1992 f150 daily driver and adventure rig.

[greengreer]

I've probably got about 2k miles on them at this point. They are holding up well, still a bit springy when the truck is completely empty but I am overall pleased. That said I would still like to have some 5100's but it's probably gonna be a while until I justify that purchase now.

 

[kojackJKU]

Must be your springs. I have them on 3 rigs now, and they are very smooth. Much smoother than the bilstiens I had on one of my chev trucks.

 

[greengreer]

Bilsteins are a bit stiffer but I feel like they have better control over the spring. I doubt it's the springs, as the back is completely stock and the front is essentially the same rate but just a bit taller.
Maybe it's personal preference, but bilsteins provide a better handling at the expense of being a bit stiffer. The reflex are more than adequate. Dollar for dollar they are great if they hold up longterm. I am not unhappy with them, but of course they aren't going to perform as well as a shock that costs nearly 3x as much.

 

[kojackJKU]

My first set on my JKU lasted 110,000. Even then they were not leaking just soft, so I pulled the warranty card at NAPA and got a new set!...

 

[greengreer]

Nice, that's impressive. I am wondering about the warranty since I bought mine on ebay. Oh well, hopefully I have another 100k miles to worry about it!

On a side note, the truck is running a bit warm when climbing hills in 1st and 2nd gear. Pretty sure the fan clutch is the culprit. Any reason I should or should not get the severe duty clutch? Also while I am in there I am going to put in a fan shroud as the truck has none. It has a dual core radiator that I don't believe is stock and I think the previous owner just left the shroud off when it didnt work with the 2row. I think I have found the correct part as it fits f150 thru f350. I am assuming the 350's got the heavy duty cooling system standard, while it was optional on the 150. That being said, any of you guys with a 300_6 mind checking your part numbers for me, and let me know whether or not it is auto/manual and single or double core?

 

[Rustlin']

Awesome truck green! I absolutely love obs Ford pickups, especially when equipped with the venerable big six.

I've pretty much chosen to stick with these trucks, and I've bought at least 5 sub 1k beaters in the past couple of years.

I've got a 96 2wd with the 4.9l, m5Od and (eek) 2.73 gears - got it for 1,200$ with 119k on it. Replaced front brake lines, calipers, shocks and a rusted to death shock mount.

My expo vehicle is a 4x4 86 f150, 300cid i6, np435, 3.55 open gears. Got it for 1k with 88k miles. I've replaced the clutch (shoulda went with 11" clutch) and I've got to do water pump, tstat, crankshaft pulley and fix the botched oil pan gasket I attempted when fixing the clutch. I'm also going to scrap emissions, get a new carb and exhaust manifold and I need a custom firewall anti flex plate. Common issue with 80-86 (bullnose) fords, the pressure from the clutch makes the weak firewall flex and eventually crack. I think they reinforced the firewall in 91...

I'm also thinking about getting a 92-96 f250 with a 5.8l, swapping out the 5.8 for a straight 6, swapping the ttb 50 for a dana 60, installing a flatbed and building a camper for extended trips. I'll have the 5 speed so I'm unsure if I'll go with 3.73 or 4.10 gearing...I need to have at least one killer rig with 35s so I'm thinking 4.10..

Anyway, I'm excited to see your progress. I thought they quit equipping these trucks with the awesome np435 in 91 but lo and behold...

 

[greengreer]

1992 was the last year for the np435. So far it's the only one I've seen. Glad to see another fan of the 300-6. This is my second one (first was in a chipper) but they have always been popular with my family. I'd like to see that f250 idea of yours come to fruition. There's one for sale around me that is 4.9/zf5 4x4 with a flat bed. Tempting for sure. I'm also a fan of the idi 7.3 motors in those trucks. Great for a 3/4t pickup, not so much a one ton or something thats going to be towing alot.

 

[Darkrider]

Def a nice F150, Nice to see the older ones getting some attention still. Subscribing for future updates.

 

[Rustlin']

Yeah the 7.3s are awesome. If I ever abandon the big six, I think that engine would be my choice. They're both pretty slow so Id get a turbo for the idi if I went that route.

I've seen a lot of 250s with the I6 and even some 302s but they all have an 8 lug 8.8. Doesn't seem worth it to me. From what I understand, the only real difference between a 150 and 250 is the axles (brakes,tires,etc.). Our 435s, as I'm sure you know, are more than capable for a even a 1 ton and up.

Seems like only the 5.8l 3/4 tons came with the 10.25 sterling rear. Luckily, the 5.8l shares the same bellhousing as the 300cid. I think Id rather swap an engine than a rear axle, and only then when it was needed or after a straight 6 build up. I'm not completely sure which task would be more difficult though... Swapping an axle should increase gvwr but not legally. Plus I don't want a custom driveshaft/shackles, etc. I think a dana 50ttb to 60 solid is a bolt on affair. Reverse shackles are as far as Id like to go for custom mods. Probably not a huge deal but I would most likely be using it for a backup work truck as well as ln adventure-mobile.

 

[greengreer]

Never heard of an 8 lug 8.8. Crazy, I just assumed they all had the sterling. The 4.9 zf5 combo seems like it would be a pretty good match. I definitely think the np435 is the stouter transmission but the zf5 is more driveable and for me having overdrive would make it much more justifiable to run 4.10's. The small block zf5's pop up for sale here and there but overall seem pretty rare in these parts. 460's and 7.3's definitely outsold the other engines in these parts.

 

[Seabass]

I thought they had a 10.25 semi floater. I've had one. 88 F -250, 302, Mazda 5 spd, Dana 44 ttb, 3.55 gearing. Very tough truck.....weak as a kitten with that trans and tall gears. You'll have a hard time convincing me it was an 8.8 since I had another with a 5.8- park them side by side there was no visual difference in rear axels other than the hubs were missing in the 302 truck.

 

[Rustlin']

It had the mazda 5 speed? Lol I guess anything is possible with Ford, but I'm pretty sure my 88 4x4 f-250, 5.8l with c6 trans and 3.55 gears had an 8.8 and I can't remember whether or not it had a leaf sprung 44 or 50...

It was before I knew my Ford stuff but the rear looked exactly like my 150 rear.

Do the semi-foating 10.25s have a big hub that sticks out or one that is flush with the wheel like an 8.8?

 

[Rustlin']

Oops just reread the last sentence of your post. So a semi-floating 10.25 is missing that awesome giant hub, eh?

Mine was possibly a 10.25....hmm..

How much would a full floater increase the payload by?

 

[Seabass]

I'm not sure on the axel payload- the 302 truck had a 6800lb gvwr and the 5.8 truck was an 8600lb payload. Basically the 302 tuck was a light duty 3/4 ton and the 5.8 truck was a heavy duty 3/4 ton truck. In fact the light duty F-250 could even be bought with a 300six engine. I knew of a few of those. That Mazda 5spd was found in F-150's and the light duty F-250's. The heavy duty 250's had ZF 5spds. The Dana 44 ttb was basically the same as the 150 but with 8 lug hubs. I'm sure there's someone on the forum that could get more specific than me. I've got an owners manual for a 94 F-350...next time I think if it I'll check and see if it listed all the axel weights and specs from the different models of trucks. I'm not sure ford was still making the light duty versions then. But if they were that book will tell how they were equipped.

 

[UHAULER]

I had an 83 f250 with a 6 cyl. np435 and an 8.8 semi float rear end. When I was looking at it I was shocked to see an 8.8, I figured if it ever went out I would upgrade.