[beck]

I have been looking forward to the next conversion. I found a F250 4x4 for sale. I have not gone to see the truck yet. It is 80 miles away. It currently has a gas 351W with the 5 speed. It is an extended cab long bed. It has dual gas tanks, aftermarket wheels, and "power everything". From the photo it looks pretty good. The fuel gauge is broken and it needs a converter on the exhaust. From the add it sounds like it is a gas hog. The asking price is $2500. Does this sound fair. I don't know what these trucks are selling for.
If I buy it I will be in the market for a Ford step van. Most of the vans sold in the midwest seem to be Chevy P30s.
I should have started with a project like this one instead of a complete build of a truck like my current project. This one is taking way too long. I figured my current project would be the daily driver. If I purchase this one it would be for snow days, hunting, and towing so the motor would need a bit more power.

 

[averagef250]

The year would be helpful! 87-91 prices are generally lower than 92-97 prices.

I've seen trucks like these from $300 through $6500 depending on sellers sanity and vehicle condition. I think anything under $1500 for one with a solid body and interior is a good deal. It had better be pretty decent shape for $2500. Prices are relative to where you're at though. I would look for an F-350 4x4 if I had $2500 to spend.

 

[Val]

The only thing about those year 4x4s are the IFS on F250s. I fought with mine and spent over 1k on it trying to make it right. After 2 sets of front tires I cut it off and put on a dana 60.

Not sure on gas but on diesel trucks of those years, the only difference between F250 and F350 are the blocks on the rear springs. (and the front axle on a 4x4)

Increase your dollar amount x4 and you can have mine!
http://www.shsu.edu/~icc_vjs/truck/

 

[beck]

I didn't realize I left the year out of the description. Dumb me!
It is a 1988.
What year did the IFS start? I don't want that!
If it is old enough for a solid front axle what would it be? What about the rear?

This is probably just another crazy idea of mine anyway. It would replace a 2000 Chevy 1/2 ton that I bought new. In 7+ years I have put 62k miles on it. The Chevy is 2wd. By the time I was finished with the conversion I would have more invested in the 1988 Ford than I could sell my 2000 Chevy for. That really doesn't make much sense.

 

[averagef250]

It's not really IFS, it's TTB. It's actually really tough stuff, but perfect alignment is impossible to maintain. The 1/2 tons are the worst with the coil springs as soft as they are. Maintaining alignment on a lifted F-150 TTB truck is a hopeless cause.

If you find an F-250 4x4 for cheap buy it. You don't need to fork out big bucks for a 60 front. The 66-77 Ford HP44 coil sprung front ends are real cheap and an easy swap in to replace the TTB. Most of these trucks had 3.55 gears, most of the 1/2 ton HP44's had 3.50's which works great. All that's needed is to scarf off the cast radius mounts and weld two spring perches and a panhard bracket on. Your old 8 lug front outers off the TTB axle bolt right up. Can be done for less than $200.

If you like these year fords and want a straight axle 4x4 but don't need 1 ton running gear and your a cheap ass by far the best way to put a great 4x4 together is start with an F-150 or 250 2wd. The 150 and 250 2wd and 1/2 ton 4x4 frames are 100% identicle from 1980 through 97. All you need to do is unbolt all the 2wd front suspension and bolt under any 1966 through 1979 1/2 ton Dana 44 front axle, radius arms, and whatever lift springs you want if you use 1986 through 97 F-350 4x4 tie rods and panhard bar there is nothing to fab at all, but the 66-79 panhard bar and steering stuff will work too. Buy a small block ZF 5 speed and an NP205 and you're set. The 2wd cabs have the hole in the floorpan for the t-case shifter, there's no way to tell it was ever 2wd if you didn't know.

EDIT: One more thing I forgot to mention is a plug for going with a cheap 80-97 F-250 4x4. If you do find one of these and decide to swap in a solid 44 or 60 front one big benefit to the leaf sprung frame is the dirt cheap ability to lift it 3" A real common modification is a shackle reversal on these trucks to help them ride and handle better. The shackle reversal can be built for a few dollars in rem steel if your handy and it gives an instant 3" lift. with 4" springs in addition they clear 38" tires.

 

[fireplaceguy]

Dustin -

What about the F-350 2wd? Is it just as easy to convert to 4x4? Mine's a 92, btw, and it's a dually.

Thanks!

 

[averagef250]

To convert the F-150 or 250 2wd you're basically using 66-79 1/2 ton suspension. It'll go under an F-350 2wd just the same, but I wouldn't put the F-350 through much abuse.

For an F-350 dually I'd fabricate a front crossmember for leaf springs with shackles in the rear. To make it easy you could just buy a shackle reversal kit from Sky and weld the new front crossemember in. Then you can bolt in a dana 60 DRW axle and a 4x4 transmission and t-case.

 

[Ggg]

I would advise against "scarfing off" the radius arm wedges on a solid D44 as averagef250 suggests. The reason is the axle tube does not go through the wedge as one piece. It is a two piece tube on each side on those axles. The tubes are pressed or cast into those wedges. If you cut off the wedge the knuckle end of the tube will come off the rest of the housing. Also the steering knuckle is not interchangeable from a TTB to a straight axle, the caster will be way off. But the spindle will swap from a TTB knuckle to a Solid axle knuckle, so you can still change the bolt pattern that way.

 

[averagef250]

I would advise against "scarfing off" the radius arm wedges on a solid D44 as averagef250 suggests. The reason is the axle tube does not go through the wedge as one piece. It is a two piece tube on each side on those axles. The tubes are pressed or cast into those wedges. If you cut off the wedge the knuckle end of the tube will come off the rest of the housing. Also the steering knuckle is not interchangeable from a TTB to a straight axle, the caster will be way off. But the spindle will swap from a TTB knuckle to a Solid axle knuckle, so you can still change the bolt pattern that way.

Read what I wrote better. I wrote use a 66 through 77 axle. These are the good axles that have thick tubes and removeable wedges. The 78-79 axles have the integral wedges and thinner housings, these are something to avoid unless you get a 1/2 ton 4x4 and want to just bolt the whole axle under radius arms and all. The 78-79 1/2 ton axles are good for parts to me, nothing else. I'm not going to put time and money into one as they have been known to have housing problems.

If I remember right, there are two ford 1/2 ton spindle designs. The drum brake spindles with 6 3/8" bolts like chevy used and the disc brake stuff which uses 5 7/16" bolts. If you have 5 bolt knuckles you can swap any year/bolt pattern ford 44 solid or TTB disc brake hubs and brakes on.