The heavy payload package or 8200 package. Does anyone know what the difference is with these trucks compared to the regular 150? Are the springs the same width and length? I am thinking of swapping mine just to take the occational haevy load of landscaping stuff for the house. I am also hoping it will get rid of the marshmallow soft rear suspension. The truck will makae you sikc the way it floats around some times. I do not intend to do long hauls but would like to know I could throw a couple extra pounds back there and not have an issue. I believe the rear axle is also a little different.

 

Good information about these packages is really hard to come by. I have been to dealers who say that Ford discontinued the HD package after the 03 model year! I haven't been able to find one on a dealer's lot since the first one I looked at back in April of 2004. One of my friends has one and it was one of only 3 the dealer could locate in all of Canada.

I used to work for a school bus company and they would often simply get a rear leaf or two added by a spring company. Take a look in your local phone book for truck spring suppliers. I'm willing to bet they would be able look after your needs for a far better price than trying to substiute the whole spring assembly.

If you want proof of how easy it is to overload the 7200 lb GVWR trucks just take a look at my gallery.

 

I tried one of these trucks before deciding to go with an scab STX.

They come with steel wheels, 5.4 and are very stiff but very rugged. Personally, I would go to a 250 (which I owned, btw) before simply just getting a rugged 150.

The one I tried was a regular cab with an 8 ft bed and I think you can get a scab, but the 8 ft bed is standard. I was told that the extra $90 on plow springs was a good option if you go that route, but I'm not sure why.

I'm sure it's a good truck, but if you need something heavier the F250 will do some serious hauling and probably for little, if any, extra $.

 

One reason I did not get one in the first place is Ford's stupidity. What kind of a company makes a truck with 7, yes 7, lugs nuts. The engineering manager in charge of that should have been demoted back to a D&R for carpet.
There is absolutly no way to get custom wheels and of course Ford only offers these real pretty steel chrome ones.

I sold an 04 S-D with a 6.0 due to motor and trans issues, ( 4 trips to dealer in less just over a year and 11K ) along with the cost of diesel being +1.00 more than regular gas. When you only get 15mpg with a diesel and your buddy gets 14mpg with his gasser sbut your paying a buck more for fuel it starts to eat you up. Yes the S-D was more than I really needed but it was to be a very long term investment, and fuel was cheaper than gas when I purchased.


My truck is a commuter and I just want to be able to load what ever I want and not worry.

 

You could add the onboard air bag system on the rear suspension, I had that on my 94 F-150 that I put a pop-up pickup camper on, They worked very well, let the air out when unloaded for a nice ride then when you put a load in it just hit the switch on the dash and watch the gauge until you got it where you wanted it, I think the whole kit for the 94 was around $400.00, Took about 4 hours to install, I havent looked to see if they have them for the 04 on up trucks though.

 

I agree with the airbag system. You get the best of both worlds. A fairly good ride and the extra stability when you need it. jegs.com and summitracing.com both carry these as probably do a dozn other retailers.

 

I have an '05 F150 Scab HD 4x4 package, so they are definately available. Most dealers are clueless about these trucks, so it may take some diligence on your part to get someone who knows about them.
The whole rear suspension, driveshaft, differential (4.10) are different from regular F150's, so I'm not sure if the leafs are interchangeable. I can take measurements of mine if that helps.
The truck is not "stiff" like an F250 or 350 (I've owned both of those) and rides exceptionally smooth and quiet. It can easily carry a ton. This is the reason I bought it instead of a F350 diesel.
As far as wheels, they are 7 lug but that doesn't bother me. Check on ebay they are made by Eagle wheels. They are starting to become available and I would never buy a vehicle based on wheel selection.

 

Just to clear this up: I didn't mean that they were "stiff" like a 250. I just meant that they were "stiffer" than the regular 150s.

The HD payload pkg is a good option for someone kind of in between needing a 250 and wanting a little more beef than a regular 150. I also agree that wheel choices shouldn't matter much because there are likely aftermarket choices out there.

 

The Heavy Duty Payload Package has not been discontinued. You can find detailed information on it if you build and price a XLT F150 with 8' bed on fordvehicles.com The package is easily found if you search dealer lots on forddirect.com I just did a test search. The first dealer I looked at had two 2006 F150's supercabs with the HD package. So they are not too hard to find if you know where to look. If you want aftermarket wheels, they are available from Centerlinewheels.com who has some of the nicest wheels - about (15) 7 lug wheels to choose from. The trucks have ugraded springs and frame and the ride is smooth like an non-HD F150. It's a good option for those who need the cargo space, and extra payload but don't want to more money on a Super Duty F250. Another reason - it has a better ride and a nicer interior than the F250. I also have the HD and I don't have the vibrations like some people with the regular F150's have been experiencing. So that may be another benefit.

Heavy Duty Payload Package:
* 8200 GVWR
* 245/70/17 BSW AT TIRES
* 7 LUG WHEELS
* HIGHEST PAYLOAD
* HEAVY DUTY SHOCKS, FRAME, AND 72 AMP BATTERY
* UPGRADED SPRINGS, RADIATOR, AND AUXILLARY TRANSMISSION COOLER
* 10.25 GEAR SET WITH 4.10 AXLE
* OPTIONAL SNOW PLOW PREP (4X4 ONLY)

 

I have an '06 F150 with the Heavy Duty Payload package. the first dealer I went to said they didn't exist, but the second one definitely new what I was talking about.
As for the stiffness, I did notice during my test drive the HD F150 had a very stiff suspension to it. I could feel alot more bumps than I did with my last F150 (an '04). But after about 2 days the stiffness went away--I figured it just needed a breaking in.

I do landscaping work, so that's why I need the HD package. It's really helpful that I can load upto 2300#s of cargo. And there's a plow package with this truck too.

Even though I just bought it, I'm thinking I should have bought a Super Duty--just b/c I could really use it for the business, but I'm not sure I want to give up the smooth ride that I get out of the F150.

 

Is it possible to order the Heavy Duty Payload Package for a SuperCrew?

 

No. It's available in the regular and supercab with the 8' bed.

 

Wouldn't that be something, a Screw with an 8 foot box. The turn radius would be unbelievable. According to the 150 inch wheelbase of the 6.5 foot box Screw it would have a wheelbase over 165 inches!

 

I was at Home Depot a couple months back and a guy parked next to me (I have an '05 SCab HD) with a 3500 series Chevy crew cab married to a supercab (3 rows of seats) and an 8' bed. It made my truck look like an import. His truck was unbelieveably done and 24' long! From what he told me there is a custom shop that does these conversions and I must say they did an awesome job. The truck looked like it came from the factory.

 

I have the '04 HD. This is a truck like they made them in the '70s & '80s. You can use it like a truck is ment to be used. A truck is a tool of the trades and should be able to stand up to the requirements. Those sport trucks with the 6 foot beds and even shorter, lighter suspensions, and fancy wheels.......What is up with that? Those vehicles look pretty and all, but so does a sports car.