Geargrinder
1/2 ton status
I know, I know, "just get a FF" but........
Has any one ever converted the 14SF to a FF? If so what parts did U use?
Has any one ever converted the 14SF to a FF? If so what parts did U use?
CK5
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14SF>to>FF conversion?
- Thread starter Geargrinder
- Start date
Inu-Hanyou1776
1/2 ton status
Don't think it can be done. It'd require precision, and I do mean PRECISION, fabrication work because from scratch you would need to make a 2 spindles designed to be able to carry a load in excess of 6000 lbs, probably more, and graft them onto the SF axle such that there'd be NO weakpoints in the welds. This all I think would require precision engineering on top of the precision fabrication that I think's out of the scope of even many fabrication shops.
I may be wrong, but I certainly don't think it's possible, at least not without spending literally a small fortune.
I may be wrong, but I certainly don't think it's possible, at least not without spending literally a small fortune.
Geargrinder
1/2 ton status
It's not THAT hard, U are right about it needing to be dead on thoe. I was just wondering if any one here has done it, and if so what they used. (spindels ect.) And....it will need to stand up to A LOT more than 6000#, try 8000#+ that's just the trucks curb weight with all my gear and kids in it. I was thinking D60 parts, but not sure if there would be a better option. I have the gears I want in it allready, but would like rear disk, and thought "Hey, while I'm at it......."
I don't believe it would be a simple swapping of parts. I guess you could graft on either 14FF or 60FF spindles and hub assemblies with some custom work, but then you would have to find somebody to make custom axleshafts.
lrazer
1/2 ton status
well actually it wouldn't be the full weight of the truck since the weight would be distributed between the two spindles on each side of the axle as well as the front axleGeargrinder said:
What's the point? Why spend a ton of cash and time on such a project when you can buy 14 bolt FF's in nearly any gear ratio for $75-150??? 
Geargrinder
1/2 ton status
Well............That's what I thought 2, untill I tryed to sourse a decent 14Bff around here
The 'yards around here seem to think that they are as rare as a Ford HP 60 front
and I'm not lookin' to pay $800 for a FF 14B
The 'yards around here seem to think that they are as rare as a Ford HP 60 front and I'm not lookin' to pay $800 for a FF 14B
Emmettology 101
3/4 ton status
6.2Blazer said:
Bingo.. It can be done.... You'd need an aligning bar and pucks that would fit the bearing spindle and carrier bearings. Then you could be sure that the spidle was being welded on in the correct location and not crooked. Those parts are around $200-$400.... D.D. Machine sells them on PBB....
And then like Brad said, you'd need custom axles with either a flanged end to fit what hubs you decided to use... Or double splined to fit a D60 front hub and drive puck......
It may not be a bad combo if you could get it done cheap enough(say under $800). What is the diameter of a 14sf axlesahft at the splines? They are 32 or 33 splines right?
89GMCSuburban
1/2 ton status
Would cost you MORE than $800 to turn an SF into a FF...and do you want to risk something coming off?
beater_k20
Banned
Geargrinder said:Well............That's what I thought 2, untill I tryed to sourse a decent 14Bff around here
might want to check with Alan (mountainexplorer), he's got loads of truck parts, and could be in your area at some point. personally, i wouldnt hesitate to buy from him, seems like a good guy.
Emmettology 101
3/4 ton status
89GMCSuburban said:
Not really. Part you'd have about $400-$500.... Then if you found a shop with the abilities to do the housing work, I can see that being more than around $300...
And why would something come off? If he had 14ff spindles machined and pressed into the end of the housing, then it would be the saem as any other 14ff end. And there are alot of guys that wheel that have cut the end of a tube off and then welded on an end... I think the guys username is reddman on PBB. He's has done that with success.
i couldnt find any near me either, si took a road trip. if ur worried bout keepin 6lug, they sell adapters to make a ff 6 lug
Screw the yards... Look in the paper for someone parting out an old truck.Geargrinder said:Well............That's what I thought 2, untill I tryed to sourse a decent 14Bff around here
The yards wanted $750 plus my old axles when I did my swap back around 1987.
I bought a complete, running 3/4-ton truck with 4.10's, then swapped the axles between rigs. I even cleaned up the truck I bought and sold it for more than I paid for it. 
Inu-Hanyou1776
1/2 ton status
lrazer said:
That's what I was talking about. Building your spindles to take 6000 pounds each is plenty strong enough, maybe too strong, but I don't know for sure. You said that 6000lbs total is about how much your whole truck weighs. That means the rear axle would only be taking about 3000lbs (probably a little less since there's no engine and tranny in the rear to support). Divide that in half to get how much load each wheel would be carrying, and that works out to where each spindle would be supporting about 1500lbs with the vehicle at rest, so building each spindle to take a maximum continuous load of 6000lbs would mean the spindles could take up to 4x the load they'd actually be supporting.
89GMCSuburban
1/2 ton status
Like I said...you want something that's been engineered and tested in trucks for years where parts are plentiful.......or do you want a custom axle with custom made parts in very low availability with, in my opinion, a higher chance of failure?
HarryH3 said:Screw the yards... Look in the paper for someone parting out an old truck.
The yards wanted $750 plus my old axles when I did my swap back around 1987.
I see you are somewhere in Oregon. I see FF selling for 100$ ish all the time here in Wa. I wonder why it would be different down there in OR?
I find lots of options on craigslist and I have statched up a few for cheap or free from people who bought $500 rigs just for the engine.
Any luck on craigslist at all?
EDIT: Ok, just being curious (and I apologize for jacking your thread) but here are two ff for under 150$
http://portland.craigslist.org/pts/115552638.html
http://portland.craigslist.org/pts/111037207.html
Geargrinder
1/2 ton status
I don't mind the 'jack, and I haden't thought of crags list yet
, but 1 of those was just for a set of gears
With 2 new resorses to check out now, any one know if a FF will "bolt in" in place of the SF? And if so what years should I be looking for? (if there is any diferance)
, but 1 of those was just for a set of gearsWith 2 new resorses to check out now, any one know if a FF will "bolt in" in place of the SF? And if so what years should I be looking for? (if there is any diferance)
TrcksR4ME
1/2 ton status
Custom axles are built all the time and are plenty strong and reliable.
The problem I see in this case is that in order to make the axle you want you would have to buy a 14 bolt or dana 60 for the needed parts, and once you do that your problem is solved anyways
The problem I see in this case is that in order to make the axle you want you would have to buy a 14 bolt or dana 60 for the needed parts, and once you do that your problem is solved anyways
Back when Warn was making FF kits I thought it would be cool if they made one for the SF14B, but I guess the demand was not there. If you want to keep the small 14 for ground clearance reasons it might be easier to use a rear D60.
Just as an aside, you don't need to constrict yourself to D60 front hubs. It is reasonably common in the oval track world to make drive plates. I know of one rear D60 with a Summer Bros drive axles in it that are double splined. They use a female splined drive plate that bolts to the D60 rear hubs just like the original drive axles did. The drive plate has a small bolt-on cap that also bolts to the drive axle to keep it from going to far in. Removing this cap allows removal of the drive axle w/o even removing the drive plate.Emmettology 101 said:
