Coil Front Suspension To Leaf Springs

[72Highboy]

Hello Everyone

I was wondering how hard it is to swap my front axle from the quad shock and coils to leaf spings? I am thinking about this because it can give me a more selection to other axle's because there are few junk yards with dent sides let alone bump sides. Another reason I am thinking about this is because like I have mentioned I have a friend that has alot of parts for GMC and Chevy's. I know I know "What Are You Thinking Putting GM parts on a Bump"
Well when you have a friends that gives you deals on passenger side pumpkins, GM 435's with passenger T-Case it makes you think . Should I wait till I come across a Ford 205 T-Case, tail housing, and 4x4 435 which is like winning the lottery here. or try it. I have access to welders, metal, and anything else I need. Good Idea or just keep searching?

[Dirty Offio]

Should be doable, but here are a couple of thoughts.

How hard is it going to be to get a set of gears for a GM and Ford axle in the same ratio? (depends on which GM axle you have of course, a Dana 44 is pretty easy....)

Will the 435 marry up to your bellhousing? A friend of mine and I were thinking about this a while back, but never got around to checking the bolt pattern to verify, I thought the pattern was different tho...)

Lug pattern, I don't know if you can put your Ford outers on the chev housing, or if you will have 6 bolt front end and 5 bolt rear end...or if you want to change the rearend out with a GM also, so you have 6 lug all the way around. As I recall, the bump spindles use a different bolt pattern then the GM's...but maybe that was different that the 3/4 tons, been too many beers since then...

With a well equipped shop, anything can be done, you will need the spring mounting perches from a chev frame to make it work, and there is going to be a serious amount of mock up work to get the wheels centered in the wells with the weight of the truck on them.

Another idea would be to drop your married unit out of your truck, put in a 4x2 transmission and use a divorced dana or 205 unit. They are at least a little easier to find... Or go wild and get a NV4500 /NP241 out of a 94 or later Dodge pickup and upgrade to an overdrive while you are at it....

[averagef250]

GM never made much of a 4x4. Take that as you will, but a 1 ton 4x4 GM built truck doesn't hold a candle to most F-350 4x4's. If you disagree, build whatever you want, it's your truck. You would be worlds ahead to sell your Ford to someone who appreciates it and buy a GM or didge product to ruin.