Hi guys I'am trying to decide is keeping my current 89 F-450 worth it

Heres the thing I would like to have 4wheeldrive again the second thing is I use the truck for a daily driver. The reason why I bought a 1.5 ton truck was I was hauling heavier loads. The F-Superduty trucks have a good payload they can pack 6000-7000lbs.

What I need is a truck that still can handle a 12x8 flatdeck so a regular P/U truck isn't big enough. I'am also looking for a truck that will get better mpg currently my 450 gets 10mpg on winter fuel with the IDI. I'am looking for a better general use work truck something that can still haul 4000-5000lb loads.

I have had 70s and early 80s F-350s 2wds before but they really lacked brakes put 5000lbs on the deck and you couldn't stop. Are the brakes better on the 88-97 F-350 trucks ?

Currently my F-450 hasn't seen a heavy load in months I have been using it for a daily driver for a job that doesn't require any hauling. With 5:13 axle gears and max speed of 50-62mph and max 11mpg its not the best daily driver. So its making me think do I really need a 15,000lb gvw truck when a 11,000lb gvw F-350 will do the same job.

Do you guys figure a F-350 with 4:10 gears and 5spd get slightly better mpg than a 450 with 5:13s with 5spd I'am looking for another diesel IDI or PSD.

I caculated it out my F-450 burns about 7-8 dollars of diesel fuel per hour it is better than my previous 450 with gas it used to be 10-12 dollars per hour.

To sum it up will a F-350 do what I'am trying todo ie get better mpg and still handle upto 5000lb payload and I can have 4wheeldrive again.

 

I have a 92 f-350 7.3 5 speed 4x4 and it has handled everything I have thrown at it and then some.I also pull a 8,000lb camper almost every weekend throughout the summer,,I average 20 mpg empty and right around 13-14 loaded.I have done some mods to get this mpg but they were not that expensive.

 

I also have a 92 f-350 DRW. I am freq. loaded at around 13-14,000 lbs GVW. I have an e4od, and 4.10 rear. That is pulling a heavy equip trailer, and until recently did not use trailer brakes(wrong on my part), but the factory braking system still does very good. I think the major difference between the f-450 and f-350 is the 10 bolt wheels. My front rotors are almost the same size as the 450 rotor. I have hauled the equiv. to about 5,000 lbs. in the bed, and the truck is sitting quite well on the overloads, but with a worn suspension, it doesnt sit or ride bad.

 

Well if you need 4x4 you can always convert over pretty simple conversion I am in the process as we speak. Front axle mounted, transfer case mounted, rear drive shaft shortened and mounted, I am going to re-gear the rear to match the front 3:73's which should give better mileage than the stock F-450's which I believe are 4:88's the only draw back is I am runnin 8 lugs in the front right now until my buddy can make the spacers for running 10 lug buds. This option was alot cheaper and easier than selling truck and trying to find another that wasnt full of problems

 

kenworth, the problem with your mpg is the rear end. my 350 super duty had a 513 and at 2200 rpm i was doing 50mph. i ordered a new rear end from rieder racing in michigan and i now have a 355 rear that produces 70 mph at 2200 rpm. my truck is heavy and i will never get the 20 mpg that others get, but i bet i will beat 11 mpg. everyone on this list all seem to agree that the way to increase mpg is to hold down the rpm. many posters claim over 20 mpg if they hold the rpm to under 1900. i had a F-700 ford dump truck that would haul dirt on site all day with about 7 or 8 gallons in an 8 hour day, but on the hiway it got 6 mpg. as the rpm got higher so did the fuel consumption.

 

I definatly need 4wheeldrive I got in good stuck today had to have a machine push me out. I was lucky my drivers side duals were pretty close to a nice drop off bank on this driveway I was trying to back down. I tried to try pull forward to readjust but no way the passenger side tires spun and sunk into the soft driveway I was stuck couldn't go forward or backwards.

I think I have suffered with 2wd drive long enough I never had as many traction problems untill I got the old IDI I guess the 1000lbs of engine makes the truck more front heavy. Also the places where customers and work wants me togo the driveways are the ****s.

