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Jason
Dodge Dakota
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1/29/2002
10:03:14
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 Subject: Solid Axle
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i have a 90 dakota 4x4 3.9L 5sp. i want to put a solid axle in the front with leaf springs i was just wandering if anyone has done this or is it eaven possible. thanks
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Aaron
Dodge Dakota
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1/29/2002
15:45:18
|  RE: Solid Axle
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Message:
I saw a web page of it being done on a Gen III, but haven't seen it yet on an older one like yours. But to answer you.. Yes.. It can be done.
Just be sure to get your pinion angle set.. adn have quality welding done to mount your spring mounts. and you should be good to go.
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darrell
Dodge Dakota
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1/29/2002
19:26:29
| RE: Solid Axle
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keep giving me time and ill sell you a spring hanging kit. im just working on these gen III guys right now. mine is a gen II though so ill have one for you. e mail me and ill save you in a folder to notify you of when i have my website up.
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jason
Dodge Dakota
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1/30/2002
09:39:25
| RE: Solid Axle
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what i was planning on doing is using a Dana 44 out of a 78-79 bronco in the front and a dana 60 out of a 68ford 3/4 ton for the rear. i want to use leaf springs what kind should i use for the front and what type should i replace the rear ones with.
also what would i have to change in the drive train,if anything?
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jason
Dodge Dakota
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1/30/2002
09:39:26
| RE: Solid Axle
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Message:
what i was planning on doing is using a Dana 44 out of a 78-79 bronco in the front and a dana 60 out of a 68ford 3/4 ton for the rear. i want to use leaf springs what kind should i use for the front and what type should i replace the rear ones with.
also what would i have to change in the drive train,if anything?
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jason
Dodge Dakota
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1/30/2002
09:40:21
| RE: Solid Axle
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Message:
what i was planning on doing is using a Dana 44 out of a 78-79 bronco in the front and a dana 60 out of a 68ford 3/4 ton for the rear. i want to use leaf springs what kind should i use for the front and what type should i replace the rear ones with.
also what would i have to change in the drive train,if anything?
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Walt Felix
Dodge Dakota
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1/30/2002
11:16:40
| RE: Solid Axle
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I have seen it done with a Dana 44 from a 78-79 Bronco and have done a lot of research into this swap. A 78-79 Bronco uses coil springs in the front. If I understand your question correctly, why would you want to convert it to leaves? I believe it would be easier to adapt the Bronco coil spring mounts to the Dakota frame than fabricate the front leaf spring mounts because of space limitations.
Walt
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jason
Dodge Dakota
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1/30/2002
15:52:26
| RE: Solid Axle
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hey walt check out this guys dakota http://www.angelfire.com/in/draglines/index1.html it has leafs and springs. but as you can see it is possible to add leafs, the question is how and what leafs to use? also is there any reason why he may have leafs and coil springs on the front?
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darrell
Dodge Dakota
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1/30/2002
22:10:51
| RE: Solid Axle
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leaf and coil springs are relatively straight forward and can both be done on a dak. i would do either one that fit your uses, budget and parts availibility. 78 79 ford 1/2 ton coil frontend parts work great and most leaf springs can be made to work just as easily. i used dodge skyjacker leafs. they work great but the main reason i went with them was that i already had them. also national spring said they were a good size to start with if i wanted them to make a custom spring later. i have pics and a brief description of my truck on ohio4x4.com
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jason
Dodge Dakota
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1/31/2002
09:34:29
| RE: Solid Axle
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Darrell,
my plans for my dakota suspension wise are to buy chevy/gmc 52in leaf springs for the rear and then buy a chevy/gmc Rough Country 6in suspension lift which includes front leafs, rear add a leaf, rear blocks and U bolts. my question is will the chevy/gmc leaf springs fit in the back of the truck or will the leaf spring brackets have to be moved? Also how to do the steering, will it hook up to the ford axle or will i have to totally redo it? and the drive train can i get a kit to hook up the ford axles to my dodge driveshafts.
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Walt Felix
Dodge Dakota
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1/31/2002
11:52:15
| RE: Solid Axle
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I’m not saying it can’t be done with leaf springs. I have seen it done both ways. The point I was making was you stated that you are using a 78-79 Bronco axle, which is already set up for coil springs. Why convert that axle to leafs? My personal preference would be to use the coils for they would appear to be an easier swap. One thing I noticed on the Dakota I saw with the leaf spring suspension was that the front mount for the springs, needed to be on the very front edge of the frame rails to put the wheel in the center of wheel well. That spot of the frame is designed to have the front bumper brackets bolted there and that happens to be the weakest point of the “N” body Dakota frame. I have my tow hooks there and have bent the hell out of the lower part of the rail the hooks are bolted to. Darrell was able to do it by removing the stock front bumper and boxing in the frame there for the front spring mount. It also appears that he welded in a piece between the rails to help reinforce it and to mount the tubular bumper he is using.
