Ryan's Truck

[Gary Lewis]

Firewall mods are a given with the Cummins.

And that combo is sure to weigh a ton (literally)

Gary, you went into a microanalisys about front springs.

Can you link it?

Jim - Me do a microanalysis?

Yes, I tend to do that. But I'm not sure to which of the many you refer. Help me there and maybe I can find it?

[Rogue_Wulff]

Jim - Me do a microanalysis?

Yes, I tend to do that. But I'm not sure to which of the many you refer. Help me there and maybe I can find it?

I see the thread....

Firewall mods? only firewall mod I did was to get the rear valve cover off, without unbolting the engine mounts and lowering the engine. It fit fine before getting out the BFH to allow room for removing the valve cover.....

47RH? Glass. But simple. Gears 1-3 are fully hydraulic (hence the "H") while O/D and TCC lockup are electrically controlled. Couple toggle switches can control those 2 items.

As for the length, yep, those 47RH units are verrrrrrrrrrrrrry long. when I converted my brother-in-laws truck from 47RH to NV4500, the driveshaft had to be lengthened over a foot. Basically like a 727 with an add-on O/D unit at the rear. The 2wd nv4500 has a 13" tailshaft housing, and is still much shorter than a 47RH.

Another issue. 2wd F250/350 uses coils and I-beams, like the F150, but the 4wd versions have leaf spring fronts. Doable, but plenty of engineering mods will be needed.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Jim - Me do a microanalysis?

Yes, I tend to do that. But I'm not sure to which of the many you refer. Help me there and maybe I can find it?

Of the spring choices for your D60 swap.....

[ArdWrknTrk]

I see the thread....

Firewall mods? only firewall mod I did was to get the rear valve cover off, without unbolting the engine mounts and lowering the engine. It fit fine before getting out the BFH to allow room for removing the valve cover.....

47RH? Glass. But simple. Gears 1-3 are fully hydraulic (hence the "H") while O/D and TCC lockup are electrically controlled. Couple toggle switches can control those 2 items.

As for the length, yep, those 47RH units are verrrrrrrrrrrrrry long. when I converted my brother-in-laws truck from 47RH to NV4500, the driveshaft had to be lengthened over a foot. Basically like a 727 with an add-on O/D unit at the rear. The 2wd nv4500 has a 13" tailshaft housing, and is still much shorter than a 47RH.

Another issue. 2wd F250/350 uses coils and I-beams, like the F150, but the 4wd versions have leaf spring fronts. Doable, but plenty of engineering mods will be needed.

But Paul,

Going leaf spring will mean boxing the frame rails in front and making pockets for the front shackles.

Then there's the question of the Pitman arm, whether to use it and where to attach it if you don't swap crossmembers from the D60 donor.

And at that point.....

[Gary Lewis]

But Paul,

Going leaf spring will mean boxing the frame rails in front and making pockets for the front shackles.

Then there's the question of the Pitman arm, whether to use it and where to attach it if you don't swap crossmembers from the D60 donor.

And at that point.....

Ok, Jim, now I know what you are talking about. SuperDuty springs! And probably the best post in that microanalysis is this one. But remember those are SuperDuty springs, so that discussion isn't applicable if they don't go that way.

And converting from 2wd to 4wd on an F250 is a different ball game, as you point out, 'cause the frame is different. For this project a thread to read would be that of VW Thomason called Sky's Front Superduty RSK on a 2wd. And Shaun is also into that so would be a good resource.

[Dorsai]

I see the thread....

Firewall mods? only firewall mod I did was to get the rear valve cover off, without unbolting the engine mounts and lowering the engine. It fit fine before getting out the BFH to allow room for removing the valve cover.....

47RH? Glass. But simple. Gears 1-3 are fully hydraulic (hence the "H") while O/D and TCC lockup are electrically controlled. Couple toggle switches can control those 2 items.

As for the length, yep, those 47RH units are verrrrrrrrrrrrrry long. when I converted my brother-in-laws truck from 47RH to NV4500, the driveshaft had to be lengthened over a foot. Basically like a 727 with an add-on O/D unit at the rear. The 2wd nv4500 has a 13" tailshaft housing, and is still much shorter than a 47RH.

Another issue. 2wd F250/350 uses coils and I-beams, like the F150, but the 4wd versions have leaf spring fronts. Doable, but plenty of engineering mods will be needed.

Hey Paul, thanks for stopping by! Good to see you.

I see the thread....

Firewall mods? only firewall mod I did was to get the rear valve cover off, without unbolting the engine mounts and lowering the engine. It fit fine before getting out the BFH to allow room for removing the valve cover.....

