it's getting closer

subscribing to this bad boy, i wanna see it done

Your pinion angle is horrible :devil::devil::devil:

:eek:

:lol:

:lurk: Coming along nicely!

OP that looks cool as hell:rocker: I really want to do this kind of a setup on my 02 screw!! I'm just worried about making the brackets etc for this kind of swap. I know that Farmboy Fab makes a kit for this but I think it uses leaf springs. I would like to run coils up front I keep hearing how coils ride better than leafs. Plus I will be driving mine on the street. What kind of springs are you gonna run?

Yes a coil sprung suspension will ride better than a leaf sprung suspension.

But a lifted truck is gonna ride stiffer no matter what you use. Honestly if you are intrested in what klitch is doing with MILD lift and mild tire size the ride between radius arms and coils to leaf springs isnt much. You can find soft ride leaf springs aswell.

If you are more intrested in what Im doing with, LARGE lift, and LARGE tire size the ride will only be SO GOOD no matter what you do. The tires play a huge part in ride comfort. I loved my ride with the 44" Ground Hawgs. It felt like a truck.

this is providing me the motivation i need to do sas my truck. looks so much better with a real front axle under it, even though its not mounted, lol.

are you using Farmboy Fabrications' kit?

i will be very interested in your findings as to how much of the ifs frame crossmember will have to be scrapped to provide flexing clearance w/ minimal sas lift.

Looking good Klitch! Now get back to work on it.

mini, I have run 10" and 12" leafs on mine, and I can honestly say that it does not ride like the IFS, but it does seem to ride better than most 99-04 Superduties with 6-8" lifts (seems a common truck for comparison).

The kit uses half ton springs front and rear, which I think most people would overlook. They are NOT superduty springs, and are 2.5" wide rather than 3" wide. Setting up the shackle in the ideal position also can really affect ride quality and articulation.


I personally would never run coils. The geometry gets a little iffy when trying to go big on a radius arm. Also, the loss of ground clearance to get decent instant center geometry (dropping the radius arm mount) negates any gain in articulation you may see offroad (opinion). With all of that work for mainly just a gain in ride quality (arguable when using <8" leafs), just doesnt seem nearly worth it to me. Plus, it is really only a easy swap with a D44 1/2ton front axle. Any 1ton would require welding wedges on the tube as well as a lower trac bar mount. I wouldnt do the swap at all just to go to half ton again.

Parallel 4link and coilovers might be worth it though. I really want to do that setup, but I keep looking back and seeing how well my leafs have performed, and ditching the idea.

Projects on hold for the day, gotta go see the new neice.

I do have my sleeves welded in the frame, I did the best I could with them, considering the truck has obviously been wrecked before and caused frame damage (and repaired)

Front eyes fully welded, I need to weld the last two gussets in place, then I'll be able to push the bushings in place.


Thanks Jesse! I wanna get it done, I'm pretty close, need more massaging done to fit the left shock hoop.

Put them in the freezer tonight. They are a tight fit even with grease.

Are you going to be running the stock leaf springs in the rear?

I've noticed, I put them in before I was even ready to weld, ya know one of those hairbrained moments? :lol:


Jason, I'm running 7" alcan leafs with an extra 1000# payload. the rear is a little rough without 300# back there, rides nice with a dirtbike. The overall plan is to ditch those, get some nice soft high arc leafs to replace these alcans and have airbags that'll follow the articulations well or some sort of helper spring I can put on easily.

lookin good klitch!!

Trimble: yes I am planning on a MILD lift. I only wanna run 37's at the most but I will most likely be using 35's

Bigreen2: I know you guys {farmboy fab} sell the kit. What I kinda need is a step by step on just how to do this kind of a swap. I have been searching for what seems like months now. My Dad and I can weld and such but just trying to figure out the math etc. is the really hard part. I was just gonna use my Cousin's f-350 just to see where all the brackets and stuff goes.

I may be interested in your alcan springs if they are for sale, Klitch.

The way that Jesse designed the kit theres not much too it at all. He drew me a diagram of aproxamate on everything. Once the front hanger/ crossmember is in place its pretty simple, the sleeves for the rear shackle are cut with a hole punch and if you look on the back side of the frame theres a welded seam there that goes right though the circle you have to cut. The trac-bar/shock mount will only fit in one place on the frame.

MM: Not at this time, I do not have the budgeting means to step away from these leafs.

