Been gone for awhile doing a few modifications done to the truck to accomodate the heavy hauling I am doing with my truck now, Looking for some new advise, new tips, and tricks to help me with this package I have set up.
I will be looking for Brake upgrades, Steering upgrades, minor suspension modifications (beyond current modifications I have already done) to my 95 F-150.
1995 Ford F-150 4X4, 5.0 ltr, V-8, W/256,000 miles
1996 Shadow Cruiser Slide-In Truck Camper
1996 Bass Tracker w/ Mercury 40 force engine on it!

I promise I won't be a burden on the group and i will will 100% positively research before I ask any questions since I have noticed over the years this forum is very aggressive towards individuals whom do not do prior research before posted (stupid) questions.
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Looks good the way it is!

 

I'm still a rookie at this forum thing trying to figure it all out again been away to long but i moved this topic/question to the correct category wheels, tires, brakes, hopefully the brake guys can help me out with my braking issues

 

If that was my setup, I'd be bolting in a Dana 60 up front and a Sterling 10.25 out back.

But at the same time, I couldn't deal with the Appalachia hills + that weight without a turbo diesel. You just can't put one ton of junk in a half ton and expect it to work to factory specs.

I know you don't want to hear it, but find a clean PSD.

Adrianspeeder

 

Thank You for the PSD tip idea, but way beyond my pocket book, and all you see is paid for lock-stock and barrel. What about a rear-end replacement, up to an 8 lug (F250-F350) rear-end? and possibly a front solid axle swap (dana 60), with upgrading my 5.0 to a 5.8 with a simple cylinder-head swap/replacement? Is this too far fetched either? and I also don't consider my 1996 Shadow Cruiser "junk", it is a very nice piece of equipment and it serves it's purpose very well it doesn't leak, every single function of the unit works to 100% perfection, plus provides comfortable sleeping quarters for those along for the trip. With the expensive fuel like it is and like it is going to get to I figured this was the only way to do it, get a camper and a boat to the same destination at the same time, when you figure loosing the first day to go set up camp return home, then next return with bass boat, then reverse upon departure , that's 2 extra nights rental at the location site, not to mention the fuel expenses, and my truck gets the same (or real darn close) fuel economy weather loaded or empty so it makes perfectly good sense financially to have it all in one package, or atleast that's what I thought. Maybe I'm not doing my math wrong but this is financially the only way to go! especially when it is all paid for! I went and looked at a PSD 1997 ford F-250 extended cab $12,500 bucks with 180,000 miles, I can buy a house with $12,500 bucks no way I would or could ever afford something that expensive just to drag my toys around and get equal or less fuel economy then what I am getting now. So what about my upgrade ideas? will these work? will these upgrades better suit my needs? I mean replacing rear axle to 8 lug from a F-250 (that would of come stock with a PSD or a 5.8 ltr naturally aspirated gasoline engine) and replacing my stock 5.0 cylinder heads to a pair of 5.8 cylinder heads since the blocks are the exact same only difference is the cylinder heads, so now I have a F-250 rear end, and a F250 engine, what else would I be missing in this puzzle?

 

Damn, I need a few houses for 12500...

Anyway, yes I've bolted a Sterling 10.25 dually rear in my '79 F-150. Does that make it a one ton? No, next is the springs, then the mounts, then the frame, and it goes on.

Yer lookin' at quite a few thousand to do a proper SAS up front and rear. Will that make you safer to tow big? A mechanical engineer that could figure out the moments, loads, stresses, ect would be able to tell, but I'm not.

I'd steer away from an old body style F-250 due to I'm not a fan of the crappy Dana 50 TTB that has all the same problems of a 150's 44 TTB. A F-350 with a solid 60 is the best.

Lastly, there are many differences between a 302 and 351w. None of which can be accomplished with head swaps. Deck height different, and it is about an inch wider. You'd need a donor motor, and unknown amount of dollars to bring up to factory spec.

Maybe my math is off today, but I see 4+ grand to do it right, and you still only have a half ton Ford.

Adrianspeeder

 

well i do see your points and each of which are very strong points! so the way i see ie since it is all paid for the way it sits i will do a simple brake upgrade as advised by my local parts supplier, and when the engine finally goes them drop a 5.8 ltr in place of the 5.0, and when the rear blows out from under her i will replace stock and go for another round! still a heck of alot cheaper then a 1997 psd, w/180,000 for $12,5000.00 brake upgrade accourding to supplier $300.00 bucks, rebuilt or junk yard rear end $350.00, rebuilt fresh 5.8 ltr $1200.00 still cheaper then $12,500.00 for a truck with 180,000 miles and gets worse fuel economy then im getting fully loaded vs that truck empty! so my target will be full brake upgrade, extreme braking pads with slotted and drilled rotors for $300.00 up front since braking is my number 1 concern before anything with rig, the engine is strong and i mean real strong, transmission is perfect, not to mention the 10,000 lb towing capacity trans cooler that was added to the transmission!, and with leaf spring upgrades this truck can safely haul 1 ton in the bed, plus drag the boat.... i appreciate your views points and tips i would like to of gotten more then 1 view or persective on this matter, but only 1 view or opinion was offered so i'll take what i got and run with it! and heck maybe just maybe one day i will get rich and be able to buy a brand new psd f250 and have so much money i will be able to afford to pay someone to drive me around in my rig!

 

What milage do u get now? I really find it hard to believe a diesel is going to get less than a loaded down 1/2 ton.

 

this latest voyage round trip got 18.3 mpg, average the entire 495 miles from driveway to driveway! and i get 22 driving locally empty

 

Loaded down like the pics? thats impressive.

 

my neighbor down the road has a duramax in a chevy 2500 he only gets 18.5 local driving empty with a camper shell on the back, bull bar upfront, and a fuel economy handheld tuner device hooked up to it. He has 175,000 miles on his duramax

 

Wow, I've never ever gotten 18 in an unloaded truck with a gasser even down here in the flats of DE. Hills of PA I'd average 10-14.

Anyway, slotted rotors don't stop any better than solid ones. Their only purpose is for racing applications to save weight.

Adrianspeeder