Before I get flamed I spent a good 2 hours yesterday searching the chevy board and really didn't find anything. There wasn't much out there, if anyone can point me to a post with some pictures or a build up using a Ford HP 44 and radius arms that would be a big help.

I have a '90 Light duty 3/4 ton and I'm thinking of putting a HP 44 and the radius arms out out of an f150 on my truck. I'm thinking it's going to be about the same amount of fab work for a better ride and less $$ because I have a lot of the parts allready.


The questions I have are:

How do the frame widths compare between the f150 and an ifs chevy? What did you use for coil buckets? I have an EB frame i can cut the buckets off of

What did you do for a track bar/ track bar mount?

What did you do for steering? I'm thinking 1 ton tre's and .250 wall dom mounted over the knuckle, what did you use for a pitman arm?

Any other major problems you ran into?

Before I get flamed I spent a good 2 hours yesterday searching the chevy board and really didn't find anything. There wasn't much out there, if anyone can point me to a post with some pictures or a build up using a Ford HP 44 and radius arms that would be a big help.

I have a '90 Light duty 3/4 ton and I'm thinking of putting a HP 44 and the radius arms out out of an f150 on my truck. I'm thinking it's going to be about the same amount of fab work for a better ride and less $$ because I have a lot of the parts allready.


The questions I have are:

1.How do the frame widths compare between the f150 and an ifs chevy? What did you use for coil buckets? I have an EB frame i can cut the buckets off of

2.What did you do for a track bar/ track bar mount?

3.What did you do for steering? I'm thinking 1 ton tre's and .250 wall dom mounted over the knuckle, what did you use for a pitman arm?

4.Any other major problems you ran into?

1. you might try asking the Ford Guys on the frame width.

I did the conversion on a stock 77 frame, had to add 2 inches on each side and it was still 3 inches to narrow, but i fixed that by turning the lower spring mounts around backwards. I used coil buckets from Toms Bronco Graveyard.

2. fabbed my own using the drivers side bucket as a brace... ugly, but effective.

3. I used a high steer kit from Sky, and my own overbuilt drag link. my pitman arm was a Jeep J10 unit, at least thats what it came from.

4. its ugly. really ugly. damned if it doesnt work though. OH... you gotta build a mount for the panhard bar on the axle tube because it needs to be in the right arc... probably gonna be different for each application.

good luck.

The frame width on the '90 model should be close for the coil buckets, the radius arm brackets are gonna need to be inside the frame cause the chevy frame gets about 40" behind the tires. I looked into this once, shouldn't be to hard, maybe make your radius arms longer to tie into your tranny crossmember. Can't remember exactly, but if u use the ford buckets u may have to space them out from the frame an inch or 2. Best I can tell u from memory.

Do you mean like this.

When I first did it I used a D44, now its a D60 but its all the same installation.


http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/543287/fullsize/rubicon-july-07-016.jpg

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/522906/fullsize/high-lakes-031.jpg

The radius arm brackets come in from the frame 3-4" IIRC I would have to measure to give you a exact. Fabbed up a new tranny mount that incorporated the radius arm mounts.

Used coil buckets off a f150.

Fabbed a trac bar bracket and a extra crossover support bracket. Raised the trac bar mount on the frame appx 4" so it was parallel with the drag link.

Did pretty much what you are talking about for steering. Used a jeep 6" drop pitman arm. The Chevy steering box sucks you will find you want hydro assist ASAP.

Any more ???? feel free to PM me.

I'll have to carwl under my truck when i can get it into the shop and out of the snow but can you mount the radius arms up enough so the mounts arn't getting hung up on everything?

It seems like this plan is comming together, hopefully i'll start fabbing pretty soon.

The radius arm mounts are the lowest point, but with them being in board of the frame, I have not had much issue with them hanging up on rocks. Nothing that a little tap of the throttle can't fix. :D

I am doing an Sas on My S10 using Ford Radius Arms. Going to make a X member to mount them to , and am extending them about 11" + - Then Using a JJ I think on the Frame end.
I dunno about coils , as I am doing Foa Coilover's but the swap is pretty straight forward I would say. For me Extending the Arms is a must as where I want my axle the arm's wont reach.

realize this is old but its the only one ive seen on here.any help would be appreciated

Look into some of the other SAS threads on 88-98 trucks. There are some photos of some with radius arms and 3-4 links.

Here's mine, although not as extreme as some:

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr129/wirscjd/Halloween/DSC00617.jpg
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj288/97blackbetty/Badlands%20Holloween%20Run/163.jpg

realize this is old but its the only one ive seen on here.any help would be appreciated

Dont dig up old threads its even worse than starting new ones w/ constantly asked shit.


John sick truck.

thanx john and red chevy. i havent had much success so far

Look into www.cageoffroad.com... or google it.

Wow, old thread I forgot I made. Life has changed along with my location since that last post. I sold my original '90 LD 3/4 ton 3 years ago and actually have another '90 1/2 ton on the way as I type. I am thinking about a radius arm straight axle on it excpet with coil overs and probably some air bumps. I run a lot of mild desert 2 tracks these days and the '01 2500HD the new '90 is going to replace sucked big time at speed and i don't remember my '90 being any better.

Time for a new thread talking about go fast straight axle trucks.

Now yer talkin
i want to do my part time dd this way. I wont be doin anything radical with it, i mainly want the ifs bs gone. Since i posted on here my left side axle is popping (again) i want solid axle/locking hubs , with a coil spring ride.

Now yer talkin
i want to do my part time dd this way. I wont be doin anything radical with it, i mainly want the ifs bs gone. Since i posted on here my left side axle is popping (again) i want solid axle/locking hubs , with a coil spring ride.

Aside from a bit of wander attributed to too much toe-out, my truck rides great, and performs well off-road for as simple as it is. At first I had planned on building a triangulated 4-link with hydro steering and the whole bit, but decided to keep it simple and stay in an area that I was comfortable with. I still want to upgrade the steering, but I'm satisfied with the radius arms for now. I would argue that it rides better than my 2004 CTD, but it has gnarly front springs in it for supporting my 1100# powerplow.

I was looking for cage offroad today. I think they went out of buisness