I'm going to take a look at a truck this weekend and want to know the easiest way to identify it as a highboy or not.

It is a 76 F250 4x4, manual trans with a 390 and a divorced transfer case.

Although I like the looks of the highboys I am not interested in purchasing one. From everything I have read they are a bit harder to work on and even harder to find certain parts for. I am somewhat new to the dentside world and would prefer something a that I will be able to find parts for and be able to work on and learn on.

Thanks in advance.

 

Every other day this question is asked...

All '73-'77.5 F250 4x4's are "highboys".

I don't know why they'd be harder to work on or to find parts for, as they are the same as all the other trucks made by Ford those years, beside suspension and axles. The motors are all the same, the bodies are the same, electrical, everything really... These trucks have lots of aftermarket support and parts suppliers.

 

jb10,

I'll agree with ShamelessMt.....I got the same info about "highboys" being hard to find parts for....I have researched alot of parts and have been unable to not find one YET...I guess it is still possible. One thing I was told, and maybe it is true is that parts can be more expensive....I'm not sure about that either. The main thing is that these are good old trucks and they dont make em like that anymore.
Many on here descirbe the highboy as having the divorced t-case you mention as well as differences in the spring widths, frame width in the back, and frame support in the front. They also did not come with a 390, originally a V-8 would have been a 360. Most speculate it becomes a selling point, unless there was an engine swap at some point...only way to tell is to measure the stroke....just information I have been told....
If you list your VIN on here NumberDummy will give you some insight on your truck.
anyway...good luck and enjoy

 

thanks. i didn't realize that all 4x4 f250s were highboys.
i don't have the vin. this is a truck that i am looking at purchasing. the info i proved is the info from the ad.
here is a couple of pics.

 

Since the same basic frame and suspension is used on 1967/76 & 1977 F250 4WD's (before serial number Y20,001), some people also refer to 1967/72 F250 4WD's as High Boys.

Ford never called them that, and no 390's were ever factory installed in any 4WD trucks, regardless what of what year or series it is.

1968/76 4WD engine availability: 240 I-6 (1968/74) / 300 I-6 / 360 2V.

The engine code is the 4th digit of the VIN:

A = 240 / B = 300 / Y = 360.

On sale day, 360 engines magically become 390's.

 

according to the seller the engine is a remanufactured 390 and rebuilt Edelbrock 4 barrel carb with less than 10K

 

Wonderful, but the 390 engine was not in there originally.

Ask to see the receipts for the reman'd engine and carb, and any other work the seller claims was done.

No recepits? Proceed with caution, or forget it!

What one person's definition of reman'd or rebuilt is, may not be the same as another.

Remember this: Private sellers can lie just as well as used car dealers and lawyers.

When buying a vehicle...do not believe anything the seller says.

Do the research first...then you will know what is correct, and what is not.

I've owned over 327 vehicles since 1956. Back in the old days, when I was clueless, I was skinned more than once.

I hate to see this happen to someone else.

 

Easiest way for me to ID a Highboy is the divoreced t-case. Dead give away. After 77.5 there were no more Highboys......................although my '79 F250 sits taller than any factory Highboy I've ever seen (it's only lifted a little, I swear) haha!

 

what else or other things should i be looking for when i go to test drive this truck?

 

No, they are not. Steering, front axles, and brakes were different. Now these parts are extremely hard to find, and therefore expensive. Just search threads on these, it's a very common complaint on "Highboy"s.

Fortunately for the OP, it being a '76 means it has disc brakes up front from factory. One less headache.

 

it's easy to update the highboys with disc brakes and a steering upgrade, but the steering alone is extremely hard to find parts for. everything else isnt so bad, just the steering. other than that, all the other parts are easy to find, and not a big deal, especially if you can weld.

 

Ok, I'll give you steering as a major difference and pain, but it's very easy to swap that out.

As far as front axles and brakes, I don't know what you're talking about. I've never had any problems getting parts for any of the 3 "highboys" I've owned. At least no more problems than I would have with any other 30 year old truck.

 

The two Power Assist P/S's used 1973/77 are very hard to find parts for.

The seal kits for the Control Valve & Ram for the Bendix system used from mid-year 1974 (from serial #T80,001) thru 1977 (before # Y20,001) are almost non existant.

I listed the part numbers for the kits and who had them (Ford Dealers, obsolete parts vendors) several months ago...they were all gone within three days.

Hubs, brake drums, spindles are another PITA to find.

No Ford Dealer or obsolete parts vendor, or even Dana has the 44-6CF H/D spindles (C7TZ3105E).

Only one obsolete dealer in the US has the non H/D 44-6CF spindles (COTT3105A), and they may be gone, as I listed that info a week ago.

Two obsolete parts vendors had one each of the 44-6CF hub 'n drums, no Ford Dealer had any. No dealer or obsolete parts vendor had the 44-6CF H/D hub 'n drums.

Ford did not sell the hubs by themselves. The drums were available without the hubs, but not t'other way around.

In case you are wondering, I have access to the in-house Ford Dealer Parts Locator System, where every Ford and L/M dealer is listed.

I also use PartsVoice.com to search for NOS obsolete parts. 15% of the Ford Dealers, 95% of the obsolete parts vendors are listed.

 

There really is no such thing as a "Highboy" when you think about it.F250 4x4`s untill 77.5 sat high.As trucks became more popular the public was looking for a more user friendly truck,Ford recognized this and made the decision to build the F250 lower.End of story,it was not a factory 4 inch lift as many like to call it there was no such thing as lifts in the late 60`s early Seventies there wasn`t even tires big enough to need a lift.The F 250 became a victom of it`s own success just as every 4x4 today is more softed up so was the F250(not to say the 77.5-79 F250`s were not tough trucks)but it was the begining of a trend toward more main stream user friendly trucks.Back in the 60`s and 70`s a 4x4 truck was niche item for a few who had a need for them.So can we put this whole "Highboy" thing to rest and agree that it is really a bunch of BS.

 

Ever see an original 1966 F100 4WD?

I'll bump a pic of one I took at the SuperNats last May. Notice the stance.