Jun 22, 2011 the shorter pivots of the d44hdd50 actually cause less axle to beam interference during travel and the ujoint angle stays the same. Even in rock crawling your front is going to stay more level with tires where you want them to be with a ttb vs. Yes, it has a personality unlike sfa, but its still far better and superior to true ifs with upperlower aarms and half shafts. The d50 is on a two piece axle that pivots in the center.
Even more exciting than the twin i beam setup is the twin traction beam design, which is the fourwheel drive version of the twin i beam, except, instead of solid metal i beams to locate the. Problems like alignment, squeeks, creaks, and pops make this not a. The d50 center ujoint yokes have more material so you can clearance them without being weaker than a d44 center yoke. The twowheeldrive version is called the twin i beam. It has applications for all fullsize ford pickups and rangers and is well. I want more traction so i dont have 3 wheel drive but am nervous about putting a full locker in. Wheatley covered by us patent 3,948,337 issued april 6, 1976. Another use of the swing axle concept is fords twin i beam front suspension for trucks. The tall ride height also made driverpassenger ingressegress more. May, 2017 ford hasnt offered a solid front axle sfa on f150s since probably the 50s if ever. This operation replaces the stock 12ton independent front suspension ifs axle commonly known as ttb dana twin traction beam with a. Twintraction beam ttb is an independent suspension system for front drive axles in. For the front suspension, the team kept the twin traction beam ttb setup that the truck came with but modified it by swapping out the old radius arms for customfabricated ones with a heim end.
It came from ford with either leaf springs or coils. Ifs s are easy to get out of alignment compared with a solid piece of forged steel solid front axle. The dana 44 ttb twin traction beam was used in the front of ford f150s from 1980 to 1996 and the full size ford bronco from 1980 to 1997. Fords twin traction beam fourwheel drive front axle looks primitive alongside. He has mentioned it to the dealership several times over the years, and theyve told him it is normal for the truck. While that is less important with a beam axle in a kenworth truck, with two tons over the front axle, it will very seriously effect the road holding and ride of a much lighter vehicle. Jun 22, 2011 hi i am looking for as much information as i can get on these twin traction beam front ends. Virtually any offroad trail you go on, it seems like someone will always be around somewhere with multiple reasons as to why its so crappy, and that you should just get rid of it.
The axle was originally named an amc15 when it was first made in 1962. Due to the complexity of most ifs suspension setups, an i beam suspension setup is almost always vastly cheaper. The dana 50 ttb twin traction beam 4x4 front axle was used in the ford f350 from 1980 until a midyear change in 1985, when the f350 was fitted with the dana 60 solid front axle. So as i am sure you can guess i am looking for any info about anyone doing a 2wd to 4wd conversion on a f250. The unique twin traction beam suspension was designed. The differential, mounted on the drivers side traction beam, has a. If ifs was the cats meow for heavy vehicles, 18 wheelers would have it, as many highline truck manufacturers are appealing to owneroperators with high end truck. Twin i beam is junk gotta tell you the straight axle conversion will be the best thing you ever do to your pickup.
Then it was the time to face fords twin traction beam ttb front. The old ford ranger actually had some awesome suspension. If you want to know how much better a truck rides and handles going from an i beam to an ifs, i can tell you first hand. Look at how much camber it changes, and imagine how much the leaf springs have to twist. The axleshafts are weaker and the differential sits closer to the ground than on the straight axle model. This dana 44 had no axle tubes but attached to the driver side traction beam, which also acted as a cover plate, and had open air axles which traveled through the beams to the spindles. The twowheeldrive version is called the twin ibeam. Traction tools eos software for your business tractiona. I kinda feel that this debate on witch is better is kinda like the ford vs.
As our classes are different to yours i think it is more like your class 6. To make installing the coilover easier team damage inc. I never really hear to much good said about the ttb suspension that most. Filthy motorsports carries a wide range of parts, gears, and upgrades for the dana 50 axle including ring and pinion sets, axle rebuilt kits and bearings, differential covers, upgraded axle shafts, heavy duty ujoints, oil, and more. All 2wds up to 1996 beginning sometime in the 50s or 60s have twin i beam tib ifs. Other types of springs include leaf springs and coil springs. Whichever way you head, you want a solid front axle with leaf springs. Leaf springs on the front of this suspension was a ridiculously stupid idea. Hi i am looking for as much information as i can get on these twin traction beam front ends. Ford bronco long travel basics dont scrap that ttb. Off topic talk twin traction beam ttb vs ifs what is a better suspension type for offroading in terms of flex, durabiliy etc over my 1st gen. Dana 44 ttb axle inspection and refurbishment part 1. Weve made productivity easy with software for level 10 meetings, vto, accountability and more.