Good to know that the engine can go in there without firewall mods, even inconveniently. What did you use for motor mounts? Did you buy them, or make them yourself?

47RH? Glass. But simple. Gears 1-3 are fully hydraulic (hence the "H") while O/D and TCC lockup are electrically controlled. Couple toggle switches can control those 2 items.

That's where I come in to this project...we're hoping to avoid toggles and the like with the Arduino. Ideally this will look and feel like a factory install from the driver's seat.

Another issue. 2wd F250/350 uses coils and I-beams, like the F150, but the 4wd versions have leaf spring fronts. Doable, but plenty of engineering mods will be needed.

Now, this is where my ignorance shows - 4WD has never been in the cards for my truck, so I traditionally read threads like Gary's transformation one more for entertainment than anything else. After reading what you, he, and Jim have said so far on this discussion I am still unclear - does adding a D60 to this truck require going to leaf springs? James may already know the answer to this...despite having spent the first three years of his life as Florida Boy, he's actually pretty bright. But this is my first time even thinking about 4WD.

 

[ArdWrknTrk]

Hey Paul, thanks for stopping by! Good to see you.

I see the thread....

Firewall mods? only firewall mod I did was to get the rear valve cover off, without unbolting the engine mounts and lowering the engine. It fit fine before getting out the BFH to allow room for removing the valve cover.....

Good to know that the engine can go in there without firewall mods, even inconveniently. What did you use for motor mounts? Did you buy them, or make them yourself?

47RH? Glass. But simple. Gears 1-3 are fully hydraulic (hence the "H") while O/D and TCC lockup are electrically controlled. Couple toggle switches can control those 2 items.

That's where I come in to this project...we're hoping to avoid toggles and the like with the Arduino. Ideally this will look and feel like a factory install from the driver's seat.

Another issue. 2wd F250/350 uses coils and I-beams, like the F150, but the 4wd versions have leaf spring fronts. Doable, but plenty of engineering mods will be needed.

Now, this is where my ignorance shows - 4WD has never been in the cards for my truck, so I traditionally read threads like Gary's transformation one more for entertainment than anything else. After reading what you, he, and Jim have said so far on this discussion I am still unclear - does adding a D60 to this truck require going to leaf springs? James may already know the answer to this...despite having spent the first three years of his life as Florida Boy, he's actually pretty bright. But this is my first time even thinking about 4WD.

The D60 is a solid beam axle, just like the rear.

There are no radius arms like a 2WD.

So.... you can do like the factory and locate it with leaf springs, or I suppose, you could use coils if you developed some kind of four link design that could

A) handle the torque of a built diesel

B) handle the weight of a built diesel

C) not move around enough to mess with the front driveshaft

D) remember it has to steer too...

[Dorsai]

The D60 is a solid beam axle, just like the rear.

There are no radius arms like a 2WD.

So.... you can do like the factory and locate it with leaf springs, or I suppose, you could use coils if you developed some kind of four link design that could

A) handle the torque of a built diesel

B) handle the weight of a built diesel

C) not move around enough to mess with the front driveshaft

D) remember it has to steer too...

That's a really long way of saying 'yes'.

[Gary Lewis]

The D60 is a solid beam axle, just like the rear.

There are no radius arms like a 2WD.

So.... you can do like the factory and locate it with leaf springs, or I suppose, you could use coils if you developed some kind of four link design that could

A) handle the torque of a built diesel

B) handle the weight of a built diesel

C) not move around enough to mess with the front driveshaft

D) remember it has to steer too...

That's a really long way of saying 'yes'.

Actually, later model SuperDuty 4wd trucks do have a solid front axle and coil springs. I've seen people on FB pages for the Bullnose trucks adopting that front suspension, so you might look there.

And earlier model 4wd F150's had solid axles and coil springs. You'll remember WelderScott from the show. His '78 has a solid front axle and coil springs. I drove it Sunday and it handles nicely. It uses a radius arm arrangement.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Actually, later model SuperDuty 4wd trucks do have a solid front axle and coil springs. I've seen people on FB pages for the Bullnose trucks adopting that front suspension, so you might look there.

And earlier model 4wd F150's had solid axles and coil springs. You'll remember WelderScott from the show. His '78 has a solid front axle and coil springs. I drove it Sunday and it handles nicely. It uses a radius arm arrangement.

Do these coil spring setups bolt (or even adapt) to a D60?

If you're all about the later Superduty front setup you better get the towers, steering box, and everything.