1997 F250 7.3 OBS Ford Solid Axel Swap, Sky Reverse Shackle Kit Install(straight axel swap)

Swapping out the TTB Dana 50 ifs for a Dana 60 solid axel. Lifting it with the 5 inch sky reverse shackle kit

[@The0590628]

How I did mine. Instead of measuring I just put the leafs in to get my 52 on each side. Then center punched then drilled

[@Curtisitruc1982]

Build went great. A side note the Drop pitman arm nut was torqued to 240ftlbs after. Stay tuned for the wheel spacers and body work coming up I also picked up a new double Cardin front drive shaft as the original one was making a grinding noise. It’s good now

[@billpaxton5244]

It was grinding because you had it on backwards.

[@kylevantassel7259]

Double cardigan was my favorite part...LOL I am about to do this on a 2WD.....

[@seanmanwill2002]

Great video Sir! And congratulations on your wonderful children. Keep them working with you as much as you can. From an old fart, your lives will be richer for it! Awesome job, and very helpful!

[@flatblackandy]

Imo you should have gone with a 2” rsk and then 4” ez ride front leafs.....that’s what I have now and the ride quality was night and day. You ride quality will always be crap if your leaf spring is pretty much a negative arch. Sweet build so far. I have a f350 but I got the f250 rear ez ride leafs because the spring rate was about 100lbs less than the ez ride 350 leafs and that made a noticeable improvement also!

[@andrewbirrenkott5312]

Can't wait to do this to my 95' powerstroke F250. Finding a Dana 60 is nearly impossible. Probably going have to buy a wrecked truck. I made the huge mistake of adding a leaf to my stock TTB DON'T DO IT! I'm literally being beat to death driving down the road. Thanks for the video.

[@yoski203]

Good job, teachin the little guy young

[@TroyAnthony25]

great video lots of good information keep up the videos!!! it looks great also

[@Curtisitruc1982]

Troy Anthony Thanks dude

[@Curtisitruc1982]

Babylon falling Apologies for the late reply man, I didn’t see the question Yes all the trucks are identical up front. They came off the line pre drilled and ready to become any combination of 250/350. The swap will go great. No body lift needed. In fact I discourage them. I did the energy suspension polyurethane body mount bushings as the factory rubbers were blown out and the body lines were out. But this did not add lift. Good luck it’s an easy mod!

[@samschultz5781]

Great video with lots of help thank you for posting

[@tonykeisling2830]

great video. the top center bolts are easier to remove with the oil filter removed. i just received my kit in the mail. but it appears that i am missing the rear shackle mounting brackets.

[@msf206]

I have a Dana 60 swap on the front. Did you have any issues with the left tire sticking out more then the right? I’m off by 1 1/2” to 2”, someone mentioned swapping out the track bar with an adjustable one?

[@summitdave8782]

Hi...Did you ever fix that problem...Im having that problem right now...Putting in a 1999 super duty axle on my 1995 f250...That problem is a heart dropper...lol...

[@msf206]

@@summitdave8782 After completely educating myself I have learned quite a lot. I have a king pin Dana 60. With that being said there are certain things that have to be trimmed off the axle in order to get 100% proper fitment... I’ll be more than happy to Connect with you. Shoot me your phone number if you want within a half hour of this being posted and then delete it and I’ll get in touch with you..?

[@msf206]

@@summitdave8782 got it

[@angelmeza9761]

@@msf206just got a kingpin Dana 60 and buying parts to install it, what was some things needed to get it 100%?

[@msf206]

@@angelmeza9761 Hi, I would say it would be a good idea to not cheap out on parts. Depending on what you plan on doing the most in terms of driving and off-roading. Fox 2.0 shocks are great to add. If you not lifted things are generally easier. Changing out all your bearings on both sides is definitely a must. I have 410 gears, it makes driving pretty fun.

[@JBizzle822]

do you have to have a shackel reverse kit or will an f350 axel and springs bolt up.

[@sfllife03]

What year was the steering arms I bought a truck with a swap front end and it has the wrong steering arms I need the ones you have if you don’t mind

[@Curtisitruc1982]

I bought brand new moog steering my man, for a 1997 d60 f350. The old ones I had I just tossed in the metal scrap bin

[@rileyteltschik3632]

What springs did you use Iv got a 97 that has the swap already done but it’s got like 10 inches of lift I’m wanting to lower it back to a usable height

[@dylanlairmore8776]

What front leaf springs do you have? I’m doing the exact thing to my f250 but I have aftermarket springs from the lift with ttb. Have horrible death wobble and pinion angle is off I believe

[@teewoods9846]

did you use an obs f350 d60?

[@Curtisitruc1982]

Yes a 97 350

[@ethanwalter4536]

Looks like you put the springs in backwards.

[@fullsendmikeperformance9931]

Thought you said you where gonna replace the leaf springs just looks like you painted the old ones definitely need bigger leaf springs cause those look flat as hell especially compared to the rear ones with are beafy asf which is what you need in the front too

[@Curtisitruc1982]

They were the original ones yes. Flat also yes lol. The kit did however raise the truck up enough fir me so I haven’t opted for anything else .

[@gavinmoore1602]

where did you buy the center drop bracket to use the original trac bar?

[@Curtisitruc1982]

Whole thing came from SKY as a kit

[@anviloyler3239]

Does the factory brake lines work with the super duty calipers? Didnt have to change them out or anything?

[@Curtisitruc1982]

Yes , the brake lines work. Longer ones may be needed

[@robbienickels8996]

Could you do a parts list video and where you got it from?

[@Curtisitruc1982]

Robbie Nickels I won’t do a video for parts but I’m happy to list what I can on this reply 5” Sky reverse shackle kit for 87-97 f 250-350. Not the super duty spring conversion but the obs original spring length. Easy to find on sky’s website Skyjacker extended brake lines Standard drop pitman mines rough country (found on sky’s website) Cheepo proncomp springs Length to be determined by lift size mine 12” of travel Rebuilt Dana 60( parts for that available online) Rebuilt sterling 10.25 Complete Moog steering for applicable year of Dana 60(mine was 97) U joints easy to figure out U bolts easy enough Energy suspension replacement bushings for the leafs. ( just use an oxy torch to burn the old rubber bushings out and pound the flaming rubber and metal out from the spring.) I took the time to wire wheel and paint all my parts.

[@hochfilms8434]

Do you remember what size the leaf spring bolts were at the ends of the springs

[@Curtisitruc1982]

Any bolt I replaced was with a standard grade 8 1/2” I’m Pretty sure.

[@topflight408]

I may be wrong but wasnt the 1996 the last year for the OBS ?

[@Curtisitruc1982]

topflight408 92-97 for the 250/350 92-96 for the 150

[@williamuskoski1385]

98 technically

[@NativeDescent]

William Uskoski show me one 1998 vin coded OBS ford

[@williamuskoski1385]

@@NativeDescent they are out there. I seen it on instagram

[@NativeDescent]

William Uskoski 98 F250 is the F150 of the same year but 7 lug instead, 98 F350 is a superduty

[@davidmcnerney3048]

Military wrap kn the spring goes in front on the rigid mount not the shackle I thought

[@Curtisitruc1982]

If I remember properly the bushings went only one way and it was obvious. Or I have them backwards and thats funny. Maybe someone else can chime in on that one lol .

[@1eplant]

What leaf springs are those? Did you do the 99-04 spring kit? If so, what code spring did you use?

[@Curtisitruc1982]

1eplant Stock leafs from a 1997 f350 The 250 are a 3 leaf and the 350 are a 2 leaf. I believe they did this because the ttb axel needs more spring in order to support the weight independently. I read the 3 leaf would be rough as hell so I opted to do the 2. I also didn’t do the super duty conversation because my aftermarket bumper and possible clearance issues. More info then your question, but there you go lol

[@whiskeytangofoxtrotover9651]

For the love of God, it's AXLE.

[@Curtisitruc1982]

Lol! I never realized I spelled it wrong I also spelled another title on my clutch video wrong!! You can rest assured that you are the reason I’m editing this title !! Cheers bud!

[@ralphanderson5621]

Great job 👍

[@edm9760]

How does is ride compared to what you had before, is it a smoother ride than a regular 5 inch lift would ride?

[@Curtisitruc1982]

edm The truck rides like a Sherman tank It was rough before and rough after. The shackle kit can’t hurt but I as this was a SAS plus reverse shackle kit I really can’t compare what benefits it did The flat stock 2 leaf springs are a much better choice then the 3 leaf found in the TTB. The super duty ones are apparently even better. But I was not a fan of a longer spring sticking into my bumper area.

[@TheCattlekings]

Looks good. I did dana 60 swaps on my 93 and 87 f250. I hate the ttb 50

[@Curtisitruc1982]

TheCattlekings Ya the ttb gets old and frozen. A bit more complicated to lift and ailing. Unless your doing sand dunes and need independent articulation, the solid axel is better. Happy with the swap for sure

[@TheCattlekings]

@@Curtisitruc1982 plus you gain steering. On my 93 has the kingpin style so i did a crossover on it. I even did a SAS on my 94 ranger lol

[@kennyroohr6631]

@@TheCattlekings was thinking about doing a kingpin swap in my 95 f250 but didnt know if it would bolt up under 95 leafs or the 95 pitman arm

[@TheCattlekings]

@@kennyroohr6631 it bolts right up

[@kennyroohr6631]

@@TheCattlekings o cool, now for the hard part. Finding a king pin for a reasonable price 😂

[@williamsmith547]

What size tires are you running in the thumbnail

[@Curtisitruc1982]

37, 13.5 r20

[@7.3lpowerstrokeguy2]

What was the total lift? Pics of the truck now?

[@Curtisitruc1982]

7.3L powerstroke guy Total lift was 5 inches I guess. With 37s it’s up there. Funny you should ask. I’m just now finally prepping it for paint. It should be done by late May 2019. I’ll do a video on the rest of my work then.

[@jeremiahs9814]

Did you use the driveline from the ttb?

[@Curtisitruc1982]

Jeremiah s The front drive shaft meshed up but had a binding sound. A metal grind basically I had a local shop make me a double Cardon (cv) to balance it out. And I put on a cv style end yolk to bolt onto the new drive shaft.It’s now perfect One thing to note that this particular truck was equipped with a borg-warner 4407. Which has a 32 spline ford/spicer end yolk that has patented splines made special for ford. Plus it’s now discontinued by spicer. So that’s a good lot of fun finding that part. If your truck has a bw1356 then parts are more available. 4407 cv end yolk Part number e bay; F5tz7b214b-1330 cv

[@DeeDee10x101]

@@Curtisitruc1982 would have helped if you didn't put the drive line on backwards you wouldn't have had to do the needless modification to your undercarriage if you had realized your mistake.

[@Curtisitruc1982]

William Paxton You may be correct. But I don’t think so. Send me a picture of one if you can. I’m interested. Prove to all of us how flipping it around would of have created more clearance when lifting a suspension. From most of what I have read on forums is a f250 TTB drive shaft will fit a 350, but the factory 350 Dana 60 drive line came with a double cardon. I changed the angle and I changed the diffs. I brought it to a drive line shop. Had a good discussion. They said it needs a double cardon. Made me one. Now it’s perfect. I see you have posted a bunch of comments on this video. Trolling all over. If your so mechanically inclined, why are you looking up and watching how to videos. Then picking them apart. Fuck , you should just be ordering the parts and putting them right in. Never mind watching how to videos. A key board warrior? . A kid ? , Please ,I make these videos to be positive. To help people out and show that things can be done at home and off the ground. How to fix up a beater. Get out of your parents basement William Paxton. Do some good and go build something.

[@spencergibbons-neff604]

Did the driveshaft fit?

[@Curtisitruc1982]

Spencer Gibbons-Neff It fit but howled. I got a double cardon made. Now it perfect. My t case is a Borge Warner 4407. Had to find a cv yolk for it which spicer has discounted. Thank god for eBay.

[@ak_7.3l30]

No front sway bar?

[@Curtisitruc1982]

AK_7.3L I gots one for both front and back Haven’t put it in. It handles well. Tight enough. I may put it on to compare

[@grndiesel]

Do you remember what spring rate you went with on the new front end springs?

[@Curtisitruc1982]

David Stock 97 2 leaf f350 psd

[@grndiesel]

@@Curtisitruc1982 Thanks Curtis. I meant the number rating in lbs. I'm planning the SAS for my 2wd F250 and there are around 4 different spring rates for a twin spring pack. So far I've found: 2200lbs, 2600lbs, 3000lbs and 4200lbs. I've been told that diesels need around 3000lbs for solid axle and the 4200 might be for TTB snow plow package (higher rate due to leverage of the swing arm). The donor truck that I took the axle from was a gasser so I don't think I can reuse the springs.

[@Curtisitruc1982]

Ok. So both my springs were from diesels. Both 97 7.3s One was a TTB (3leaf) one was the Dana 60 (2leaf) As far as the technical info I can’t help you. What I do understand is that you want the lighter 2 Leaf springs on the Dana 60 solid axel as they work in conjunction with both front spring packs being that the diff is 1 single moving part. The TTB 3 leaf would be rough as hell in the Dana 60 . The TTB requires more spring stiffness because it’s independent and dose not share the springs with the other side while navigating bumps. Gassers I don’t know. The 460 may be the same. Just my view on my own and how I go forward. Slap in some springs and see how she feels. Don’t get to caught up with all internet opinions because it’s not rocket smithing and plenty of combinations will work. Cheers my man

[@grndiesel]

Hey Curtis, thanks for following up. It sounds like someone may have mixed and matched within the stack to get a favorable spring rate. I'll probably go with 3000lb springs with mine. I can always swap out with some of the old gasser springs as needed.

[@zachcampbell582]

Will this work for an 88 250?

[@Curtisitruc1982]

Sky’s got kits. I believe so. Check the web site

[@als484]

Drive shaft is not balanced for full time rotation/ needs low speed four wheeling

[@DeeDee10x101]

his drive shaft is on backwards and he didn't realize it lol.

[@6bt_str86]

Nuice!

[@bajatroy]

Canada..

[@Curtisitruc1982]

You bet Canada

[@DeeDee10x101]

the job looks good for the most part however i lost faith in him when i realized he put his front drive line on backwards and he didn't realize this and modified the truck to accept a backwards drive line funny.

[@Curtisitruc1982]

Your the man buds.

[@brandonferris1927]

where did you get the trac bar drop bracket and what size lift did you put on it

[@Curtisitruc1982]

Brandon Ferris The whole kit came from sky manufacturing Now it’s been a few years since I did it but they supplied the drop bracket with my 5” lift(reverse shackle kit). I’m not entirely sure if the bracket kit coincides with with the track bar kit but all the info is on the website