I wish you were. It is a great rack, and it is taking up way too much room in my Garage.

 

love the front end....idk bout the rear suspension though, but i doubt your done yet anyways.

 

Truck is not done. The rear suspension has not been modified since the RCD shackles and add a leaf were installed (pre Dixon kit). That should be partially remedied by the beginning of next week. I am installing an F150 9.75 axle (7" wider than stock). When this happens, I will be ditching the factory springs, blocks, etc. In it's place, I will be installing the Giant Motorsports 64" Deaver spring pack (spring under) with flipped shackles. 16" bypass shocks and a bed cage will be added later as funds permit. I am hoping that this will lower the back of the truck at least 4". The front suspension ride height will be adjusted to match the back once it is installed. Are these projects ever done???

 

Where's the front CV's? Still running 2wd I see.

 

Looks great with the new bed and wheels. Just badass!

 

I was running them for quite awhile. I pulled them recently since I will be installing a 4:88 rear end and don't have the funds to re-gear both axles at the same time. I am hoping to be full 4X4 LT within a few months.

 

lol.... never saw tis thread.. was amased on every page..... gotta get some vids of it running....

i loved tht bed cage.... if i didnt need my bed tht much id love to build something like that!

so jealous of the truck nice work!

 

nice truck

 

So I finally started my axle swap/Giant 64" long travel leaf spring swap. Sorry for the picture quality. I only had my cell phone with me when I shot these pictures.

The axle: Ford F150 9.75 (equivalent to a Dana 60) axle with 4:88 gears, disk brakes and factory posi.



Welded axle tubes



New brake lines.



Front leaf spring hanger.



Rear leaf spring hanger and flipped 8" shackle.





Mounting the springs.





Axle mock up.



So far, the most difficult part of the swap has been getting the 9.75 axles redrilled to 5 on 4.5 and removing the factory hanger rivets. The rivets did not want to come out. With the heads removed, an air hammer was not enough. We had to make a long punch and use a sledge hammer to drive them out.

I will be running this setup on factory shocks for a while until I and afford the link killer shocks and bed cage fabrication.

 

Nice! Is that axle out of a newer 150?

 

Yes. I believe that it is out of a 2003. It has the larger pinon and pinon bearings.

 

Nice. Can't wait to see the new stance!

 

Ah thats what I thought, it looks fairly clean.

 

loking great

 

Awesome,never thought of that axle. That's be badass when its got the bypasses on it too. I hope to be running that too by june

 

sweet!

 

I was going to do a 9" like everyone else, but when I started to price it out and realized that I would need to do a custom tone ring setup this just make sense. I was able to find the axle for $400 with complete disk brakes and factory posi. I did a regear to 4:88's and that added some cost, but overall it is still much cheaper than a built 9". F150 width is a good match for the Dixon kit front end. The 9.75 has the same number of teeth on the tone ring and uses the same pickup as the 8.8, has the same drive line flange, and has a 34 spline axle vs. 28 and 31 spline axles in stock 9" axles. Since I do not plan on linking the truck, it does not bother me that the housing is cast.

 

Looks great man! I got to drop by and see this one day! Why did go leaf under on the axle?

 

because thats how the 64 inch kit is setup to work. But damn man score on the axle and holy boat anchor batman! Have you got to drive it yet? Bet you that sucker is heavy!

 

Spring under is better because it helps to control axle wrap. I should be able to drive it on Monday. I can't wait. It looks mean with extended front and rear axles and 6" glass all the way around. Without a doubt that axle is heavy. However, I am not sure how it would compare vs. a fully built 9" with 35-spline axles and a custom HD housing. My guess is that it would be heavier but not by too much. Needless to say, I should not have a problem with breaking the rear axle unless I go to a built 302.

 

Give me a call and come on by. I still have that front bumper when you are ready.

 

Oh I see, I didn't know that spring under helped out with axle wrap. Cool stuff! I'll probably drop by after this winter, I'm back home in Yuma until school starts.

 

also because there is no need for any more lift, which is why its generally under. Get some more pics up asap of the new stance. I really want to go fullsize axle of somesort for the rear but I just dont want to spend that much for a leaf setup. Plus I already have an explorer 8.8 with 4.88 gears.

 

The Explorer 8.8 is a good axle and I would have run it if I already had one. Especially if it was already geared to 4.88. Gearing an axle is expensive no matter how you look at it. My original axle was a 28-spline, open, 4.10 gear, drum brake, 8.8 axle. Given the cost of a regear, why not start with something stronger?

 

yeah more power to ya for sure. Like you said no sense in getn a badass 9" if you dont plan on linkn it. I will be fine with a badass leaf setup in the rear living where I am. If I ever want somthing with crazy awesome travel front and rear I will just buy a 2wd ranger.