[cheveater]

just wonder has anyone swaped rockwells into a stock coil spring front. or if i should go with leafs.
my trucks current set up is dana 60 front dana 70 rear 9in lift and 3in body 44 boggers
aluminum headed 545 soild roller 1050 prosystem and 200 shot. used for mud only and want bigger tire that why the swicth to rockwells.any help would be great thanks from atlantic canada.

 

[crittersf1]

First question is, WHY?

 

[rklessdriver]

First question is, WHY?

Maybe he's building a Monster Truck??

cheveater-
Seriously, How big of a tire do you plan to run??

Even running Cut 44's I can't see you needing anything more than a built 9" Ford or Dana 60.

Racing mud bogg with the kind of HP you should be making with that 545BBF - you don't need Rockwells. Espc in a light truck like an F150. Rockwells would eat so much power and weigh so much it isn't funny.

Correct gearing for your tires (and length of track) and the correct stall converter for your engine's powerband makes all the difference in the world... One last thing - Suspension that works is a must.

There are people on here like Critter, McQ, Mud Freak, ect that have the fastest full sized real trucks you are ever going to see. All of them started out similar to what you have. 1/4 ton chassis with a lot of HP and progressed acording to their rule books (and pocket books).
Will

 

[ToddB]

How big of a tire are you going to?

Todd

 

[wvmudder]

You did say the truck is mud only. I'd like to know if its off road only? No street use?

If you want to put your rockwells under the coils you will either have to build your own radius arms and track bar or build a 3 or 4link suspension for it.

If budget and your fabrication abilities allow, I would stay with the coils using one of the above methods.

I have an F250 so I stayed with leaf springs. It would be easy to put leafs under the front of your 150. I didn't want huge banana springs so I used a combination of lift techniques to clear my tractor tires. I used 3x5 1/4 wall box tubing to make 4" tall spring perches, 6" skyjacker lift springs, and 4x4 1/4 wall to make drop brackets. I used 1/2" plate for a spring plate and had custom 7/8 u-bolts made to clamp it all together.

I also had to trim my fenders a little, but I now have plenty of clearance for 16.9x24 tractor tires.

I hope this helps.

Dave S.

 

[wvmudder]

Hey, this my 200th post!

If you want to run coils, these guys will be your best friend.

http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Rockwell-Specific_c_90.html

Notice they have a radius arm mount for the rockwell with a coil spring mount built in.

They make a quality product.

Dave S.

 

[cheveater]

the tires i have are American framer 18.4-16.1 we run alot of peat bogs and hydro trails. only run in a couple of mud bogs a year so not worried about going fast more for reliability.
the truck is off road use only. i want to use the stock set up or leafs to keep the cost down. some pics would be good if anyone has any of there front set up. thanks

 

[800+BBF]

MEGA TRUCK?

 

[wvmudder]

I do have some pics, I forgot they were on another board. They are a couple years old.

You will notice some of the drop brackets are not yet braced in the pics. I took the pics while I was still fitting everything up. I will try to get some pics with the braces in place.

But this is probably the cheapest lift possible.

After looking at the old pics I realized I gave you some wrong specs, my spring plates are 1/2" and ubolts are 3/4. But I have beat the p!$$ out of it and they have held up well.

Also, the spring perches in the pics were not welded to the axle yet, they were welded after these pics were taken.

I know theres gonna be someone flame me for how its lifted, but it works well and to date, nothing has broken but the engine. (probably just jinxed myself)

http://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/displayalbum.php?albumid=24674

http://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/displayalbum.php?albumid=29960

Well after posting this and looking at them myself, I realized there's no good pics of the front except for the perches. The springs just lift springs mounted to stock hangers and shackles.

Look through these pics and you will get an idea of whats needed to put leaf springs under a coil spring truck.

http://www.chuckstrucks.net/pojectpics/F150_ON_48s/index.html

Chucks Trucks also sells the weld on shackle kit as well as what looks like a front hitch receiver with spring mounts under it for the front spring hangers. I dont think that would be too hard build yourself. Look about halfway down this page for the shackle kit and front spring mount.

http://www.chuckstrucks.net/parts.html


I hope this helps and gives you some idea of what its going to take to get leafs under your truck.

 

[mudslut]

just coil spring it with the 2.5 tons--you only gain about 1,000 pounds and you end up with 6:72 gears. coils from a 2005 super duty with 8" lift-bout $250- then build your 4 link