Leaf Spring Bolts Installed - Photo 65518420

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<strong>14.</strong> Ford installed the forward leaf spring bolts from the inside of the frame rail. The gas tank blocks the removal of the drive- side bolt. We used a reciprocating saw to cut the head off the bolt and slid the bolt out of the frame. The guys at JD Fabrication pointed out a factory lower A-arm bolt served as an exact replacement. We had some left over from our front suspension, so used one, but inserted it from outside the frame.

22 Our new stance sitting on the 37-inch Baja T/A tires and 17x9-inch Weld Racing wheels. The Bajas roll smooth and round, very typical of any BFG carcass. They emit just a bit of highway hum at speeds but nothing annoying. Of course, they shine in the dirt.

<strong>1. </strong>We got a used donor axle to start the project. Note, there are a few differences between the axles spanning the last decade or so. There are three disc brake 9.75-inch axles that grow progressively wider. These are ’99 to ’04 models, ’05-up, and the Raptor versions. The later versions use 3-inch-wide springs, while the earlier models use a narrower pack. The early axles also use slightly smaller brake components.

<strong>2.</strong>After some bit of fabrication, we had our axle housing widened to accommodate the longer axle shafts. Raptor housings are very similar to standard F-150 housings, but are wider and use somewhat sturdier axle tubes. While we were at it, we sleeved our tubes and bumped the wall thickness to 1/2 inch. We welded on new perches, shock mounts, and limit strap tabs. We also used 1.75-inch DOM tubing to fabricate a simple tubular truss across the top of our widened housing.

<strong>3.</strong> We picked up a pile of Yukon parts from Randy’s Ring & Pinion to rebuild and upgrade our axle. We opted for their Dura Grip limited-slip, 4.88 gear set, new axle bearings and seals, and a master installation kit.

4 The Yukon Dura Grip is an aggressive limited-slip differential. Our factory unit worked OK, but the Dura Grip will provide tighter differential action, and it’s rebuildable should we ever need to do so.

<strong>5. </strong>We pressed new bearings on the differential carrier and mounted the ring gear. The new 4.88 ratio was chosen to match well with the 37-inch tires we’re installing.

<strong>6. </strong>We also installed a 108-tooth ABS tone ring onto the Yukon Dura Grip and installed the ring-and-pinion into the housing, going through the usual gear setup procedure.

<strong>7.</strong> We purchased a pair of factory Raptor axleshafts. These come with a 54-tooth ABS tone ring on each shaft as the Raptor uses four-wheel ABS sensing. We removed these, as we’re retaining the single tone ring on the differential for ABS sensing. The Raptors use the same 6x135mm lug pattern as a regular F-150.

<strong>8. </strong>We reused our original disc brake backing plates and all other brake components, including the factory parking brake cables.

<strong>9.</strong> We reused the brake hard lines from our original axle, but upgraded all three brake hoses with stainless lines. Crown Performance stainless mesh hoses have a Teflon inner core surrounded by multiple protective layers, which form a strong line that won’t deteriorate with age, plus provide excellent stiffness under hard braking.

<strong>10.</strong> We upgraded the rear cover to a Nitro Gear & Axle finned aluminum cover. Fluid capacity is increased over stock, so gear oil should stay cooler and provide longer gear life.

<strong>11. </strong>For the rear suspension, we turned to Deaver Spring and purchased a pair of their long-travel lift springs. The packs come complete with bushings and U-bolts. They’re a progressive rate spring composed of many thin leaves with anti-friction pads.

<strong>12.</strong> Another feature we like about the Deaver packs: They use full military wrap spring eyes. This means you have two complete leaves wrapped around the front eye for greater strength and safety. We also swapped over to a 2-inch longer shackle to increase travel with the Deaver packs.

<strong>13.</strong> Here you can see the difference between the Deaver pack and a stock Ford pack. The Deavers use nine thin leaves to build a more flexible pack. The factory packs consist of two thick leaves and an overload bar, resulting in harsh bottoming and poor flex. The factory Raptor springs are not much better. They use a very similar style leaf pack with a 2-inch lift block on the axle.

<strong>14.</strong> Ford installed the forward leaf spring bolts from the inside of the frame rail. The gas tank blocks the removal of the drive- side bolt. We used a reciprocating saw to cut the head off the bolt and slid the bolt out of the frame. The guys at JD Fabrication pointed out a factory lower A-arm bolt served as an exact replacement. We had some left over from our front suspension, so used one, but inserted it from outside the frame.

<strong>15.</strong> We hung the Deaver packs, and mated our new axle to the springs. We added limit strap tabs and straps to stop full droop of the suspension where we wanted. For the time being, we’re running some short used shocks we had lying around. We’ll be replacing those, upgrading with new shocks, mounts, and bumpstops very soon.

<strong>16.</strong> Here’s the completed axle assembly under our truck. The finished track width is right at 6 inches over stock. It is a great compliment to the added front width and will push our tires out more into our fiberglass bedsides. We’ll trim up the U-bolts after we re-torque them a final time.

<strong>17.</strong> With our lift and travel in place, it was time to step up to bigger rubber. We’ve swapped up to BFGoodrich Baja T/A tires. We’re using their 37x12.50R17 D-rated size, and we now have the gearing to pull them effectively. The tires weigh only 75.3 pounds, but offer great protection against the elements.

<strong>18. </strong>For wheels, we wanted to stick with something light, but extremely strong. Weld Racing forged wheels fit the bill. The six-lug wheels for our truck are rated at 2,600 pounds. (Their eight-lug versions are rated to 3,500 pounds and the five-lug to 2,400 pounds).

<strong>19. </strong>The highly polished surfaces were flawless, and the Made-in-USA wheels are impressively machined. Bolt patterns range from 5-on-4.5-inch to GM’s 8-on-180mm.

<strong>20. </strong>The inner and outer shells are welded to the center, and the wheel is fully finished with a bead of silicone around the circumference. Widths range from 8.5 to 14 inches with a wide range of available backspacings to create most any custom wheel you need. Plus, they have matching trailer wheels for those of you who tow your toys.

<strong>21.</strong> The combination of our Weld wheel and Baja T/A tipped the scale at a decent 104 pounds. We’re happy to avoid throwing extra weight around under the truck and dealing with the other ill effects of running an excessively heavy tire and wheel set. The Welds also feature a rolled lip for extra strength to prevent bent lips when off-road.

<strong>22. </strong>Our new stance sitting on the 37-inch Baja T/A tires and 17x9-inch Weld Racing wheels. The Bajas roll smooth and round, very typical of any BFG carcass. They emit just a bit of highway hum at speeds but nothing annoying. Of course, they shine in the dirt.