I was being serious. You have quite a bit of good knowledge.

Rep to ya.

 

Thanks man. I didn't mean to get all serious in my response to you but sometimes people totally blow off the constructive criticism I/we give to people putting out poor (read: unsafe) fabrication. They don't like to hear it - so the get all pissy at us/me when I/we are only trying to help and keep them and others driving around them safe.



*edit*

Semi URGENT HALT needed for 6.9lidiguy...

I hate to put a damper on this - but I need to clarify something BEFORE you begin.

While looking back over the thread and my post (looking to see if I left anything out and I did) I realized something. You said the truck was an 83.

I'm not super familiar with the 3/4 and 1 tons of this vintage, but the rangers and F-150's had a weird beam these years.

It was the 1st year for the ranger pickup and the trucks had fabricated/stamped PLATE beams with ball joints. Think of radius arms (the non cast ones of course)!

I know 83 was the 1st year of ball joints in the F-150's, but I'm not sure on beams.
81/82 were a weird deal as 81 was the 1st year on unequal length beams (if I remember correctly) but they still had kingpins (1" - but a 5x5.5" pattern = desirable spindles for desert guys). I am pretty sure the beams were still plate for these trucks too.

Ok - enough parts rambling - 'll just spit it out. If your truck has the plate beams and not forged I would pie cut them and weld (and then plate over) them instead of bending. If you need help with this I can guide you a bit.

Look at the 1st 2 links I posted. The beams they are doing there are FORGED beams off the rangers. The cast beams look like this - but plate ones do NOT. Your style of beam will looks the same if it is forged, but it will be physically bigger (not that you can really tell from the pics posted in those threads).

If you can - post some pics of your beams

On another side/safety note. If anyone else is reading this and thinking of doing it - do NOT attempt to bend or cut/weld the CAST beams on (I believe) 89 and later trucks. I know rangers went to cast in 89 - and I think the bigger trucks did as well.

Anyways - these beams say right on them "do not heat, bend, weld". Follow these directions unless you REALLY know what you are doing. John at autofab is the only one I'd trust to do these and even then all he will do is bend them - NO cutting or welding at all!

 

Can you even beat on the auto fab beams cause i thought they said that there werent inteded for offroad use? If you can off road (jump your truck with them) i would like to know thanks

 

You can beat the **** out of autofab beams off road. And yes you can jump with them...

Not the greatest pic or the highest jump but these are autofab beams on my buddies '76 F-250 with a 460 under semi normal use.


Many trucks have raced with autofab beams over the years & I'd pretty much gaurantee 1 baja race will test beams more than most people's lifetime of "beating" them...

 

Thanks i got a 1994 f150 2wd and i wanted to do the econo lift. I just wanted to make sure it would hold up to some abuse not just a mall cruzer because of they are bent stock truck I beams. Thanks again.

 

the OP's truck being an 83 F250 will have kingpins still. No stamped beams or balljoints there.

 

The 94 beams are cast & not as strong as the forged ones, but they will still be fine for what 99.9% of people do. They should last through the occasional jump & pretty much everything else. Now if you were to get all 4 tire 3-4' off the ground quite regularly then you might be better off with forged or aftermarket fabricated beams.



Right - but as I said I think they are a fabricated steel beam which I have no experience with strength wise.

 

awww steve, you're makin' me blush..

 

[QUOTE=ChaseTruck754
Right - but as I said I think they are a fabricated steel beam which I have no experience with strength wise.[/QUOTE]

No F250/350 beams are forged kingpin stuff like 80-81 F150 ones until the late 80's

 

Ah - good to know! I haven't messed with much of the 80's stuff - only Rangers & F-150's. Nothing bigger as of yet.