2000 E150 Axle Swap

[Vanguy-SMB]

I have a 2000 E150 with 3.55 gears and looking to swap out the rear axle with a disk brake rear axle with 4.10 gears. I found one on car-part.com out of a 2011 E250 close by at a great price. What differences might I have to deal with to make the 2011 250 axle work in my older 150?

I also found one out of an 07 at a decent price but it has more miles on it and is a little further but also a little cheaper.

 

[posplayr]

I think in the earlier years the e150 is 6 lug ( my 1997 is) and did not get 8 lug till post 08.

 

[boywonder]

If the newer axles have RSC (roll stability control) there are separate rear brake lines to each rear wheel and maybe some other ABS things that someone else here can elaborate on. The 2011 is likely to have RSC....the 2007 maybe.


RSC allows each rear wheel braking to be controlled individually.

 

[Vanguy-SMB]

Posplayr my E150 has 5 lug axles but I have an 8 x 6.5 4.10 axle ready to go in the front as well.

 

[Vanguy-SMB]

Boywonder the 2011 axle is RSC. How hard would it be to run my existing brake lines to the RSC axle? The 07 axle is not RSC but has 172,000 miles on it and the 2011 axle has 85,000 miles on it.

 

[boywonder]

Boywonder the 2011 axle is RSC. How hard would it be to run my existing brake lines to the RSC axle? The 07 axle is not RSC but has 172,000 miles on it and the 2011 axle has 85,000 miles on it.

You really need CarringB or one of the other axle experts to fill in the details.....but the RSC swap has come up numerous times in the past....do a search for "axle" in thread titles.


Does your van have ABS?? If so there may be some tone ring issues as well. I think the older vans may have a tone ring in the diff??? ....can't remember....but the RSC vans have tone rings on each rear wheel.

 

[posplayr]

When you go from rear drum to disk you need the corresponding abs controller for rear disk. i have a 1999 rear disk axle FF dyna 60 175k miles including the abs controller. (Came off the E-350 E

carringB told me about the Abs when I was sourcing the axle.

 

[Vanguy-SMB]

So what would everyone recomend I do? Cheapest, easiest way to get a 4.10 disc brake 8 lug axle in my 2000 E150. I realize cheap isn't always easy and easy isn't always cheap. I guess just looking for the least amount of work. My current rear axle is LSD and would like to find another LS axle with disc brakes, preferably from a van so I dont have to mess with cutting and welding spring pads.

 

[boywonder]

use the search button...there are more I'm sure;I stopped at these three.


https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/forums/f33/full-float-rear-end-rsc-swap-18978.html

https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/forums/f10/rear-axle-thread-32402.html

https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/forums/f12/ff-swap-before-4x4-install-32285.html

 

[Vanguy-SMB]

Posplayr where is the ABS controller located? Would you recomend a used one from a donor vehicle? Gonna check on new prices while I'm looking into it. I'm assuming if I go with an 07 axle I would need an 07 ABS controller?

 

[Vanguy-SMB]

Unless someone chimes in and changes my mind I think I'm gonna pull the trigger on the 07 axle I found. Called today and they verified by VIN numbee it is a Limited Slip.

My only other question is springs. Dont the 250's have 2" springs and the 150's have 1.5" springs? If that's the case will the 250 axle have wider spring pads and would that be an issue?

 

[Vanguy-SMB]

use the search button...there are more I'm sure;I stopped at these three.


https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/forums/f33/full-float-rear-end-rsc-swap-18978.html

https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/forums/f10/rear-axle-thread-32402.html

https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/forums/f12/ff-swap-before-4x4-install-32285.html

Ok maybe when I have an hr or two with nothing else going on I guess I could weed through all those threads.

I didn't see any right away about swapping into an older 150. Not sold on doing and RSC swap was just thinking about it since I found one with low miles on it. It looks like I'm gonna go with an 07 non RSC axle anyway. It's "only" 2 hrs away which is doable considering the price.

 

[Vanguy-SMB]

I'm almost to the point where I'm not sure I'm saving myself any time by researching. I could prob spend another month researching it and still not have a diffinitive answer. Time to put down the phone and start turning wrenches I think.

 

[Vanguy-SMB]

Sorry guess I'm a little tired and cranky running on about 4 hrs sleep and getting ready to jet off to the next thing for about 4 hrs.

But yeah I've been "researching" this for almost a year now. I started a thread about swapping the axle just to get rear discs and got some advice to do a disc swap. So I started a thread about doing a disc swap and got advised to just swap the axle. Sometimes the internet is not a time saver. Lol...

