I really love the old big body style f series trucks since I was a kid. Had a 78 bronco that was a driving parts truck. Now I really have a need for a 4x4 for farm use and don't want a truck with the flexy bendy front end. I want something solid axle and made out of real sheet metal. Unlike the pop cans that my current 95 F-150 seems to be made of. I REALLY want a super cab from these years.

What are some of the common issues with these trucks?

Things I know about them:

the slip yoke on the driveshafts will wipe a pinion, the cardian joints can get sticky, the power steering boxes can get trashed easily, cab corners, mounts and floor boards are often to rust(not so much an issue since I have a welder and am quite competent with it), guages seem to fail easily, the 205 t-case is gear drive and is lock in, the 203 t-case is chain drive and is full time, how to read axle tags if they are still on the diff, more than familiar enough with all available engine types.

Things I don't know about them:

How to tell a D60 front from a D44 front? What's the difference and how do I tell the difference between a D60 and a D70 rear(one I'm looking at is a camper special 4x4 with a 10 foot bed). How can I tell a 400 from a 351M without pulling it and looking at the casing numbers off the crank? Were dual shocks in the front avail on these trucks like they were on the bronco I had? What advantages besides a lower first gear does the manual tranny have over the C6? If I find a super cab in decent shape, just how rare of a bird is this truck these days?

If there's anything I missed or that you guys think that it is important for me to know, please chime in so that I can make a more educated decision on these trucks.

Thanks