If I'am going to get a 4x4 it will be a F-350 I thought about converting a F-Superduty as it is a bolt in deal but it still leaves me with one other problem these F-Superduty trucks are classed as commercial. Right now I have the gvw derated down to around 12,500lbs so legally I can only haul 4000lbs if it was registered for 15,000lbs then I would be legal for 6000lbs.

A F-Superduty F-450 and F-550 all have a gvw greater than 12,000lbs so that means you technically have to stop at weigh scales, use truck routes. The truck needs to be inspected and pass a annual motor vehical inspection I'am also supposed to have a National Safety Code number which is the replacement for a motorcarrier plate.

I have tried figuring out how I could register a F-Superduty (450) as a F-350 but there is no way unless you swap vin numbers which is illegal.

Its a real pizz off these trucks are just a beefed up 1 ton but they have to follow and abide to all the DOT rules a medium duty truck has to. As the truck has a gross weight above 12,345lbs the DOT can run you though the ringer. We have the metric system here in Canada so when the DOT see's the posted GVW on your truck is above 5500Kgs watch out. So if your registered gross is 5600kgs the DOT can nail you for overweight etc.

The beauty of the F-350 you can register the gvw 5500kgs or be cheeky and register it for 5499kgs 12,123lbs the DOT really can't run you through the ringer because the truck is under the 5500kg commercial truck rules.

If I do go for a F-350 I'am definatly gonna search for a Dana 80 out of a E-450 van it runs the standard 8 bolt pattern with baby budd wheels. It also has rear disk brakes so I can eliminate the drum brakes that the 10.25 has. I would rather have a Dana axle any day of the week because I trust them.

I will also run hydroboost to eliminate the vacuum booster and vacuum pump used on the diesel trucks. When your used to the braking power the hydroboost and 4wheeldisk brakes it will be hard to get used to archaic drum disk. Its one of the reasons why I like the F-Superduty trucks is there is braking power my previous F-350s had terrible brakes.

I need to replace my current truck she is getting tired it needs work the old IDI keeps running but the rest of the truck has seen better days. The first owner of the truck put the truck through some serious abuse over the years. The second owner was some kind of scaffolding company they rented the stuff I don't imagine the truck was driven lightly. The 3rd owner bought the truck to haul firewood the original engine gave up the ghost so a wrecker bought the truck. I bought the truck from the wrecker and dropped in a used engine gave the truck its life back again. I shouldn't have done it I didn't realize the rest of the truck was so tired. It was a learning curve thou and I found out diesel is the only way togo the old IDI is slow but fairly reliable. The engine I bought was no guarantee no idea if it ran so far its been good for the last 2 years.

I think I can go back to a lighter truck I'am not really using the full 15,000lb gvw I used 10,000lb gvw F-350 2wds for 7 years. I have been using F-Superdutys for 4 years I was impressed with the first F-Superduty I owned she seen a few 8000lb plus loads of gravel grossing 17,000lbs

Now that I'am working for a excavation company part time I will use the truck for carrying tools and doing my landscaping jobs. I can't give up having a truck with a 12x8 flatdeck because its handier than h*ll to have.

Its nice to have a truck that can carry a good load like the F-450 but I'am not making anymore money with a truck with a 15,000lb gvw to what I did with a 10,000lb gvw F-350. If I was in the trucking business where I maxed the gvw out everyday I would be looking at buying a 99 or newer F-450 4x4. There isn't enough trucking work for a 1.5 ton truck to justify spending 20 grand plus.

 

LOL, hydroboost is all great until your replacing ps pumps by the bag loads. Pressing the brake and turning the wheel, has to split the ps pump, thus making it work harder. If you dont mind replacing pumps frequently, then yes the 4 wheel disks are best. Also make sure you have a good size PS cooler for that unit. Most of the heavier hydroboost trucks, HDf-250 and up that we see here at the dealership, have had hydroboost units, ps pumps, hi pressure lines and coolers replaced, which isnt cheap.

 

I haven't had PS pump problems in the 4 years I have had F-Superduty trucks. With my diesel I broke the power steering housing so I had to get a reman it was cheap around 140 dollars been 2 years no problems. I have heard of more vacuum pump failures over PS pump failures and vacuum pumps are more expensive than PS pumps.