Youd want to steer clear of that if going the ford route. If it was me i would look for a f250 from the years 19871997 and get one with the heavy duty front axle. In the 1960s, jeep used a unique dana 44 ifs setup, that was short lived. You have a dana 60 since you have an f350 the dana 50 is on the f250. The resulting product was known as twin traction beam ttb. Mine came out of a 2005 chicago squad car, so it had the heavier duty springs and i think the sway bar may be somewhat larger in diameter. Ride height is critical which means replacing the coil springs when they have sagged. Here is the front end off my offroad trucks with 2wd beams. I read on this thread that somebody said that the f250 and the f150 ifs front axle are the same that is wrong. Did a little video talking about the differences between my twin traction beam setup vs a traditional arm style setup.
Even more exciting than the twin ibeam setup is the twin traction beam. Ifs, and describes how the front end had to be designed to. I definitely understand why prerunners prefer the ttb, but, i dont. Apr 14, 2008 ford used a twin i beam dana 44 on f150s, probably what you currently have. Fords ttb twin traction beam is probably one of the most hated, yet.
Apr 27, 2012 being a mechanic by trade, i find that to be completely untrue you must be refering to the twin i beam ford used. The ford twin traction beam front suspension has its own merits and demerits, but. For the front suspension, the team kept the twin traction beam ttb. The cool thing about it is if you have a 2wd with twin i beams you can pull them out and bolt the traction beams right in place. In 1997 ford ditched the ttb suspension on the f150 and went to a shortlong. I get what hes talking about, but it was much more pronounced when ford still used the twin i beam or twin traction beam on 4x4 suspension. Those trucks imo drove fine but they did require a little more attention going down the road, especially dads old 86 f250. Considering the 9 out of the past 11 new land rover vehicles run independent suspension. Aug 06, 2007 fords ttb twin traction beam is probably one of the most hated, yet widely misunderstood suspensions ever to be invented. Dana 50 front differential ford power stroke nation. Jun 28, 2009 if your going with the obs,i would just go right to the 350.
Twin i beam conversion ford powerstroke diesel forum. Its easy to spot the ford dana 50 ifs twin traction beam front because it uses outside snap ring style axle ujoints. Nov 19, 2018 i am looking to buy a 1995 tahoe or blazer and lift it and all that. Ford rangers appeared with a reverse cut dana 28 ttb twin traction beam 4wd front axle in 1983. While it does ride and handle nice, as opposed to 1967 era twin i beam tech, i dont like the fact that ive limited myself to certain wheel choices. In the 1980s and 1990s, ford used a form of ifs known as twin traction beam ttb. Upgrade your ride from bias to radial tires and learn how to build your own beadlock rim for your 4x4. It worked by putting a differential in the driver side suspension beam, and articulated axleshafts to connect the wheels to the differential. Anybody lowered or clipped a twin beam ford and have any suggestions. Ford has long credited the twin i beam front suspension as the motivator behind the companys long success in selling light fseries pickup trucks. Spartan locker install dana 44 ifs ttb front axle ford f150 duration. Below is the ttb twin traction beam front suspension used in the ford ranger from 19831997. I am currently building a class 8 offroad race truck here in western australia. Tips and tricks for regearing fords ttb dana 44 four.
Dana 28 above dana 35 below ford bronco iis came with a reverse cut dana 28 ttb twin traction beam 4wd front axle from 19841989. Well start with the solid axle, and then go through the toughest independent system known as the twin i twin traction beam. The firestonerollover thing had nothing to do with the switch to longarmshortarm ifs. The danaspicer model 35 is an automotive axle manufactured by dana holding corporation since 1985 when american motors amc sold its axle tooling equipment to dana.
A unique quality of the dana 50 axle is the lack of variation in both ttb and solid axle versions, which simplifies repairs and upgrades. Rancho rs7402 rs7000mt monotube steering damper rancho rs9000xl adj shocks skyjacker. I own a 78 bronco with the solid axle dana 44 and then i also have a 90 f150 with the ifs front end which i have been told is the equivalent of a dana 44. Ford has an independent suspension design that is part solid axle and part independent suspension the ford twin traction beam or ttb.
I also have a 90 f150 with the ifs front end which i have been told is the equivalent of a dana 44. Twin i beams and twin traction beams were utilized on various fseries trucks until. The 2020 f53 motorhome stripped chassis, 2020 f59 commercial stripped chassis, 2021 e350 and 2021 e450 stripped chassis are powered by the standard 7. Apr 28, 2010 the unsprung weight of a beam axle is considerably higher than an ifs. They wont hold up to baja racing, but for 99% of what people will use these trucks for they hold up fine. Dana 44 differentials this versatile axle assembly is still being used in 2010 vehicles. Thing is, were not really comparing i beam as such with ifs as such. The twin i beam suspension is strong but its the worlds worst design for tire wear. The dana 44 ifs, dana 44 solid front, dana 50 solid front and the dana 60 all use inside c clip style axle ujoints. Alright i have a 64 f100 which has the twin beam front suspension. I removed the twin i beam and installed the straight axle in about 45 hours. In 1965 ford introduced their twin i beam suspension, a simple, rugged suspension consisting of a pair of cast beams in the rough shape of an i.
