i got a hold of a 78 f250 and some things just strike me as weird.

first off, it is a beater if there ever was one. there isn't a straight panel on the truck. rotting bondo and about 5 different colors of primer and paint. but that's not the problem,

somebody somewhere along the line has totally re-engineered the front end of this truck.

im not sure but i thought the 4x4s of the time had radius arms and coil springs on a solid axle dana 44? this one has leaf springs mounted into home made shackles. theyre heavy duty enough, but...

steering,
this is where it really gets me. they moved the steering box to the very front of the drivers frame rail and made their own mounting plate. they conjured up some kind of a tie rod that goes from the pitman arm back to what looks like a bent up steering arm off of i don't know what on top of the knuckle. then the factory tierod going between the two lower sides.

the axle is missing the passenger side shafts... but because of all these other changes i don't know what axle it is anymore. how do i ID it? it does have 8 lug wheels and ford lockout hubs.

the T-case just seems wrong to me. instead of sitting flat under the body the drivers side hangs way down to hook up to the driveshaft, and there is a support bar bolted to the back of it that runs about 3ft back up the frame... is that right?

il get some pictures of all this later on so you can see what i mean...

 

Your basic description is of a F-250 4x4. My (and all other original '78 4x4 F-250's) use leaf springs, a forward mounted steering gear.

Can't speak as to the originality of anything without pictures.

The coil springs and radius arms were used on F-100 and F-150 4x4's.

Roger CArter

 

F-250 and up had leaf springs in the front, IIRC F-150 supercabs did as well.

 

ok that's good news, it might not be as screwed up as I thought then.

 

you just described a highboy t-case, i'm thinking someone did a body swap at one time. is there a bar that the front spring mounts attach to? 2.5" wide rear springs? 3 drive shafts ?

 

I cant seem to get my pictures to come through, but these 2 managed to make it.

as you can see,,,,

the t-case and funny front pinion angle...
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the as of now empty engine compartment,,,

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thats a highboy chassis, hiboys were from 68-72 and 73-77 f250's . some one put a 78 cab on the frame.

 

Looks like a low pinion front axle, making it a 76 or 77 if its open knuckle. Someone has clocked the transfer case down for some reason. Its probably gonna have oiling issues like that.

 

Yep, I see a highboy chassis (73-77 f250 4x4) low pinion front axle and a divorced np205 transfer case. (mounted correctly from the factory btw)

Other characteristics of the highboy include 2.5" wide rear springs and a 3/16 thick stamped steel crossmember tieing the front frame horns together. These trucks also had an cab gas tank and 34" wide frame at rear (cab back)

 

Sorry, I was wrong on the transfer case. Didnt realize the divorced ones were clocked so low.

 

Hey no problem these trucks have confused many people many times!

 

heres a few more pictures, the pieces are starting to come together now, I thought it was built from a few different trucks... if im not mistaken the cab/chassis of all the 73-79 trucks were the same, thus making it real easy to put a 78 front end on a 73-77 highboy chassis...

kinda a bad picture, but you can see how the spring mount is at the end of the frame. cutting torch trails are evident in the frame and mount. someone moved it or made new ones...

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heres the steering gear box, they fabbed their own mounting plate and cut into the radiator support to get it to fit....

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this one didn't turn out so good, but this is the pitman arm and link... notice how the steering arm at the axle looks twisted/bent?
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in this one you can see the steering shaft and how the gear box is all the way out in front
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