Alright I need an opinon from ya'll....

My truck is an F-250, club cab, 4x4, 8ft. bed.

Used to have 351w, dana 60 rear, Stock F-250 springs.

NOW has built 460, Dana 70U rear, F-350 rear springs.

Ford did not make an F-350 this body style back then, they just called it an F-250 HD.

So heres the question where i need your opinions! I want to put F-350 badges from its era on the fender which it really is by increasing the GVWR. I personally think it would be cool, BUT would i be like one of those jackasses that puts shelby cobra badges on their mustangs? or would you all say its legit?

 

The only way I would consider it legit (especially for sale purposes) is if you get it recertified as such by your DMV. Otherwise, you're just blowing smoke IMO.

 

What year is it?

I don't think Ford at any one time had separate body styles for 250's and 350's. I could be wrong, as I don't know it all, but I've never heard of this. The newer trucks have the half-ton body style and the 250-450 styles, but the newer trucks are reference to the post 97 models.

You're posting this in the 80 to 86 forum, so I'm assuming it's an 80 to 86 truck. Of which, I'm positively 100% certain that 250's and 350's didn't have different body styles.

You can put 350 badges on anything you want to put them on, but to me, it'd seem kinda weird because it'd be titled as a 250, as well as the vin reflecting that (f25, f26, along with the factory original GVWR code). Until someone saw the swapped rear-end and springs and brakes, then they'd probably have big question marks on their heads.

 

I have to agree with Chris. Your basically misrepresenting what you have. Like building a clone and selling it as an original.

 

You can find old F-superduty badges in the JY.

Or go on Ebay and...



Or...

 

Its a 1984, I have the original brochures to my truck and its pretty cool its like a magazine. It shows the bodys styles and F350s were only avaliable as crewcabs, chassis cabs, and single cab long bed pick ups. 8ft bed, club cab picks ups were avalible as F250HD pick ups. I have yet to see a pick up like mine with the F-350 badge, all of them have F-250. When my truck is done it will be all one ton. Dana 70 rear, Dana 60 front, F-350 rear springs, 4-Speed with granny and a 500 horsepower 460 I built myself which i gaurantee will out pull any 1980-86 stock F-350 with a single rear axle. When I'm done with my truck it will surpass F-250 limits by far. Are we all goin by what a piece of paper says or are we going by how the truck is built? When I can ill scan the brochue and show yall what F series pick ups are available in what body styles, its weird...

So my question for yall is...how would I get my trucks GVWR officially certified at a higher rating? Show the paper pushing desk nerd the one ton gear my truck is equipt with?

 

No,
Depending on your state you will likely have to apply for a composite title and have the vehicle flatbedded to a state inspection station where they can verify all the work done.
Regardless, you still have the thinner gauge 250 frame. So I don't know what they will do about that.

 

Vehicles are different. They are sort of "born" at the factory. Yes there are ordinary people like you and me that design, and put them together, but when it's finally together in it's original form and given a VIN, then that's what it is forever. And yes there is a paper trail that goes along with it from then on.

You can make or do what you want, you already have. You can keep it as is, put the f350 badges on it, and it will always be a f250 with f350 badges on it. The issue will always come up when the truck changes hands. The badges will not get you out of and situations involving over weight and towing issues.

You can "kill" your original truck and put it to rest forever, and "make" a new truck with a new VIN to suite your desires, but that will also always come up when the truck changes hands. I do not know what info will come with a new VIN, but your truck will be "reborn" and probably have some sort of description made like you said, not by Ford but by some paper pusher.

The whole subject is somewhat interesting when you think about it. There are other examples of objects being built, certified with a number, and that sticks with it forever.

 

Ard beat me to it. Regardless of the springs and axles, you have an F250 frame and they aren't as strong as an F350 frame so you do not have an F350.

 

Alright so my truck will never TRUELY be an 350 with the VIN and legal paper ect. so ill just leave it. thats why i ask you guys. I never will sell my truck so the conflict of the 350 badges and 250 title would never happen. BUT! it is true Ford DID NOT make supercab 8ft bed F-350 pick ups ACCORDING to this....check it out.

 

I say put f350 badges on it if you want... edit I thought I read dana60 ft in it now. If it's still dana 50 then I say leave the 250 badges.

 

thanks bashby, yea ive got a dana 60 front and 70 rear. Weird how the option of an F350 isnt avalible for a supercab, anyone seen one before? anyone have an explanation or story on that one? does anyone know if theres a difference on the gauge of the steel for the frame from the F-250HD and the F-350? ill get a Micrometer and measure it.

 

There used to be a company in SoCal or Arizona( I ferget) that could legally upgrade the GVWR. Issued a new sticker that went next to the certification label. Think they are gone now.

 

I didn't think there was, but I have never measured it, so it would be a good thing to verify.

We can make a list of the differences between the f250 and the f350. When talking about single rear wheel trucks, I believe it's;

1. The springs in the back

2. The axle up front(dana 50 85.5 down, dana 60 85.5 up on f350, dana 44hd on f250).

That sure was a short list.

 

Not trying to be picky or say that you're wrong or anything like that (nobody here knows for certain everything there is to know about 80 to 86 trucks), but you could special order trucks and have them built the way you wanted.

So, theoretically, someone probably could've special ordered a Supercab F350 and had it specifically built for them with the 8 foot bed. That's not to say that there were regular production F350 Supercabs with that bed length from this era, but that they could've been made if asked for. NumberDummy could probably confirm or shoot that down. Then, there's the conversion companies that made all sorts of Franken-Fords like the 4-door Centurions that were F250 Crewcabs with a Bronco rear. But, those were built at Ford plants then modified after the fact. Then there are the E-series vans with the truck beds on the back and the dually rear ends, etc.

Also, even some of the manuals that others on here have have been known to have some incorrect information.

I was getting off of an exit ramp on the interstate one time and saw a Supercab Ford dually at a gas station from this generation. It had a 5th wheel. No idea whether it was a 250 or a 350.

I think frame thicknesses went 1/8'' (F150), 1/4'' (F250), and 3/8'' (F350). I think the chassis cabs probably had exceptions to this rule.

There's a lot of ifs, ands, and buts when it comes to older vehicles, particularly when a manufacturer would even sell you a truck without a bumper if you asked for it.