Dually conversion questions

[Jordan8505]

I'm seriously considering converting my 2005 f350 swb srw to drw. Before you say I should of searched, believe me I know, I'm sure something is here but when I go to try and search the box pops up and I click it to type in what I want and it keeps closing out so sorry about that. But even on google I cant find exactly what I was wondering, I was curious about if it's possible to convert the axle its self that I have being it's a ton axle to a drw axle by changing out the rotors, calipers, adding the spacer, etc to keep me from having to swap out the whole axle. I know it's gotta be pretty simple but just curious, I will swap out the whole axle if it's not possible. And in that case are there certain years that are bolt right up capable? I know I need to make my gears match but besides that. Also while I'm at it, can I just add the dually fenders to my swb bed or do I need to find a swb dually bed? Thanks for any help.

 

[Zeb]

A srw pickup uses a Sterling 10.5 axle, regardless of whether it has a pickup bed or is a cab and chassis. A drw tuck uses a Dana 80, but there are different wheel mount and spring pad widths depending whether they are cab and chassis or dually bed.
The srw Sterling axle and c&c Dana 80 share the same wheel mount to wheel mount width, but the spring pads and shocks are 3” narrower spacing on the c&c axle.
The Dana 80 from a truck with a dually bed shares the same spring pad width as the srw axle, but wheel mount to wheel mount width is 3-4” wider. The axle tubes and axle shafts are longer, there is no spacer that you can add to a srw axle to convert it.
If you’re wanting to convert your srw to drw you’re best bet is to find a 2000-2004 dually Dana 80. If you get a 2005+ rear end the wheel bolt pattern won’t match the front end. Srw is 8x170mm, 2005+ duallys are 8x200 mm. Be prepared to shorten the drive shaft a couple inches, and possibly need to swap gear ratios in one of your axles. Most duallys are 4.10, and most srw trucks are 3.73 gears.
As for the bed, good luck finding a short dually bed. I can’t comment on adding dually fenders to a srw bed.

 

[Jordan8505]

Much appreciated, thought I'd ask just in case since most I've seen are f250 to dually so the axle swap is obvious. Hadn't heard anyone mention the driveshaft either so thanks for that so that's not a surprise. I was hoping to just keep the front end and get a rear with the same lug pattern, would there be much to putting the front spacers on my existing front end, I read they were exactly the same aside from what's needed for that. Hopefully I can get lucky and find one with 3.73, maybe a manual truck?? If not not that big a deal.

 

[Overdrive]

I have three super duties right now. 1999 and 2001 7.3 and a 2001 v10 crew. All 4x4.
The 2001 axle is like the 1999 single wheel axle. The 01 dually has a D80 and it’s completely different than the single wheel truck. However they will all interchange as the spring pad location is the same.

I’m currently in the process of taking off a CM flatbed and converting to a regular truck bed with dual wheels. The cheapest dually bed I found around here was $1500 bucks. And the guy said I gotta figure out myself how to load it. And it still needed bodywork and obviously paintjob. The average price was $2500 for a dually bed IF you could find one. I was t able to find one. I ended up buying a whole truck so I can take the bed. I found a set of fenders but still need to go buy all the little clips brackets bolts screws. All and all the bed swap is gonna cost me about 4,000 bucks between the truck, fenders dbolts brackets and paint. And it’s gonna be a basic paint job at Maaco. Less what I can part out of the donor truck.

Not to mention you’ll need the adapters on the fronts and the 6 wheels and tires. I just put $1600 in tires on my dually

If you want a dually sell yours and go buy a dually or get a complete donor.

The only reason I have to do the conversion is because my insurance company is reclassifying my truck as a commercial vehicle and jacking up my rates to 3x the normal cost. It would cost me more to insure my one truck than all the other vehicles put together.