From my casual observation I would say that it could be an original M-H conversion. If it was later 4X4 frame swap I doubt it would have the Budd type wheels.

 

My '56 F-350 has the six-lug wheels, but has duals on back. So, this could be just a non-dual model, if it's not 4x4.

 

First, my condolences for your loss.

Second, nice looking truck.

Third, I'm sorry guys but that's not a MH. It sits tall, but not tall enough. If I'm seeing correctly there are grease cups showing on the front hubs. If it was a MH it would have blanking plates covering the hub and center bore of the each front wheel. MH stopped using the big cast hub caps in '52. The six lug Budds were standard on Model "Y" in '53 and, unfortunately, if they are 17" they are most certainly widow makers. Take a quick look at the Chassis Manual and you'll see these wheels pictured for '53. The 6 lug x 7.25" pattern was used on one ton models through 1966. Final observation, there are no hood badges, but that's not a deciding factor. Assuming the wheels are widow makers, the new owner will want to do as Johnny did and find a set of the tubeless 17.5s or 19.5s for the truck.

Edit - Let me correct myself. They stopped using the cast hub caps when they switched to use of the 6 lug hubs on F-250s in late '53. Early '53s still had the old axles, 5 lug hubs, and wheels and still had the cast hub caps. I'm not positive what the bigger models had, but believe it was the same blanking plates. Stu

 

I used to stop and look at a 53 F350 with the express sat at a farm. It had the 6 lug, tonner, wheels and no 4x4. It was the first time I realized there were two different lengths of long bed with the F350 being longer.

 

I'm about 30-40 minutes from Castro Valley, but have no clue about 53-56 trucks.

 

What Stu said. Six lug wheels on an F350 was the order of the day. My F250 Marmon Herrington front axle was made in late '53, as is stamped, and has the six lug hubs with one very large castle nut holding it onto the axle shaft stub.

 

Owen - If I may hijack this briefly, is your spare axle numbered similar to the way the axles in or F-3s, and in the early F-250s, are numbered? Was there an M25-xxx or some such similar to our R32-4-xxx? Stu

 

Not that I've seen. Keep in mind, however, that this axle has an aluminum tag printed with "Timken Detroit Axle" logo, the model number- FA150, the ratio-4.857:1, and the serial number-894130. So it is my conjecture that the axles weren't stamped at that point, but tagged.

The build date is stamped on the long tube 10-20-53. Probably lived under a 1954 F-250.

 

Hmmm.... whelp, it was worth checking on. I had no idea that Ford went to the six-lug hubs and wheels on trucks that small in '53. I learn something new here everyday. In any case, it's still a nice truck and should bring decent money out there on the left coast.

 

I believe the six lug theme continued on the tonners until at least 1966.

 

Model FA150, huh? The Chassis Manual says it's a Timken A150, so I wonder if the letter "F" was for Ford or perhaps for "Front". Since MH was, I suspect, the only company to us this as a front axle, I wonder if Timken actually produced the whole assemby with offset long tube and steering knuckles. I've assumed that MH did these modifications, but it makes sense that they'd have been done at point of origin rather than modified later.

The last year for the smaller 6 lug pattern was '66. The big 6 lug x 8.75" pattern continued on F-600s for a lot of years. I'd look that up but it doesn't matter to this discussion. Stu

 

I , also, am a little over an hours' drive from where the truck is,and if someone's serious,would be willing to make further inquiries.Steve.

 

Stu,

Thanks for clearing up the matter. I knew you would post a very detailed observation.