The reason why a lot of people who make this conversion use the Ford axle is because they are very close to the same dimensions. The Ford has a measurement of 34” across from the outer edge of the frame rails. The Dakota frame is 36” across between the front wheels. What most people do is cut off the mount for the Dakota upper control arm and reinforce the frame rails. Then they bolt on the Ford spring towers, shock and track bar mounts. They make up for the 2” frame width difference by moving the bottom of the coil springs in an inch on each side. The only fabricating then required is to fabricate mounts for the back of the drag links. You can then use any lift kit for a late 70’s Ford at that point, which are easier to obtain. It appears to be a pretty straight forward swap though very labor intensive.
In requards to the truck on http://www.angelfire.com/in/draglines/index1.html, if you closer at the fourth image from the top, you’ll notice that he does NOT have leafs in the front. What you are seeing under the truck, behind the front wheel, is the back of the Ford drag link. That truck has a coil suspension in the front from a 77 F150. In the third image from the top, you can see them sitting below the truck, still attached to the axle.
Walt
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Bryan
Dodge Dakota
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1/31/2002
17:01:50
| RE: Solid Axle
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I really liked the blue Dak with 44's. How much would it cost me to convert my GENII 2WD Dak ???
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jason
Dodge Dakota
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2/01/2002
10:12:39
| RE: Solid Axle
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walt,
ok you do have a point about coil springs i see how much eaysier it would be to use them insted of leafs. so i have decided to use coils. and buy a rough country 70-79 ford F-100, f-150 4in lift from jc whitney. the kit includes front coil springs, c-bushings, track rod lowering brackets, rear blocks with u-bolts.
u mentioned that the frame rails need to be reinforced. how do u do that? and when i go to a junk yard to get my axles what do i need to take off of the bronce besides the axles in order to get the ford lift to fit. also can i use my original leaf springs in the back or will ford leaf springs fit on the rear of my truck. how will i do the steering do i need to get ford steering or will mine fit. if u could could u give me as much information on the axle swap as u can that would be awsome. thanks alot jason
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darrell
Dodge Dakota
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2/02/2002
11:35:24
| RE: Solid Axle
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Message:
jason, i replied to you on the other solid topic as well. if you decide to go with coils get everything off of the framerails susp related including the coil buckets, panhard rod and bracket, radius arms and brackets, drive shafts if possible, and all steering linkage including the pitman arm. you might be able to use this depending on final geometry. a dropped unit for ford or dodge will work if not. use your stock rear springs while setting the truck up at least temporarily.
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jason
Dodge Dakota
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2/02/2002
18:15:02
| RE: Solid Axle
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Message:
darrell
yes i am the same guy that e-mailed you. i think i have almost got enough info to start this project. as i hear it i have to go to the junk yard and get everything suspension and steering related on the ford and i also need to get both drive shafts. so after i get all the parts what do i need to remove on my truck and how to i go about putting the ford suspension and axles on? if you could give me a step by step of how to do this project that would be awsome. thanks a lot
jason
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darrell
Dodge Dakota
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2/02/2002
18:27:08
| RE: Solid Axle
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there is too much for me to want to type it here. please e mail me
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tj
Dodge Dakota
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2/04/2002
14:53:00
| RE: Solid Axle
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Message:
darrell what is your email i would also lioke that info, if your writing it to him could you allso forwarded it to me so i can add it to my other info
thanks
travisfinlayson@yahoo.com
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darrell j reese
Dodge Dakota
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2/04/2002
18:36:30
| RE: Solid Axle
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darrelljreese@hotmail.com ill give you my phone # to cover some points without my slow typing.
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jason
Dodge Dakota
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2/05/2002
10:05:06
| RE: Solid Axle
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Message:
darrell,
would a 9in superlift suspension kit for a 1978-1979 ford bronco and pickup work after i put the front and rear ford axles in my truck? if this lift wont work what is the biggest lift that would work?
Kit package contains front coils, rear block kit and/or add-a-leaf, a 14 piece C-bushing kit, dropped radius arm brackets, dropped pitman arm when needed or available. All packages over 5" also include an adjustable track bar. The systems contain rear leaf springs.
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darrell
Dodge Dakota
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2/05/2002
17:32:09
| RE: Solid Axle
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Message:
that would be ok. plenty high. if your planning on 4 wheeling it i would go another route. buy just some of those parts individually, lots of companys are involved in those fords, so its a more off road worthy package. get a spring eye center to center and center bolt measurment on a bronco leaf pack before you buy ford leaf springs. a lot of those parts would not necessarily be needed.
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