 

[JWA-SMB]

Why is this year E-150 even under consideration to a FF rear axle? What's OP's real main goal?

 

[Vanguy-SMB]

The axle I'm looking at are not FF but semi floating axles. Here is my situation:

My van has a stock drum brake rear axle and a leaf mounted Dana 44 front axle, both with 3:55 gears. The rear axle has had some bump stops welded on it and not crazy about how they did it and cant trust they didn't warp the axle. My rear axle is also making a terrible grinding noise.

My front axle took a big hit to the passenger side wheel and now the tire is wearing badly on the outside. I took it to the shop and they said the ball joints were worn out and needed replacing. I'm also wondering if I could have possibly bent the housing?
I have another D44 front axle with 4:10 gears in it that has 8 lugs axles and bigger brakes.

My goal is to end up with 4:10 ratios front and back with disc brakes all around. With that in mind I'm thinking I might as well find an 8 lug axle with 4:10 gears and swap out both axles. Its either that or spend the money to have someone else rebuild my front axle with 4:10 gears and try to find an 04 - 06 E150 rear axle that is set up 4:10 LSD. From what I've seen the 8 lug van axles are much easier to find and cheaper. I could also try to find another drum brake 4:10 LSD E150 axle and disc swap it.

I would actually prefer to keep the 1/2 ton drivetrain for weight reasons since I dont need the extra strength. This is more of a cost/availability concern. I'm a Welder/Fabricator and a decent mechanic but don't have the tools or experience to confidently set up an axle gearset.

I may also be looking at some major engine work in the near future so trying to do this on a shoestring budget.

 

[Vanguy-SMB]

I also want to take the time to thank the people who have taken the time to give the info I've gained so far. I hope I didn't come off as being unappreciative at all in any of my previous posts.

I'll also say this is one of the most respectful forums I've been on. There can be a lot of strong opinions and down right hateful stuff on the internet, especially some the Facebook groups I'm in. Glad to say I've never experienced any of that here.

 

[JWA-SMB]

00% full agreement about this entire forum and its members---quite a refreshing change of pace from many other's out here in the land of the interwebs! :d5:

Thanks for clarifying your goals--makes more sense now. :d5:

 

[arctictraveller]

If im not mistaken, disc brake and drum brake master cylinders bores are different sizes. You might also need to add a brake bias valve. Dont quote me on that but a quick search found this opinion

“Yes, you need a proportioning valve in your brake system. The chances of your braking system being perfectly balanced with just the mechanical components of your braking system (rotor size, caliper piston diameter, pad size, tire size, etc) are slim at best. You need a way to fine tune the system. As all cars are different, that is why I would use an adjustable proportioning valve and tune it in yourself. You can get a stand alone metering valve as well, but I have had good luck with just the proportioning valve.

As to your second question, there will be no system pressure change unless you change the master cylinder and/or pedal ratio. Generally, you will require more system pressure for a all disk braking system than a disc/drum application. That is due to the non self-energizing action on a disc brake.

The worst case with no proportioning valve installed is that you could have your rear wheels lock up first in a panic stop situation which will make the car unstable.”

 

[posplayr]

Posplayr where is the ABS controller located? Would you recomend a used one from a donor vehicle? Gonna check on new prices while I'm looking into it. I'm assuming if I go with an 07 axle I would need an 07 ABS controller?

Edit: I inserted pictures of the 1999 E-350 EB (Dyna 60 FF, 3.73 Disk Rear Brakes) ABS Hydraulics unit. I think it is pretty close to the 2000 model year if not identical.

Sorry, I lost track of this thread.

The thing I grabbed off the the Doner 1999 Econoline is located right below the master cylinder but slightly inboard more. It has 5 hydraulic lines for all 4 wheels (1 in 4 out??). It is like a 6" cube, silver with the aforementioned hydraulic lines. I would have to dig it up to tell if the controller is on top or not. You would need to match it to the years of the rear brake disks. If you start matching to different 08+ fronts with bigger brakes I'm way out of my league.

As far as my intent, I had a 1997 E-350 RB with rear Dyna 60 FF Drum brakes, 3.55 .

I bought the 1999 E-350 EB Dyna 60 FF Disk Brakes with 3.77 to put on the 1997. Unfortunately, after further assessment, the 1997 was totaled so I never used the rear axle.

The ABS Hydraulics would have then worked for the F Disk/ R Disk combination and even after I would do a 08+ Front disk/rotor upgrade.

My vague understanding is that this would have all worked up till RCS was incorporated but that would have nothing to do with the ABS Hydraulic controller.