, and then get a front axle conversion. Then get a custom lift installed to clear those 44s. Just to let you know that all together for what you are planning on doing it is probably gonna cost more than what you payed for the truck all together. That is, for a good job at least. Cause i know they wanted some where around 12-20 thousand to lift my dads f250 14 in. Enough to clear 40s easily.

 

was that a gold plated 12 inch lift for that f-250? I really think buying a stock 4x4 would be an excessive waste. 1. because you would have to hack out all the original front 4x4 axle stuff and buy all the new front strait axle stuff. I am capable and going to do all of my own fabrication so my budget is 5-7 grand for my axles and gears, tires and rims, t-case, shocks, airbags, valves, and steering components along with the steel for fabrication. (I'm not really including small stuff, less than 100$ like, brakelines etc.)
If you're one of the one's that still doesn't get it. There's nothing better than a custom late-model BUILT tough and rollin smooth.

 

Well , sounds like you have a job on your hands then. I hope it all goes well. Make sure you post some pics of the finished project on here when your done. You are definitely right about custom rigs built tough, they are awesome. But, its another story when it comes to rollin smooth, lol. Just another question, if you are planning on doing it all yourself, what kind of skills do you have, and where did you learn them? As soon as i graduate from tech school im gonna want to do my own fabrications on my own vehicles. Right now i do know how to weld, but i dont think that is enough.

 

I guess my confidence in my fabrication skills comes from first, being involved in mini-trucks for alot of years. In those I have done and helped on alot of suspension mods. Ie; putting in four-link suspensions, airbags, frame step notches and etc. Having just come from CO where I was for 5 years, I was heavily immersed in the fourwheeling and rockcrawling scene. I'm a DO-IT-YOURSELFER. I have brothers and they are all also very into fourwheeling stuff. My brothers and I all have/(had:myself) nice built trucks. My brother worked for a while at one of the best 4x4 shops in CO for a while and that was alot of good education. I mean getting to see alot of the tricks and ways that they fabricate suspension stuff and what nots. I personally think there are lots of people who are capable to do something extreme like a strait axle conversion BUT don't feel like they are because it's scary to cut off stuff and build from scratch, and there isn't really some diploma or something that a person can show themselves to prove they are ready and capable to leave the lift kits and move to custom fabbed stuff. It seems more like experience, familiarity, or just plain determination are the best motivators for DO-IT-YOURSELFERS. I do plan to post pictures before, during, and after my lift conversion. As well as a few of my Subwoofer install. If you can weld or just having access to a welder, that's probably half of all that you need to make some cool stuff!

 

Yea, thats kind of good when you have other people in the family interested in the same things. My dad was big on building engines. He used to build race car engines for people on the side, and he built most of his own engines for his cars. But, now he doesnt really do that anymore. He would, but he doesnt really even like looking under the hood on these new vehicles. I dont blame him either, there is too much electrical stuff on these newer ones. Its even a chore just to replace the wires and plugs on these newer fords.

 

Hey, Rave Crusader can you show us your (truck) signature.

Thank you in advance.