But i thought it seemed the forum with the most technical talk, and this sort of thing fascinates me. While a cut and turned twin traction beam suspension can work with a stock pitman arm, solo motorsports recommends the use of a 4inch. If ya just gotta have 4x4, maybe this isnt the right truck for you. I wondered if it was worth discussing the merits such systems h. Ive also owned two gm trucks with the ifs and they just drive a little. Twin traction beam ttb is an independent suspension system for front drive axles in fourwheel drive ford fseries trucks and sport utility vehicles. All the big three are running some sort of ifs now in at least part of their trucks, it must work somewhat. It worked by putting a differential in the driver side suspension beam, and. Id like the experts to chime in as to what the advantagesdisadvantages are between i beam steer axles and ifs mustang ii, etc. Evolution of the new ford light truck four wheel drive. This is our staring point as you can see, we have a long way to go from here. Dana 28 ttb dana 35 ttb specifications bronco corral.
The biggest thing is it is a beamed front end ttb twin traction beam and they are leafs. Dennys custom built driveshaft specialist high performance steel and aluminum driveshafts for your street rod race car van pickup 4x4 truck dennys drive shaft high speed balanced and tested for optimum performance large selection of driveline parts for. Fourwheel drive versions were similiarbut made from heavy guage sheet metalbut still a twin beam system. I have been doing a ton of research on the eaton trutrac for my truck. Bronco iis built after 111989 came with the larger dana 35 ttb. The ford ttb twin traction beam suspension in action off road. Oct 31, 2010 well this is my first post and my first week on oilburners and i can already tell this is a great place for resources and advice. I do have a junk 90s s10 that i was thinkin about using the frame and suspension from. Finally, well finish off with the modern true independent front suspension system ifs. Dana upgraded the axle, and made ifs and twin traction beam front axle variations, as well. The i beam setup in the dodge truck was designed for toughness and ease of maintenance, not for ride, never mind handling. It is similar in design to the tib twin i beam mentioned above except that the axle beams are larger, and the drivers side beam has a differential mounted to it.
This just lets the software guys give the steering system some brains, much like the electric racks in. The solid axle front end is the crudest yet toughest front end you can have on your fourwheel drive. Really the only drawback to the twin i beam ive noted is if the front springs get weak. Common types include the ever popular aarm style control arm, macpherson stut, and fords twin traction beam. How fords twin traction beam transformed the bronco and. While a cut and turned twin traction beam suspension can work with a stock pitman arm, solo motorsports recommends the use of a. The dana 50 was made as a solid axle and as a twin traction beam ttb which pivots in the center allowing the wheels to move independently of each other. Aug 26, 2003 i believe the twin i beam is for 2wds at least my dads 66 pickup is ttb is the wacky frontend of the 4wdkinda ifs kinda straight axle bigwill. I dont know to much except that i have a bunch of friends who are really into it and i have gone with them on multiple occasions. How do i know if i have a mono beam or twin beam suspension. Production on the ford bronco completely ceased in 1997, but the ford f150 switched from the dana 44 ttb to an 8. Twin traction beam 4x4 front end page 2 racedezert. From the desert to the street four wheeler network.
Posting a question for my father, about his 1994 diesel f250 that hes owned since new. This system has solid axles, and may transmit power in fourwheeldrive versions, where it is called twin traction beam. I have had to replace two twin i beam axles in my 97 f250. Discussion in the hokey ass message board started by a1930ford, apr 28, 2006. Were going to install a super duty dana 60 up there instead of the ifs setup it had before. The whole point of ifs is that one wheel can travel over and obstacle without disturbing the other. My 47 dodge truck is i beam and i am trying to eliminate any and all options for when i actully get to start on it. The dana 50 has a 50 cast in to the housing and is regarded to have more strength than a dana 44, but not as much as a dana 60. Older ford twin i beam had kingpins and bushingsnewer ones had balljoints for the spindles.
Camber is built into a solid front axle and can only get out if the axle is bent. Fox shock tuning the 4wd twin traction beamttb setup clip1. Dana 50 axle parts, gears, and upgrades drivetrain shop. Arb and eaton both make full lockers that are interchangeable between the ram aam 9. Sep 18, 20 hope this is the right place to post this. I knew you solid axle people were wrong, ttb for the win. Any tire and alignment shop will have a small book that shows where to take the measurements and what they should be. They always had more traction than the straight axle trucks that always ended up with one foot dangling in the air. The differential is offset to the drivers side, and a slip yoke is used on the long axle side to allow the shaft to change length. The ibeam design only uses 2 chassis mounting point, whereas the ifs design. The switch was to deliver better ride and handling. Solo motorsports is a full service onestop provider for all your offroad suspension, parts and fabrication needs. Learn how to install a ford twin traction beam ttb long travel suspension system in a 1996 ford bronco 4x4 and how to do it yourself.
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