Hey new member here couple weeks i bought an 83 f150 shortbox stepside with intentions to build it as a mud truck. Got a few questions
It has no reverse lights and need to know where to wire them from
Need help rewiring horn
I bought it without the front gas tank and would need some kind of diagram to put in a new one
Gas gauge also doesnt work
If anyone can help me with any of this that would be great

 

The reverse lights are wired to a switch on the driver's side of the transmission(if you have a automatic).

The horn can be a can of worms if it had cruise and the column has been changed out. If you just need it to pass inspection you can buy one of those horn buttons and srew it to the dash somewhere and just run a wire out to the horn.

I guess it has the orignal rear tank? Do short bed flaresides come with two tanks?

 

I dont think.it had cruise. There is a fill hole and pipe there for a front tank and a switch in the cab

 

Also the 2 cross members at the back of the truck under the box are rusted on the drivers side the look riveted on does anyone know where or.if.you can get replacements

 

Stepside= Chevy
Flareside= Ford

Cruise Control=Chevy
Speed Control=Ford

 

The horn we will need a lot more info on. Do you have a volt meter, or know how to use one? I think the on these trucks the steering wheel is acting like a ground for the horn. I cant remember if that is how they are wired up though.

If that's how its wired then just run a stretch of wire from your neg post to your neg wire on your horn its self. If it blows I'd look into the steering column.

How experienced are you mechanically, and can you read a schematic? There are 100 ways to skin a cat. If you are not well rounded in these things we will just have to take baby steps with it, but we will get it figured out!

 

The horn is grounded at the steering wheel and has a relay if the truck has cruise. If the truck doesn't have cruise, there is no relay, there is power wire running up the steering column, through the horn switch, and back out to the horn, full current of the horn goes through the steering wheel switch.

 

Ok ill look into that i just need the horn to pass inspection so a quick fix would be fine. Anyone know about the crossmember on the frame? And a good place to.get body panels in canada

 

Get the crossmembers from the junkyard. You could try the dealer, I do know they carry the leaf spring hanger brackets. Don't know if they carry the crossmembers.

 

Thats what i was thinking it would be much easier to.drill out the ould ones and put in new ones than try weld them

 

I got the whole back half of the truck frame from the junkyard for $50. I took it home and drilled out the rivets on the old and the new and then bolted in the new into my truck.

 

Junkyard is probably a best bet. I tried buying the cross member the transmission bolts to, but Ford told me that it was a part of the frame, and could not be removed so they wont sell one.............

I ended up fabricating one up.

 

That's one of those behind the counter made-up quotes. The spring hanger brackets are riveted to the frame also and they sell them. But you can get them aftermarket also.

 

Ok ill try a few wreckers around here and see what i can find

 

One of the first things to go on a truck in good shape is the bed. And then you have those beautiful frame rails there for the taking. They took a torch and cut the whole thing off behind the cab for me. I made them get under the cab a little bit since I wanted that crossmember that the rear of the cab sits on also. Here's some pictures when I did mine.