Hi everyone,

I thought this might be a fun question to ask us Ford lovers. What advantages did our Ford trucks have over the competition of Dodge and Chebby's. I was told a number of years ago Ford gained a huge advantage over Dodge in the 70's when they designed the front suspension with independent twin I-beam suspension. I also know our Fords don't have side saddle gas tanks like some Chebby's do. Ford was smart enough to place them inside the frame for better protection. I know there must be more to our trucks over the cometition back in the day. If anyone has more
answers on this, let's hear it.

Thanks

 

Yup, that pretty much sums it up!

I'm almost certain our trucks could/can haul more than other trucks of the day. I know I've had well over a ton on my 3/4 ton with very minimal squat.

Besides, our trucks just look better, and IMO have nicer looking interiors too.

 

Yeah, I never did like the round dash clusters on Chebby's. Not sure about Dodge.

 

ive driven a couple old dodge trucks (friends trucks) if it dosnt have a slant in it, it wouldnt pass a gas station

 

If you had dual tanks on the old chevy's they were on opposite sides so you had to get in and turn the truck around to fill up. My grand father had an old dodge and the tailgate would not open with the handle, you had to put a screwdriver under the latch on each side to open it. Both doors scraped the rocker panels on it also, and all that was with low mileage. I have had 3 79's and I have never been impressed with the brakes on any of them but they were high mileage trucks when I got them.

 

any with disk? i have the basic disc setup (non floating single piston) and i have never had a problem

 

I think the test of time answers your question, these '73-'79's were probably the best built trucks ever by Ford or any other manufacturer for that matter, how many '70's Dodge and Chevy trucks do you see on the road that aren't total POS, then look at all the '70's Ford trucks still on the road, not that we don't have our share of POS but a lot of these Ford trucks are still in pretty great shape.

 

I believe some of the big selling points was the Twin I beam suspension over a "A" arm suspension which is basically like any other car. Also then the payload and towing capabilities were better with the Ford then the competition. I recall seeing adds where they would stack 4x8 sheets of wood in the back of a long bed Ford and close the tailgate and the competition at the time couldn't do that. Also the seating area was larger with the Ford then the others. I believe this was the beginning of the run of "Best Built Truck" awards won by Ford for so many years in a row.

 

I have nothing to say; I wasn't alive in the 70's. HAHA

 

Actually, it was the end of the "best built truck"... during the early 80's for lost it to chev... imo 80's fords were... not that great.. while in all due respect... 80's chevys were pretty nice trucks. then around the mid to late 80's ford started selling more agian.. i think alot of it is thanks to the ford diesel being so much better than the competitions.

/\ dont quote me, but im pretty sure thats right.

 

ok, nevermind I have one. the biggest size motor that came in the truck from the factory. chevy.....454, ford.....460. no replacement for displacement.

 

Ford always had tougher axles it seems to me. Most places won't allow the old 10 and 12 bolt chevy style rearends in races, without a C-clip eliminator setup-so when the weak axle grenades the wheels and axles wouldn't go flying, heh. Dodges weren't bad, but were thirsty on fuel, and not alot of power until you got into the big blocks-but the dodge mills seem fragile.
Another thing that keeps our ol Fords on the road so long, is the use of galvanized body parts-where as the other big 2 would rot like crazy. It still makes me laugh when I see an old chevy, that looks nice, because I know that guy most likely replaced 80% or more of the sheetmetal-and it will rust out again.
And, what more could a 4x4 enthusiast want than a high pinion D44, C6, Np205, and the good ol 9 inch rear! When it comes to the F250+ trucks, Ford always seemed to be the toughest basterds around.
By 78/79 Ford had won many awards for their trucks, and the last of the 70's were considered the best truck around to have.
Ford did get a bad rep in the early 80's, due to the swiss cheese frame-until they stopped doing it, used that same cab, box, and chassis up to what-1997? Thats gotta say something!
Fords Forever!

 

and don't forget that water based paint Chevy was using in ( i think) the late 70's and 80's that would peel off in the wind or an automatic carwash.

 

70's Chevy's had a much weaker frame. I have seen several bend between the cab and the box. The paint was thin and very easy to chip. You think our fords rust bad. Chevys rusted out at the door sill and wheel wells in no time. They changed the head on their small six to one piece. The exhaust and intake were cast onto the head. Everyone of them cracked. and they were expensive to replace. Chevy had that small diesel that lasted about 36,001 miles(just out of warranty) Most dealers only replaced them (at customer expense) with gas engines. If you put a hitch ball on the diesel it voided the warranty. About 81, chevy started improving.
Dodge, I didn't like the dash especially the way the glove box opened. The cabs were strong but felt out of date like out of the fifties. Ballast resistor was bad about burning out and leaving you stranded. Ford used a fusible link much more reliable.

 

If you listened closely at night you could hear those new 73-79 chebby trucks rusting. Dodges of that era were cheap and tinny.