I've been hunting around on the internet, but this information seems to be in short supply. What is the difference between the F250s and F350s of the IDI era? What makes the difference in payload and towing capacities?

Same engine
Same transmission
Same transfer case
Same rear end - does this mean the same rear brakes?

Obviously a different front axle, which means different front brakes

Do they use the same frame?
More leaf springs?
Was the F350 offered with deeper gearing?

 

An extra helper spring in the rear and d60 all that i kno off hand

 

It is much harder to find an F350 with 3.55 gears. Seems F250s are pretty mixed 4.10s and 3.55s. The D60 is much nicer to have than a D44 TTB, as far as practical towing I'd hook to whatever you think you can pull with either 3/4 or 1 ton.

 

Some regular cab F250s were equipped with the Dana 44HD TTB front axle, and some were equipped with the Dana 50 TTB. There doesn't seem to be any definitive answer as to how you got what axle, pre 1992. Post 1992, it was all Dana 50s. I believe all super cabs had the Dana 50.
The brakes are the same in the rear, and I'm fairly certain the brakes are the same in the front too.
When you get too much weight on the rear of a TTB equipped truck, whether there is too much weight on the tongue of a trailer, or in the box of the truck, the front end has a tendency to look like this \--0/ from the axle pivoting. This may have something to do with the load and tow ratings.

 

I have an f350 with 3.55 it sucks

 

Here are the ONLY difference between F250 and F250

f350 had dana 60...f250 TTB dana 50(92-97 & 80-91 supercabs)...... TTB dana 44HD(80-91 Regular cabs) SAME BRAKES
Same rear axle SAME BRAKES
F350 had a 4" rear block, F250 had a 2" rear block

F250 had optional light duty 4 leaf rear springs but also could be had the with the 5 leafs just like the F350
Top add-a-leafs were optional on both

3.55 and 4.10s were the only ratios available and they came in both models

 

Thanks for the reply Brad, very informative.

 

F350s I believe only got full floaters where as F250s could have full floater or semi-floater rear axles.
Trav

 

Not necessarily. F250s came both ways. Only ever seen F350 with a full float

 

to go with post #6;

when talking 2wd,there are no differences besides the vin,badges and doorjam stickers.

there was a light duty f250 model (it's more like a hd f150 with a semi float axle.much different animal.)
there was a cab and chassis f350 model (norrow frame aft cab/sold as incomplete vehicle/no bed.)

back to talking hd pickups,only the f350 came w/dually option.in pickup form,2wd only.cab and chassis form,optional 4wd.

perhaps the worse option we were all stuck with from ford in the pickup of the idi era (or whole 8th and 9th gen trucks for that matter which this forum covers) was only vacuum assist brake systems! you had to get into the f-super duty (f450) to get the real braking power of hydroboost.thankfully the system is a direct bolt in though.

 

so ... if i read this correctly ... IN 2WD FORM, and assuming that no options were ordered over and above base equipment, the only difference is that the f350 has a 4" block in the rear suspension whereas the f250 has a 2" ???

 

That's kind of where I was going with this question. Is there anything you can do with the 350 that i can't do with my 250?

Other than the VIN and badges, what would it take to turn my F 250 into an F 350?

You know, in theory

 

No. 2wds didn't use any blocks in the rear. those trucks are practically identical in every way

 

Technically no. legally YES

Even though they use the same frame, engine, trans, axles, brakes, springs and brakes........F250s are in the 8800b GVW range. F350s are in the 9200b range. NOTHING you will do will change that. You just paid about $1000 more for a F350 when new for the badges and Higher GVW

 

My F-250 has a 6500 GVW??
GVW 6,500
GVWR 10,000
Could that be because I have the 4.9L engine?