93 F-350 4x4 Flatbed.......Where To Go From Here?

[underdrive]

Korben, yes hydroboost is the best thing to do to these trucks. Should have come factory that way. And it's the only reason I mentioned smaller tires = better braking, cause the factory booster leaves something to be desired... With a hydro larger tires are hardly an issue

Papa, your truck doesn't scale in at over 4 tons empty tho. Difference in priorities my friend... In any case, the OP should first do the camper thing, then the spring thing, and then maybe worry about tires.

IdaSHO brings up an excellent point about the bed possibly not being quite as rigid as it may seem. Definitely worth putting that to the test.

Seabass, he has a nice flatbed, but you have a nice camper top. So there is that

 

[IdaSHO]

Ive yet to really feel the need for hydroboost on my truck. Even running heavy.

Ive found that a properly maintained and adjusted set of rear drums and running the hottest front pads you can find does pretty good.

Although, Im never in a hurry, and hardly use the brakes compared to most.



15+ years of driving truck will do that....

 

[Seabass]

Well, my PSD has the topper set up. The work truck...,it's all work! But thanks for the compliment. I'd still like a flat bed on the work truck. I'd have so much more room for boxes and tool stuff!

 

[pappawheely]

Ive yet to really feel the need for hydroboost on my truck. Even running heavy.

Ive found that a properly maintained and adjusted set of rear drums and running the hottest front pads you can find does pretty good.

Although, Im never in a hurry, and hardly use the brakes compared to most.



15+ years of driving truck will do that....

Using the gears to slow you down is a big asset! That's why I like my manual trans.

 

[Seabass]

I'll second that manual trans/braking thing.

 

[underdrive]

Even better with an exhaust brake! Given enough distance we can quite effectively slow from interstate speed down to where the e-brake can take it from if needed.

The real angry front pads do indeed work well, but the eat up the rotors too quick. Front rotors on these 4x4 trucks are really not fun at all to do. So we run a bit more tame pads and offset them with the hydroboost. Seems to get the job done for us.

 

[grotto]

A little more back story

I must say I'm a bit taken back by the interest shown in this thread. I'll be checking out your builds and stealing ideas that make sense for the truck. The feedback is very much appreciated.

My previous truck was 94 4x4 F-250 7.3 IDI Turbo ZF5 extra cab. I bought it because I always wanted a diesel, need a truck and towed an 18' boat occasionally. In the end, after 40k miles and spending more than I paid for it sorting it out, I sold it. 99.9% of the time I was just commuting 14 miles in an empty truck and it didn't make any sense to be using it like that. Plus I grew weary of the high cost of ownership the old diesel demanded. It was hard to do after investing so much. It sold quickly and I bought the 93 Toyota and the F350 to replace it.

The last couple years we've been doing more traveling and camping and such, which has me contemplating different set ups. The Toyota truck is fine for short trips, but no fun at all on a long one. Plus it's pretty much bone stock, in really nice shape and I want to keep it that way.

The Toyota:

We recently pulled a 4x6 cargo trailer with an RTT behind my wife's Toyota Sienna on a trip to southern Utah. The setup worked great, but with the Sienna we were limited to where we could go.

The Sienna set-up:

We both fell in love with the Southwest and plan to make many more return trips. Since returning, I've been thinking of different set ups, asking my self what can I buy or sell, then took a look at the F350 parked down by the tractor shed and have been thinking Hmm, maybe this could work. It's funny because I have never thought it as anything other than a farm truck.

 

[grotto]

Jerry and his riggers have been busy

Or...........if you are a hammer and everything looks like a nail.................. then if you are a welder..............?

The bed is 83" wide x 103-1/2" long. The two main rails are 4" channel with 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" square tubing cross rails sitting on top. The outside of the bed is 3" x 4" angle at the rear and along the sides with 4" x 5" angle across the front.

Drivers side rear bed to truck frame mount:

Passenger side rear bed to truck frame mount:

The cracks on the shackle mount are just the paint lifting.

Mid bed to frame mounts:

Front bed to frame mount:

The front mounts are two pieces 3" x 1/4" flat bar welded at 90 degrees to make an "L". They are welded to the bed's main rails , drilled and bolted to the truck frame. One of the nuts is missing which of course will be replaced.

Fuel filler access:

Jerry rigged fuel fillers:

Notice the smashed hose and foam "protection".

Think the bed rail is notched enough?

Front Spring (They both look the same):

Tough to get a good shot of the rear springs:

The underbody box is welded to the bed's frame.

Up on a car ramp sitting on top of a 4x6:

Rear Flex:

By eyeball it looked like about only 1" or so of twist in the bed.

This is the first time since owning the truck that I've started to take a close look at it. While not pretty, I didn't notice any obvious cracks or anything in the welds, so far so good there.

I'll have to trace this to see what it was all about:

 

[pappawheely]

Wow, That Toyota is in museum worthy condition. There is a lot of interest in OBS Fords. I was always a GM driver until I bought mine. I wanted a straight axle in front, manual transmission truck so I bought my first Ford. I was unaware that the OBS ford is the "favorite shirt" of the truck world for many.

 

[grotto]

What? You don't like my poser wheels?

Then how about my mismatched side steps:

Finally, the interior:

Serious left butt cheek seat sag, will have too do something about that before any long trips.

I think I've only washed it twice since buying it. I've got some work to do before my wife will want to be seen in it with me. "Trust me baby, you'll love it".

 

[Korben]

My previous truck was 94 4x4 F-250 7.3 IDI Turbo ZF5 extra cab. I bought it because I always wanted a diesel, need a truck and towed an 18' boat occasionally. In the end, after 40k miles and spending more than I paid for it sorting it out, I sold it. 99.9% of the time I was just commuting 14 miles in an empty truck and it didn't make any sense to be using it like that. Plus I grew weary of the high cost of ownership the old diesel demanded.

Curious what was costing you so much on that IDI? My IDIs are much cheaper then my 460s.

 

[grotto]

Wow, That Toyota is in museum worthy condition.

See why I want to keep it that way?

I didn't know that about OBS Fords. Sometimes you just stumble onto things.

 

[grotto]

Curious what was costing you so much on that IDI? My IDIs are much cheaper then my 460s.

The vast majority was deferred maintenance by the P.O.'s. Dual mass clutch and flywheel, Injectors, pump, glow plugs, U-joints, ball joints, tires etc.

 

[IdaSHO]

Rear Flex:

By eyeball it looked like about only 1" or so of twist in the bed.

Get the front left on a ramp as well, then remeasure.


You might be fine having such a short wheel base. But you want to see worst case.

 

[grotto]

Measuring Bed Flex

Nailed some 1x4 scrap to the corners of the bed and stretched some string to form an "X" in the middle:

Had to raise the string about 3/4" off the top of the block in one corner for the string to touch in the center where it crossed. Had I raised the opposite corner also, it would have been 3/8" at both ends, so as it sat, there was 3/8" of flex in the frame which could easily be inherent.

Drove it up the ramps and measured the distance between the strings where they crossed:

Measured 1-1/4", maybe as much as 1-5/8" if you include the pre-flex. Looks like more in the picture from the rear but the tape measure doesn't lie.