Does anybody know what is the weight limit is (how much you can have) in the bed (flatbed) of a 1973 F500? If you know, do you have any literature that can back this up? I'm researching for this vehicle.
Thanks!

 

This would/might get more replys in the Large truck forum - come on over!

Anyways - your F500 could have several GVW ratings - as well as different GAWR's depending upon how it was optioned. There is no real "standard" in that ALL F500 have the same specs - each truck was built and rated on how it was put together out of the parts bin. It was possible to build a "heavy axle optioned/ heavy GVW" F500 that was rated to haul more than a "lighter axle optioned/ GVW" F600.

GVW should be between 15 to 20k or so, again depending upon how the truck was origionaly speced. You might have a 4,5 or 6k front axle and possibly a 13, 15 or 17.5k rear axle, again depending upon how your paticular truck was speced out.

What you can carry is what the difference in the tare weight of your truck and its GVW, paying attention to not exceede either the front or rear GAWR. The tare weight of your truck depends upon what type and make of body you have installed as well as options (including the wheelbase) as supplied by Ford. Again, without weighing YOUR truck, with YOUR eqipment, you have no way of knowing what you can carry on the flatbed.

A excellent, cheap and provable (in your own hands) souce of information is origional sales brochures and service manuals on Ebay, as well as several other online stores that cater to old litature - the brochure for example will give you the standard and optional axles ratings as well as the GVW's and the service manual will break down your individual trucks vin and axle types so you can see exactly /what your truck was rated for, as built as a incomplete vehicle (Cab/chassis) by Ford.

David

 

Thanks dmanlyr!