Wookie/trimble, please NOTE this, check your frame for signs of damage BEFORE you just go from Jesse's template, I found out after i cut the left side that there was frame damage there in that particular section I had not known about. As soon as i layed out my mark for the frame sleeve, I bored the outside hole, no problem. Soon as I centered up on the inside seam I should have taken a step back to see if that was actually parallel with the new front eyes, I wound up being at almost a 20* angle which I had to compensate for as well as crush my frame back to a more correct width.

the front half on the frame on my truck is undamaged... the rear part of the frame fatherest back under the bed had some damage from the hitch getting ripped off.

pics would be nice of what you are describing Klitch, if possible, as well as ones of what you had to do to correct the problem.

Sorry MM, I cant get a good shot that shows the damage and "rectified" crushing of the frame. I did however get the left spring pack to sit 1.25-1.5" inside at the front eye after the 46" mark, but moved into place easily.
http://www.fordtruckclub.net/forum/p.../2/1/5/055.jpg
Now sitting on the axle lightly. gonna paint my lower shock mounts, go do an appointment, come back and bolt it together on the drivers side, then do another appointment and come finish it (dont think I'll fully weld shock mounts, worried I may be off that little bit.)

looking good so far. are those 37'' A/T's up front? are you sticking with those or getting a new set to better match the rear tires? your pumpkin to ground clearance is more than I thought it would be.

nah those are 10 year old 35's, with 60k on them already. Not sure what I'll be doin yet, have to wait til next year to get some new shoes.

I know that there is not any frame damage on my truck! I purchased it as a lease turn in back in 06. The car fax checked out ok and it was serviced at the stealership that I bought it from. I have EVERY piece of paperwork on my truck including the factory invoice/window sticker. The Gentleman who owned it b4 me is best friends w/ my Great uncle!!

Can I use the factory x-member? or would I have to fab one up? I have seen a few pics of this swap but I don't like how the factory x-member has that u-shape that bends down where the 0em control arms mount.

You could cut it out, but your new crossmember should be in place first, and also consider that U shaped member is right below your steering box.


http://www.fordtruckclub.net/forum/p...011_487923.jpg
Sitting on its own weight, bolted together ready for an alignment, shocks, finishing shock mounts and brake lines.
http://www.fordtruckclub.net/forum/p...001_117332.jpg

Looking great. Mine should be started back up in october ish.

I'll be done by then! :lol:
Thanks bud

on second look im really not liking the closeness of the front crossmember to the stearing or axle. You gonna cut that thing out right?

Talking to my Dad today I was planning on making a straight x-member and fabing up a skidplate of some sort to protect the steering box. I know the x-member would have to clear the steering box though. At my Pop's work yard there is a few 99-up superduties that are either wrecked in the rear or side but the frames are straight. I may be able to get my axles and such from them. Dad is gonna talk to his boss later to see if I can get the axles and such for cheap:rocker::rocker:

not planning on it at this point, I've not seen any geometry issues with it just yet.

Pfft, the rear flexes like ****. Threw some 8-10" blocks under two tires staggered to mimic some articulation, maxed the rear out because the leafs are too stiff. I did figure out that the shocks I've chosen aught'a do the trick.

http://www.fordtruckclub.net/forum/p...001_330858.jpg
http://www.fordtruckclub.net/forum/p...002_592759.jpg
http://www.fordtruckclub.net/forum/p...003_539312.jpg
http://www.fordtruckclub.net/forum/p...004_142425.jpg
http://www.fordtruckclub.net/forum/p...010_620976.jpg



Theres some minor clearance concerns overall that require bumpstops at a later play date. Looking at $700 to get it on the road.
http://www.fordtruckclub.net/forum/p...006_301589.jpg
http://www.fordtruckclub.net/forum/p.../007_76563.jpg
http://www.fordtruckclub.net/forum/p...009_333367.jpg

Well whatcha waiting for haha. Looking good still

That all mighty dollar that I cant tame. :lol:

I realy like the way your truck turn out Klitch, most of the time with a SAS on F150 they sit 10 feet high and look like poo (at least in my opnion). Yours still looks like something your can live with and still retain some usefullness of the solid axle swap.

I agree, - this is impressive, to say the least.

Your not messing around Klitch. I've been pricing suspension lifts and they want way to much for them IMO. I only want 3 or 4", - I'll just fab my own.

Thanks guys, I too disagree on going wild on the lift idea, I wanted to retain the trucks usability and this will do it.

Jbrew, its not cheap by any means the axles are expensive alone. Then the nickle and dime crap gets up there quick. brakes I've spent $450 or more changing and rebuilding things. I bought the kit because of time constraints.

What are you doing for a steering box and mount?

Absolutely nothing. retained factory positions.

I see the pitman arm now. I was thinking the 97-03's had a rack and pinion like the 04+

Nope, nothin girly up front anymore :D

Sorry I had to :lol: