What did YOU do today?

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I vaguely remember hearing about a D50 TTB. Aren't they all setup for leaf springs?

I dunno. I’m not worried about what they are or aren’t set up for, I’m gonna do whatever I have to. I’m not opposed to front leafs and I’m not opposed to converting it to coilovers or something. If it stays coils or goes to coilovers I’m building extended radius arms anyway so I’m not really worried about that. I want to keep the F-150 as a TTB but I know I put that D-44 and 8.8 through a lot of abuse and I’m just wondering if an upgrade might not be a bad idea

 

[sgtsandman]

I dunno. I’m not worried about what they are or aren’t set up for, I’m gonna do whatever I have to. I’m not opposed to front leafs and I’m not opposed to converting it to coilovers or something. If it stays coils or goes to coilovers I’m building extended radius arms anyway so I’m not really worried about that. I want to keep the F-150 as a TTB but I know I put that D-44 and 8.8 through a lot of abuse and I’m just wondering if an upgrade might not be a bad idea

If you are going to go through the trouble of installing leafs, wouldn't an SAS be an easier choice?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

If you are going to go through the trouble of installing leafs, wouldn't an SAS be an easier choice?

I’ve seriously considered Superduty axles for it… but I don’t want to give up the TTB for how I use it… I’m probably going to stick with coils in the front but I’m still largely in the “deciding a course of action so I can start collecting parts“ stage…

Ideally it will have a rear locker and preferably an e-locker for the front. It will get a twin stick NP205. I am keeping the 300-6 but doing some mods and I intend on a rebuilt ZF5 because the synchros are shot in mine.

I’m also ditching the bed for a custom flat bed/utility bed

 

[SenorNoob]

Dropped the transfer case for the swap. Went to rebuilding front driveshaft and found a part that I needed that I've never seen mentioned before.

I'm pretty sure this is the right part. The dimensions that I have check out.
Spicer 2-86-418

I'm going in the morning to pick it up... 54 miles away. That's the only 1 I could get before Monday.

If it ends up being the right part, can we get that added to the tech article: Double Cardan Joint Replacement

 

[scotts90ranger]

Finally got the seat cushions for the Ferguson done yesterday with some help from mom. Think I’m gonna try to get a small canvas tarp for that tractor before I put the seat together for good.

Today I finally got my property mowed, then took the F-150 over and used the winch to drag a log section in a bit of chain link fence into the burn pit. Tumbled a stump into the pit, then unloaded all the wood and branches from Paul’s into the burn pile. Got the F-150 out of there just before it rained. Something, however, is not happy with the 4x4. Getting crunchy metal sounds. Just what I wanted, something else on the project list…

BTW, if I mind right, doesn’t the F-250 or F-350 in the OBS have a D-50 TTB? Anyone know if it’s better/stronger than the D-44? I’ve been thinking of swapping to the heavier axles when I rebuild the F-150…

You can go easy on that, I know for a fact the center section will bolt to the D44 TTB beam, it's a slightly bigger ring gear but has D60 splines into the spider gears I think and takes D60 U joints and outer axle shafts. Google up a Jana 54, if I get a wild hare I'll pull up some links I have saved, that's what I have planned for my V8 Explorer...

The heavy duty TTB are only on F250's and yes they're leaf sprung, annoyingly there's two versions but they're easy to tell apart, one is a HD44 which has a D44 center section and guts but is leaf sprung, they're usually on gassers but you can tell them apart because the wheel hubs taper down from the standard 8 lug to the smaller D44 locking hubs where the D50 have the bigger D60 locking hubs so don't really taper.

 

[scotts90ranger]

My week got kinda dumb, on Friday it got decided that I would go to the FL/AL gulf coast area to help work on a fire boat with one of our engines in it for the fire pump... Traveling Tuesday wasn't horrible but by the time we got to the Pensacola area Wednesday it was 92F at 9am (flew into Mobile so we had a drive) and apparently the heat index got to 107 not to mention my communication cable decided that's when it wouldn't work right and the inverter I brought for the laptop didn't appreciate the temperature... I kept fumbling with things but wasn't having great success until 4pm when we called it. I had work overnight me a cable for the next morning. When it was cooperating right I found a solution to the issue and was able to leave with enough time to get to what should have been my flight time...

It started off being delayed an hour which was close to working so I was hopeful but then it kept getting pushed back, apparently there was some serious weather going through Atlanta. Flight was supposed to leave at 5:55 but ended up leaving at 8:30, landed at Atlanta at 11 when the flight was supposed to leave at 9:30ish so I missed it... Delta got me on a flight at 8am and offered a hotel and meal voucher, took over an hour to get to that point waiting in line. Once I started clicking on the links to get a hotel turns out there wasn't a shuttle so chances are I'd have to figure out Lyft or whatnot which I've never used, I was NOT going to try at 1am so I took a nap at the airport then got my $12 worth of meal credit and got on the plane... Todays travel went fine though so there's that...

I did end up going straight to work from the airport but part is because they had the engine for my boat ran and timed so I could take it home today . I think I have about enough stuff to get it in this weekend...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

You can go easy on that, I know for a fact the center section will bolt to the D44 TTB beam, it's a slightly bigger ring gear but has D60 splines into the spider gears I think and takes D60 U joints and outer axle shafts. Google up a Jana 54, if I get a wild hare I'll pull up some links I have saved, that's what I have planned for my V8 Explorer...

The heavy duty TTB are only on F250's and yes they're leaf sprung, annoyingly there's two versions but they're easy to tell apart, one is a HD44 which has a D44 center section and guts but is leaf sprung, they're usually on gassers but you can tell them apart because the wheel hubs taper down from the standard 8 lug to the smaller D44 locking hubs where the D50 have the bigger D60 locking hubs so don't really taper.

Interesting… I like this idea…

 

[scotts90ranger]

Interesting… I like this idea…

Me too, that's why I plan to do that with the V8 explorer, D60 guts with equal length D44 TTB beams getting 18" or thereabouts of travel per corner... I have $200 wrapped up into 4 axles (a D44 TTB, a D50TTB and two 10.25's) that I've had for years waiting on the time... I know you know how that is . I still need to order gears, might look into lockers for the 10.25 but might just weld since I have two carriers although I might need to get another one or at least a tone ring so the speedo will work...

 

[97RangerXLT]

turned in my xfinity equipment and cancelled my service. AT and T fiber internet hit my neighborhood, enjoying cheaper and much faster internet.

AJ

 

[djfllmn]

Washed, clay barred and polished the F150
And then changed the flash pattern on my rear emergency lights

 

[scotts90ranger]

A coworker came out this morning and we threw the engine in my boat, he's worked on many of the engine swaps on the boats at work so experience helped... we had to make some adapter plates to move the engine mount feet like 3" forward but quickly plasma cut out some 3" wide 1/4" steel plate and drilled 3 holes on each (conveniently was just extending one hole forward) and painted then did some piddly stuff while that was drying.

Now I just get to keep tinkering with the floor then wiring and finish up some fuel and water plumbing.

 

[sgtsandman]

I finished sanding the plywood for the drawer box and painted the pipe assembly and mounting clamp for the solar shower in between grits of sand paper and flipping sides. So, while the painted parts are curing, I applied a couple coats of boiled linseed oil on one side of the base piece of plywood that will sit between the bed floor and the drawer box. It doesn't have to be pretty but it does needs some protection from moisture that may get in the bed.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Kept tinkering and it's pretty much together... got coolant in, mounted the battery switch in a different location that's more accessible then got both batteries wired up. All plumbing done, all mounting bolts are installed and tightened and the engine is even straight... I even did some cleanup so the boat and shop aren't quite so much of a disaster... Conveniently I'm running out of parts.

Pretty much just flooring work and some checking of wires left before a test run... probably either Monday or Wednesday evening after work.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I don't get pics off my phone much but here's a somewhat time lapse of the boat progress over the last few weeks:

If anyone is questioning the black crank pulley, there's a chrome one but it was clicking and out of center so it was ditched...

 

[racsan]

Ive done alot already this morning, painted the signboards & top of truck cap white for the egg (ranger) trailer, changed oil in the equinox, tried to charge the a/c in her escape.( got the pressure to 35, supposed to be 50 for the ambient temperature of time I was working on it, was 15 when I started so at least its better and a/c is cooler now) Put the cap on the ranger trailer & pulled it into the garage, have a new “outdoor “ rated mini fridge, not sure it will work for my egg sales or not. Digital controller so thats a improvement over the old egg-sale fridge. If it doesn’t work I will have a garage fridge I guess. What I have to do next is fix last weekends rigging. I went to change out the water system filter & the canister wouldnt seal afterwards. Since I can only get that part from my softner salt dealer & it was a sunday, I went to lowes & got parts to replace the whole filter assembly with a straight pipe. Not ideal but sometimes ya gotta. Friday I got a new filter assembly & today I hope to have it back together correctly. Makes me nervous, Having this shoulder issue complicates everything. 3 weeks ago I got a pneumonia shot, they must of gone too high and I now have pain & cant raise my left arm above my shoulder. Somehow im still able to work, have to ice it daily & have weeks of physical therapy to go through. Lovely. Yard needs mowed but not sure I will get to it today. Only 2 work days & Im off for the 4rth holiday. At least my asthma hasnt been giving me problems with this high heat. Dont know how but I will take it.