FULLSIZE BRONCO SAS

I’ve been looking into solid axle swapping my fullsize ’92 Bronco for a while now. The TTB frontend is wearing out my tires in weird pattens and they aren’t lasting very long.

- VERNE SIMONS

I know the Dana 44 out of a ’70s F-150 is a popular swap and easy, but how easy? Is it like pull out the TTB and it’ll fit right up with the steering, driveline, coil springs, and radius arms easy, or minor fabrication easy? I currently have a 6-inch lift, but it should be the same concept as stock height because it’s only raised, if that made any sense. Also, are the cross-members the same on both trucks so I could put the TTB under the F-150 with some measuring and hole drilling? Any advice would help.

AIDEN

VIA EMAIL

This is one of those questions where the answer really boils down to how much fabrication experience and fab tools you have (or want to learn) and how easily can you find the parts needed. And at the end of the day, what is it that you want? The short answer is no, everything won’t simply unbolt from the ’70s truck and bolt onto your Bronco. But, as far as swaps go, this one isn’t too terribly difficult, assuming at least a 6-inch lift to keep the axle from crashing into the Bronco’s cross member and/or oil pan. Still there are real challenges.

A solid axle Dana 44 (like one from a ’78 or ’79 F-150 or Bronco) isn’t that much stronger than what you already have. Better yes, but not Dana 60 better. We talked to Randy Harral at Driven 4x4 Parts (drivenautoparts.com), our local Bronco and F-150 expert. The main problem, according to Harral, is going to be finding the parts you’ll need for the swap. Ideally, you would find a ’78 or ’79 F-150 4x4 to rob the front axle and bracketry from, but these trucks aren’t terribly common these days and are becoming more and more expensive. Because these trucks are few and far between or costly, we’ll cover two options.