What year fords had radius arms with solid axles?

[Gravy]

66-77 the "C"s we're welded on. Only 76 &77 had discs.

but that doesn't matter if you want to just buy new aftermarket "C"s

Another strategy guys use is they cut then end of the radius arm off. Then use 2.5 tube with a slit in it to sleeve over the end. You end up getting like 6" of weld on 4 spots per arm and then using a hiem or bushing at the frame side so it's way strong that way. (I'll try to find a pic so you can visualize it).

These are all old school ways to do it though. You can always buy "C"s and new fabricated arms too.

 

[Toad]

I have a buddy in Idaho with a front axle. He was going to swap it into his F150 but never has. I know he started buying lots of parts to refresh it. Ball joints and steering stuff. I know it is disk brakes but I dont know for sure if the Cs are cast or weld on. I think it is 3.55 gears. I can see how much if your interested?

 

[4x4_Welder]

I have the diamonds and radius arms from my 72 F100 under my Courier, on a left hand drop J2000 axle. It all fits fine, I welded a couple pieces of 3"x1/2" angle to the frame and then bolted the stock Ford radius arm mounts to that for some extra strength.
Yours should go pretty similar, those Jeeps had a narrow frame. Just put the diamonds on the axle, use some new poly bushings, and then bolt the arms on. Measure the distance between the bushing areas of the frame end studs, and that's where your brackets need to be.

 

[crimsonride]

I have a buddy in Idaho with a front axle. He was going to swap it into his F150 but never has. I know he started buying lots of parts to refresh it. Ball joints and steering stuff. I know it is disk brakes but I dont know for sure if the Cs are cast or weld on. I think it is 3.55 gears. I can see how much if your interested?

I think that my diff is on the wrong side. The J-truck is Passenger side drop and I think the Fords are driver side right? In either case it won't be that hard to just weld the "C"s to my current axle. ...A lot easier that worrying about bolt patterns, gears etc.

I'm strictly going for road manners here guys. Would you guys still chop up the arms and fab new arms if you weren't taking it off road? I don't think this truck will ever see much more than a dirt road so flex and strength etc are not a huge concern.....I'm thinking road manners here.... you know, like speed bumps and crappy Utah concrete highways? I know it's hard for you guys to thing on those terms ha ha!

 

[I Lean]

I think that my diff is on the wrong side. The J-truck is Passenger side drop and I think the Fords are driver side right? In either case it won't be that hard to just weld the "C"s to my current axle. ...A lot easier that worrying about bolt patterns, gears etc.

I'm strictly going for road manners here guys. Would you guys still chop up the arms and fab new arms if you weren't taking it off road? I don't think this truck will ever see much more than a dirt road so flex and strength etc are not a huge concern.....I'm thinking road manners here.... you know, like speed bumps and crappy Utah concrete highways? I know it's hard for you guys to thing on those terms ha ha!

If the stock arms look like they'll fit great, I might use them. But if there is ANY better place they'll fit on the frame, or if you want to get them adjustable, I'd fab the arms.

For that matter, I'd try to stick with rubber C bushings rather than poly, just for road manners. Same with the frame-side bushings, if you use them. Rubber will absorb/isolate vibrations and junk better than poly. (that's one big reason I used rubber bushings everywhere on the radius arms I built for my Cruiser)

 

[Hickey]

One nice thing about the ford radius arms is that the coil and shock both mount to it. No need to build a lower coil and shock mount.

 

[I Lean]

One nice thing about the ford radius arms is that the coil and shock both mount to it. No need to build a lower coil and shock mount.

Absolutely. And to be clear, when I'm saying I'd fab the arms, I'm meaning I'd still start with Ford arms, just cut them off and weld to them. So the axle attachment would still be as you pictured above.

 

[4x4_Welder]

I worked on a 4x4 converted ambulance a few years back that had an interesting radius arm attachment method. I thought I took pics but they may have been lost when my old phone died.
Basically, they used the 2wd radius arms, but moved the mounts back on the frame, and the stock radius to I beam bolt instead went through a bracket that then had two bushings on the axle. It seemed like a nice compromise between the oversized Super Duty design and the old diamonds. You'd have to fab up lower coil mounts still, but those could be integrated into the bushing mounts.

 

[Hickey]

Absolutely. And to be clear, when I'm saying I'd fab the arms, I'm meaning I'd still start with Ford arms, just cut them off and weld to them. So the axle attachment would still be as you pictured above.

They use to sell the OEM coil towers too, but I don't know if they still do. That would make for an easy conversion.

 

[crimsonride]

They use to sell the OEM coil towers too, but I don't know if they still do. That would make for an easy conversion.

They still do. One of the bronco boneyard websites had them but I'm thinking more along the lines of these. https://www.barnes4wd.com/Coil-Spring-Tower-Pair_p_273.html