Ok guys give me some tips here.

Between now and March or next year I will be gathering parts for a SAS for my 99 F150.

HERES WHAT I NEED
> Room for 40's (probably only run 38's but still want the room)
> Axles with a good Variety of gear ratios to choose from... un like out 8.8r
> Im keeping it on LEAF SPRINGS to make things alittle easier in that area.

HERES WHAT IM THINKING
> Sterling 10.25 and a DANA 60 (pretty much the F250 Suspension)
> IF POSSIBLE Keep the measurements for spring hangers the same as the f250 then buy a LIFT kit for the F250
> Id like to go with 5.13 gears (remember for the mean time my 4.2 will be staying in the truck)
> Custom ladder bars

WHAT I DONT KNOW
> How to fabricate the steering
> Will the Front Driveshaft match up with the d60 in the front?
>> I dont mind having to get new custom DShafts I just want to know that they will line up.

REASONS FOR THIS
> offroading
> Weakness of the IFS (i dont feel good about putting 2k behind the IFS when i already dont care for it)
> My 4.2L V6 Days will most likely end in the next few years and ill be replacing with something... just not sure what yet.
> I need the stiffness up front for the support of a possible diesel swap


OK now you guys know what im after... if anyone has any info write it in here or send me a PM. I dont get on much anymore because of my second job!

 

why do all that to your truck when u could just find a used superduty with a V8 and a solid axle already there? are you THAT attatched to your truck? seriously....think about it.

 

I dont want a POS superduty... NO OFFENSE.

I have thought of buying a Used Dodge Cummins but the cab/bed configuration doesnt support what i want. The EASIEST way to say this in a nutshell is that a fullsize diesel is just too big/long.

PLUS WHY BUY SOMETHING WHEN I CAN BUILD IT...

Ad NO im not attached to my truck, but i like making things ONE of a kind not just buying something and bolting on a few things.

Its the whole reason behind CUSTOMIZING

So you ask why and i ask WHY NOT?

So anyone have any usefull information? Or know anyone i can talk to about this?

 

Cecil, have you poked around any at Pirate4x4? they seem to do this stuff all the time there. Have you thought of trying to get in touch w/ that guy Kuntry Kid that SAS'd his truck and is running 40's? I believed he used F-250 parts and has 5.13's in his axles. There's other sites i can think of that have good SAS sections, but not any for 97-03 F-150 solely.

 

Yeah i got a few phone numbers i need to make calls.

Ill check out Pirate4x4 agian..

 

im not to farmiliar with your years F-150 suspension and steering setup, but i did SAS my old ranger.

I would think you have a rack and pinion setup on the truck for steering, so your going to need to get some steering components.

I knwo the Yota IFS Box works pretty good and is easy to mount on the outside of the frame rail. go to rustys off road, get a custom drag link and you can probably pick up a superduty tie rod if your runnign the same axle in front.

I dont know how the knuckles on that front axle are either, but if your running leafs, its easier to run some highsteer on that bad boy. so i'd sugest doing that because it becomes a pain in the *** to find a way to run the drag link though the leaf to either the tie rod or the knuckle ( depending on how the axle is set up, again im not farmiliar with it, just giving some opinions)

Now runnign the superduty setup with leafs will all depend on the frames, if they have a wider frame, it is most likly that it will not work. To lift the leaf sprung super dutys i beleve most kits come with a big 5" drop front crossmember, and then some lift leafs from there ( of course depending on how big the lift is)

Having a narrower frame will not help either with the axles, you would definetly need to strip them in full so your mounts for everything ( spring perches shocks, and pinion angle)are good for your truck.

Im just throwing ideas out there as they come to my head so if this looks sloppy i apologize haha.

How are you lifting the rear? custom leaf packs? I know for the ranger the chevy 1500 leafs give you about 5 more inches of lift than the ranger leafs, i dontknow if there is a truck out there that can do the same for the F-150.


Now ask some people that have your year truck and are running 40's if the rear driveshaft is cool or if it needs to be modded or swapped out. You will most likely need a new front driveshaft but if yours works alot of driveshaft places make adapters to fit drifeshafts to different pinions.

Thats all i can think of for now, but im sure more things will come to me as i think about it a little more. its been about 8 months since i have talked about the SAS i did so i dont remember everything but i can tell you it was a headache man.
But the BIGGEST key to this project and i cant stress this enough, the terms: Quick, SAS, and Cheap DO NOT work together AT ALL. haha.

It may seem simple when you are planning it out in your head but i promise you, you will run into problems you dont for see and things will not be as easy as you think they will be haha.

 

ok well ive talked to a few guys and the way i was thinking of setting it up wont work the frames between the F250 and F150 are too different. Which isnt a problem.

I really havent thought about the tie rods at all yet. I geuss i need too.

I have a guy willing to do it but im waiting for a quote and a complete fabrication time start to finish. If not me and my dad will do it he's done stuff like this before just not on a vehicle that will be street driven.

Im gonna go take a look at Rusty's offroad. Im crusin around Pirate4x4 as well as Chuckstrucks.net

I figure this could all be done for under 6k but i may be wrong! Alot depends on how good of condition the axles i get are in.

Im glad someone understands the reason im doing this!

 

yeah, mine costed about 5K and i rebuilt both my axles, the back was an LS and the fornt was open, so i didnt have any lockers or anything fancy like that but it got me by.

just make sure you can weld very very well. welding is a big component in a build like this.

 

Yeah ive been practicing for the last few months and im getting pretty good.

I know that theres always someone better than me. So for the rigt price and a good warranty i wouldnt mine paying someone for the install!

Im gonna give a guy a call on Monday and see what he quotes me. He has a F150 like mine on 46's and does custom work like this all the time.

 

yeah, i really mean you have to be good at welding. especially if your driving on the street. i suggest you take some welding classes por something. you may think its stupid and you can strike an arc and lay a decent bead but i thought the same and i am currently in a class and i never been able to properly weld metal together without it.

 

yeah my dad tought me! But ive been reading and gathering LOADS of information from co-workers and friends.

If i do however weld this together myself ill have my dad inspect and a few friends reinspect my welds before ever putting weight on it.

 

Cecil, keep me updated on this via PM. I'm very interested in this type of buildup... Another place to poke around, http://fullsizebronco.com/ They have a whole section of their forums dedicated to SAS's.

 

Well if you go over to chuckstrucks.net and look up farmboy fabrications he is the one that i have to make a call too!

 

Heres some pictures of Farmboy Fabrications truck. Its on 44's i believe.

and besides the long bed its pretty much the same truck.

 

The Front suspension setup!