anyone ever get rid of a SD to get an OBS?

DFD FF 2511 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 11:24 AM

i'm 29 years old and recently bought a 99.5 SD PSD auto with 117k. i was originally looking for an old body style, but couldn't find anything worth looking at that guys didnt' want 25% over high retail for when their truck was usually in mediocre shape. i grew up on the 92-97 body styles and LOVE these trucks, and it just seems to me that the super duty body style trucks just aren't made as well as the older ones. i wouldn't dare post this on the SD forums, just as i wouldn't start a cummins/duramax/power stroke war on a non-partisan diesel site. i liked the things they changed with the SDs (intercoolers, smaller {more efficient} turbos, 3.73 gears instead of 3.55s, 4 wheels discs, rear opening doors on ext. cabs, "weak" front ends on F-250s vs. 350s, etc), but, after looking this truck over, i'm not so sure i'm as happy with it as i thought i would be. i really don't think the SD was the "answer" to the few "problems" the OBS trucks had. the power door locks don't work on this thing, and i'm coming to find out that it's a VERY common problem on the SDs, that doesn't seem to exist on the OBS trucks, OR even on the F-150s of the same time frame of the SDs. not to mention, i don't like this 4R100 nearly as well as the E4OD i drove a little bit back in high school. and no guys, i wouldn't even consider owning a 6.0 - i can't afford an '07 and the rest are too sketchy for me to trust. i ONLY want a 7.3 diesel. any way, any of you guys have any experiences with this crossroads? after researching on here, i don't think my unease with this truck is strictly confined to this truck, they all seem to have the same problems. any input at all would be a help...

Brown Falcon · #2 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 05:03 PM

I've seen it on here a couple times... I love the OBS. Only thing I would change is put the rear opening doors on the ext. cabs and Dana 60 front axles on all 4x4's

Love my OBS!

Hussler · #3 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brown Falcon

I've seen it on here a couple times... I love the OBS. Only thing I would change is put the rear opening doors on the ext. cabs and Dana 60 front axles on all 4x4's

Love my OBS!

x2 .. except I like my 50 front axle. And we have window wings, why did they ever get rid of them?

Brown Falcon · #4 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hussler

x2 .. except I like my 50 front axle. And we have window wings, why did they ever get rid of them?

I think the wing windows tend to leak on some trucks... i almost never open mine so I wouldn't miss that much.

I agree the D50 axle is a good axle if you set it up right but I'd still rather have a D60!

helifixer · #5 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 08:29 PM

here you go, I looked at this one when it was parked at Safeway looking good until I seen the shifter on the column than I quit looking
1997 FORD F250 diesel

helifixer · #6 (**permalink**) 11-07-2009, 08:31 PM

p.s. if it has lived it's life here in AZ it will be a rust free truck. you couldn't scrape a teaspoon of rust off of my truck. it is the best thing going for us here in AZ.

superduty4x4 · #7 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 10:51 AM

You can probably fix the door locks with a few hours time and a piece of tin foil. The 4R100 and E4OD are essentially the same transmission, the 4R just has an extra sensor on it some place.
I really enjoy my SD but if things don't start picking up for my wife's new career soon it will go away and get replaced with an OBS. strokersace is selling his SD now and has a 95 OBS to take its place. As long as you keep it to a 7.3 it's all good in my book

Talyn · #8 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 11:06 AM

The super duties are good trucks.
I really like how they sit and how they look.
I had the only OBS 7.3 at the meet on saturday, and the Super Duties towered above my truck. (even though they didn't know i had way more HP then them. ehehehehe)

The 6.0's have one issue with the EGR cooler, which is warrantied. So go get it fixed asap if you have one.

I like the new super duty style windows. they are neat.
The cab insides are pretty nice as well.
Compared to the f150's i like the super duties a lot.
But, all in all. i love my OBS 7.3.

If i was to buy a grocery getter to play with, it would be a super duty.
And I would make my OBS more of a show truck.

superduty4x4 · #9 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talyn

The 6.0's have one issue with the EGR cooler, which is warrantied. So go get it fixed asap if you have one.

And turbo issues, and head lifting issues...

