Back in the late 90's to early 2000's, what option/package did your F150 have if it came stock with LT245/75R16 tires? I saw a '97 single cab stepside for sale online, and the doorjam sticker called for those tires. I remember seeing some on the lots, but don't remember what was different about those trucks. It would make you think it was a higher payload-rated package, but that also seems out of place on a single cab stepside 2WD. Anyone remember?

 

You were probably looking at a F250 light duty. Looks exactly like a F150 except it had 7 lug wheels.

 

I thought of that, but the F250LD's were never single-cab stepsides, were they? Seems like they were always on the 139"+ WB frame, either a single cab 8' bed or a Supercab 6.5' or 8' bed. They were always styleside beds, weren't they? This truck I mentioned was definitely an F150 stepside with 120" WB. That's why it struck me odd. Was there a payload upgrade available without stepping up to the F250LD?

In '97, couldn't you still get the past-generation F250 and the new style F250LD? I'm pretty sure that for '98, the only F250 was the new bodystyle. Then in '99 the SuperDuty's came out. I just like all that useless trivia. I can remember when the '97's first hit the lots early in '96, and I just had to have one. You could buy a brand new '96 or a brand new '97 at the same time on the same lot. I bought my '97 in April '96, and there were '96's sitting right next to it. I love all Ford trucks, but the '97-'03 generation will always be some of my favorites. That bodystyle was just so different than anything else at the time, and once it grew on me I thought they were the coolest trucks I'd ever seen. Good times!

 

One of my guys bought a then new 1997 F150 marked pickup with the 7 bolt lug nuts. They called it a heavy half ton. His was a regular cab, long bed rig. Seems to me I remember them offering that package for a few years but it wasn't a common package around here. It came with heavier springs and a larger 1 ton rear axle. It was in their XL line as I recall.

 

The F250 LD was "replaced" with the F150 7700 package.