 

now when we talk about a 450 truck does it have 450 written on the side of it, or does it say F-350 superduty. my truck does have 10 bolt wheels and it had disc brakes on the rear. its listed on all my manuals as a F-350 superduty. today i finished installing my 12' flatbed dump. it works like a charm. i hope to have this truck on the road in a few days. i am replacing a C-30 chevy 10 ft dump with it. the C-30 gets 6 miles to the gallon. it is pitiful on milage, but i only haul trash with it. i am building a summer home in ruidoso new mexico and i wanted a better work truck to take on that trip. i live in florida and that will be a 3 day drive for me. i will be pulling an enclosed trailer with my tools and i will have a scissors lift and a small compact tractor loader on the bed of the F-350. i expect to be loaded pretty good, however nothing like several people on this forum.

 

My truck is a F-Superduty which is what the fender badge and what the registration and the door post says. My truck is a 89 it has the 14,500lb gvw the newer ie 91 and newer had the 15,000lb gvw. It does have the 10 bolt wheels 4wheeldisk brakes etc same as my 88 F-Superduty.

These trucks are great work trucks they can pack anything I put on the truck my 88 seen some loads of gravel up to 9000lbs (pit scale verified). It was 460 gas powered so she was a tad thirsty pulling 7-8% grades it really burned the fuel when loaded. I figured it out that the 460 burned about 12 dollars of fuel per hour (CND funds and in litres). My 88 had a tare weight of 8200lbs with me and a tank of fuel my 89 diesel weighs 7800lbs both trucks have a 161wb the 89 has a 12' deck but doesn't dump.

The drawback with the F-Superduty trucks 88 to 97 are 2wd I wished Ford made these into 4x4s but their market for the F-Superduty trucks was the P+D business where the trucks spent most of their time on pavement.

If I was going to be sticking with hauling the heavier loads ie 5000lbs and heavier on a regular basis I wouldn't consider the F-350 nothing can beat the load carrying capacity and strength of the F-Superduty. I don't see myself getting back into the heavy loads like I was doing before when I was hauling loads of lumber.

My work has shifted more to using the truck for a daily driver and used to pack tools and lighter loads. I also should have 4wheeldrive which I gave up for load carrying capacity because I need load carrying capacity more. With the contractor I'am working for I have become more of a mechanic/labourer so I'am driving my truck to the different jobs. I have togo to the jobsites where my old truck will see more tougher offroad tougher driveways. Mondays stuck was the last straw for me its time to get a 4x4 1 ton if I had 4wheeldrive I wouldn't have gotten stuck.

Its going to be tough finding a 4x4 F-350 cab and chassis with a 161wb I may have to convert a 2wd F-350 which will be expensive but worth it if I find a 2wd thats in good shape.

 

i have seen f-350 that were listed as 11,000 to 15,000 lb It was a 4x4 chassis cab.

 

if you are going to convert a F-350 to 4x4 why not just convert you SuperD its a whole lot easier since it a bolt in conversion

 

I still have that in the back of my mind but I won't be converting my current truck she is too worn out to invest more money and effort into. The on thing about making a F-Superduty into a 4x4 is the front springs and transmission are already bolted in slap on the T-case and bolt in the front axle.

I have been searching for a F-350 4x4 online in the B.C. area they are really rare especially diesel trucks. I'am not in a rush its winter time there isn't much work going on my current truck still runs fine and hasn't cost me anymore money yet.

I really need a truck with a dump deck thats the most important if I find a good Ford diesel F-350 or F-Superduty 2wd with a dumping flat I will probably buy it and do a 4x4 conversion. I did find a F-350 4x4 with a 12' dumping flat but the only problem it was 460 gas powered I gave up my crying towel 2 years ago when I put the IDI together.

The gasser F-350 4x4s I have phoned about I ask why are they selling them all have the same reason the 460 burns too much gas

I have been thinking about some options

Buy another F-Superduty and do a 4x4 conversion in the spring and maybe run a locker in the mean time. 2nd option buy a 2wd F-350 and do a conversion or last option get severly reamed on the price of a F-350 4x4 diesel. I don't know what it is with people or dealers that have F-350 4x4 diesel cab and chassis forsale but they figure they are worth gold.

I would really like to have 4wheeldrive I don't know if I'am better off buying a overpriced high mileage 4x4 or build my own out of a low mileage 2wd with a down to earth price tag ?