I am converting to 4x4!

[JabberBox]

Yes, all of the 2005+ dana 60 front axles utilize coil springs. The Ford pickup and ford vans do not share a common chassis. In order to install a pickup rear axle under your chinook they will have to cut the leaf spring perches off of the axle tubes and relocate them to match the width of the van chassis, they also do not share a common shock location, and the overall axle width is not the same. Thats not to say someone with deep pockets cant do it... im saying cost versus common sense makes it impractical. You are going to have to purchase an entire rear axle assembly, then you are going to have to pay an hourly rate to have them modify that axle to fit under the chinook. Where your tires end up sitting in relation to the body of the truck and the side of the leaf springs will be anyones guess.

From the cost perspective, you are going to spend considerably more installing a complete F-350 axle under your chinook than it would have cost you to have a pair of simple bearing hubs machined. But im not here to tell you what you should do. If you have that kind of money to spend then i say go for it. Anything is possible if you have enough money to throw at something. I would ask him if he has any photos of a chinook with an F350 rear axle underneath of it so you can see where the tires are sitting in relation to the fenders.

Just some random examples of what i am talking about. This is not the look i am after in regards to where my back tires should be located in relation to the fenders.....However everyone has different likes and dislikes.

[Astrodokk]

The rear F350 axle and installation will cost $2000 complete. This includes everything required to install it correctly. They charge it by the job, not hourly.

Since I will be removing the MorRyde systemfor progressive leaf springs, they'll be able to weld the shackle hangers wherever needed, as well as relocating the shock mounts.

The axle will most likely already have the rear 17" wheels on it, so I may just purchase those and deal with replacing at a later date.

Those hubs that you have ordered, sounds like they have delayed somewhat. It would be a better option for me financially, but the wait time is questionable. Will you be getting them soon? What is the ballpark cost for those?

I can always tell them to put the 5" block (which is included in kit) in the rear for now and keep the rest stock temporarily until I can figure out the best route for the rear.

[JabberBox]

I have my prefered machinist just as you have your prefered mechanic or plumber. I trust him to the job right the first time so i patiently wait my turn. That doesnt mean he is the only machinist in the United States capable of doing the job by any stretch of the imagination. But he does specialize in bearing hubs and that is why i chose him.

The only delay was in me getting sick last september and taking nearly an entire year to recover enough that i am able to do anything physical without ending up in the emergency room again. Three months ago i attempted to take the dually wheels off of one side which isnt a big deal using an impact gun and a jack but wasnt even able to accomplish that before i became physically weak and sick again, ended up having to tighten the lug nuts back up and forget about it. Only within the last month have i started feeling well enough to do anything physically demanding. I managed to take off the air suspension system and swap over to the custom leaf springs. Then i decided it was time to get the bearing hubs ordered, so there hasnt been any delay other than what i have caused myself. At the same time no shop is going to push other peoples projects to the back burner just because i call them up and say im ready for those bearing hubs now.

Regardless i offered up information i have learned via trial and error and endless time researching all of this and doing my own truck. You do with it what you want. SInce your just writting the check and they are doing the work, none of what i shared with you really matters one way or the other. It will be on him to give you what youre paying for as the customer. Good Luck and let us know how it plays out.

[Astrodokk]

I guess those custom hubs are pricey.
I don't think common sense has anything to do with this type of project.
It is what it is, to each their own.
I'll keep everyone posted with my final decision.
Good luck with yours.
I am also hoping that your health improves.

[JabberBox]

LOL, Common sense is always a part of any large project even if youre not the one doing the work, it is always a part of spending ones money. The proof of that is in that you didnt just take your vehicle to the first guy who said he could convert your truck to 4x4. Instead common sense dictates that you shop around for what you feel is the best deal for you. But i digress, you appear that your only interest is in disputing anything and everything that i share with you, even the common sense part.

To answer your question about the hubs... I only ordered one pair so they are $1500 for the pair. Primarily because a CNC file has to be created and programmed into the machine so that the CNC machine knows what its supposed to do. If i order another pair they will be cheaper because the CNC file already exists. No doubt i will eventually order a second pair as spares down the line but initially i have no need for more than one pair at this point.

[JabberBox]

Have you looked at this AJ's instagram page? Almost every single dually truck that he has done are using standard offset front wheels which can not be used on the rear dually axle even if they were the same lug pattern on all four corners. That means the customer has to have two spare tires.

Installing the F350 rear axle will solve the lug pattern issue however it compounds the leaf spring clearance issue simply because the F350 dually axle is slightly narrower than the van axle. Moving and rewelding spring perches and shock mounts does not solve this issue. So even though you can put the F350 axle under the chinook it is equivalent to robbing peter to pay paul. I say that because the point of installing the F350 rear axle is to eliminate the need for using wheel adapters on the rear, which swapping the axle would do. However what it causes is a need to run spacers behind the wheels to push them outwards away form the leaf springs because the F350 dually rear axle is slightly narrower than the van dually axle.

The reason your guy is doing things this way is because he is fully aware that there is NO off the shelf dually wheel solution to the rear axle clearance dilema other than to leave it in stock form and run two spare tires/wheels or use adapters and or swap the rear axle and use spacers behind the wheels. You will also notice that there is a video of a chinook that he did for a customer... his work around... build a custom rear bumper with a spare tire swingarm and then hang two heavy spare tires on one swingarm..... People dont do rediculous things like this if there is a simple solution available to a problem.

Based on what i see on his instagram, his preference is to leave the rear axle alone and run two spare tires. Theres nothing wrong with that, it just isnt an optimal solution to the problem. There are several dually trucks on his instagram 99% of which are running a non-dually wheel on the front axle. There is a reason for that and i have shared that reason with you previously.... If he installs an F350 axle in the rear you will end up with spacers behind your dual wheels to move them out away from the leaf springs. If he doesnt install an F350 axle in the rear you will end up with two spares or you use adapters behind the wheels. None of which is an optimal solution to the existing problem.

This is the optimal, no nonsense, simpleist solution to this problem.....

In the end none of this matters, the ONLY thing that matters is that you are happy with your truck when its finished regardless how the wheel issue is handled.