I am looking at a 2004 reg cab XLT 4X4 w/ the HD factory package. I have a few questions:

How do I tell if it has limited slip diff?

Is the HD pkg enough for a Wetern 7.5 Pro plow (it also has the tow pkg)?

I drove it and it felt like I was driving by buddies F-250, is there a noticable diff between the HD pkg and the std pkg?

It has 4,500 miles (that's right, fourty five hundred) and has been plowed only 4 times). The guy wants $22,000 but I want to offer around 18k or maybe 19k. Any advice?

This truck is as mint as the day it was built.

I currently have a 1994 F-150 XLT 4X4 ext cab, 8' bed w/ 155k and really want a newer ford.

Thanx!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

In answer to your first question, jack the rear end up and put the truck in neutral. Spin the rear tire of your choice. If both rear tires spin in the same direction, you have LS. If the spin in opposite directions, you do not.

In answer to your second question, I will offer my personal opinion. Plowing with ANY 1/2 ton truck - even a HD version like the 7700 is an iffy proposition. If all you're doing is your own driveway, it's not a problem. If you're considering doing commercial work, you're asking for trouble. In the good old days of over designed 1/2 ton trucks, you could get away with it. In today's world, there just isn't the same factor of safety built into the brakes, front suspension, transmission, etc. to take the beating. We run a fleet of Plow Prep Package equipped F-350's with Fisher 8'-9' plows doing commercial work and we've yet to get over 45,000 miles out of a stock transmission - just to give you a hint of what we see. Hope that helps.

 

I will be plowing lightly, me, some reletives and friends.

What do you think about the price? The way I am looking at it, it's like getting a new F-150 XLT 4X4 w/ plow for around 20k.

 

The price sounds good to me. The only thing that would make me a little nervous is if the truck were plowed right away when it was brand new. Even we like to get a few break in miles on our trucks before we start whupping on them.

 

OK, good point but I think he bought it in the summer of 04 so it must have been driven some before winter. Also, the last to winters were very light and almost no snow. They only did their own driveway about 4-5 times.

So I will make the offer this afternoon...thanx for your help!