5. Slow · #10 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 05:24 PM

DFD FF 2511,

I actually converted back to an "OBS" after having an 02 crew cab 7.3. My first truck was an obs 1996 F-150 ext cab short bed with the 5.0. I LOVED that truck and so did everybody else. It had the really rare cool looking blue. The truck drove so nice and I drove many OBS F-250/F-350 and loved those too.

So when I was looking for a PSD I wanted an obs but everyone kept telling me to buy newer so you don't have to deal with problems etc associated with older trucks. Plus, it was really hard to find a nice in shape obs that wasn't rusted and worked to death. So I bought a 02 crew cab F-250 4x4 with the 7.3 with only 73,000 miles. It was a nice truck but I still liked the obs more. Plus, I didn't think they were as well build either but everyone told me I was nuts. Well, the paint started to bubble around the wheel wheels and I didn't want to drop money/body work into a 20k truck so I sold it.

This up coming weekend I will be the proud owner of a 1996 F-250 7.3 and I couldn't be happier. I don't mind that it doesn't have the little extra power and intercooler like the new ones. I had way many more comments and startes drivin that 96 F-150 than I ever did with my 02 F-250 anyways.

Milwaukee1979F150 · #11 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 05:30 PM

For me it sound weird I like superduty over OBS with gas engine.

5.4L you could rev and not worry about blow up it. Transmission is actual stronger than E40D.

I have drive 97 F250 HD with 5.8L I say oh my god that ride have no suspension it just bang hard on pothole like school bus compare to our F250 it just bounce easy on pothole.

I like obs with diesel but not gas engine.

been look for OBS F350 regular cab with long bed DRW with 7.3L would be my dream.

strokersace · #12 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superduty4x4

You can probably fix the door locks with a few hours time and a piece of tin foil. The 4R100 and E4OD are essentially the same transmission, the 4R just has an extra sensor on it some place.
I really enjoy my SD but if things don't start picking up for my wife's new career soon it will go away and get replaced with an OBS. strokersace is selling his SD now and has a 95 OBS to take its place. As long as you keep it to a 7.3 it's all good in my book

Like Chase said, I'm going back to an OBS. No other reason other than I don't really drive the SD anymore so no sense in making payments on it. The 95 I'm replacing it with is going to have quite a bit of custom work to the interior so it'll be just as nice as the SD.

I was an OBS guy before the SD and all have been 7.3's so it's not really much of a change for me.

superduty4x4 · #13 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Milwaukee1979F150

For me it sound weird I like superduty over OBS with gas engine.

5.4L you could rev and not worry about blow up it. Transmission is actual stronger than E40D.

I have drive 97 F250 HD with 5.8L I say oh my god that ride have no suspension it just bang hard on pothole like school bus compare to our F250 it just bounce easy on pothole.

I like obs with diesel but not gas engine.

been look for OBS F350 regular cab with long bed DRW with 7.3L would be my dream.

I'd take an OBS gasser over an SD gasser any day of the week... 5.8L is a way better motor than the 5.4L and the 7.5L makes the V10 look like a steaming pile of crap all day long.

c00nhunterjoe · #14 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 08:45 PM

my 460 would outpull and outrun diesels but thats another story.

all of your issues with the obs trucks are easy to overcome- if you dont like 3.55's then run 4.10's, intercoolers are an easy install, the dana 50 is a great axle, rear disc brake conversions are a breeze now...actually the only thing the sd has over an obs is the rear opening doors on the supercab's. but thats ok because i have vent windows!! and if you have never used them then you are missing out!!!!!

i'm not sure why you dont like the 4r100? my redneck shift kit works even better on the 4r100 then it does on teh e4od's due to the tc clutch programming differences.

anyway, i passed up a couple superduties looking for the obs i wanted. i never did find it (crew cab long bed 5 speed that wasnt a contracter truck) i settled on the truck i currently own as it was in good shape and i got it for a steal.

joe_13894 · #15 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 03:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by helifixer

p.s. if it has lived it's life here in AZ it will be a rust free truck. you couldn't scrape a teaspoon of rust off of my truck. it is the best thing going for us here in AZ.

Not so good for the dash, but awesome for the metal.

I don't think people from Arizona know how to use PB blaster, do they?