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Hey Georgia,
Located in, Buford and have a new project. Restoration/update 1949 F4 Flatbed 226 H motor. Have it completly stripped down and will post pics in the garage as it progresses. Frame will be back from powdercoat end of the week. It was fun taking it apart now the challange of sourcing parts and assembly.
Welcome to the Georgia Forum !!!
Finding good parts is always a challenge. It is amazing the price of some of the parts. The one thing to remember is to have fun with it.
Guys ... just saw that you are in Georgia and you have/had an F4. I'm in Dawsonville and I picked up an F4 two years ago. It runs and has virtually no rust. I am trying to make a decision on what to do with her: On the one hand, I like that it is different. I'm thinking of putting modern suspension (including a new dually) under her ... that would give it the ride I need for a daily driver. I'm concerned that these truck have very little value as compared to F-1.
Anyone ever look at modernizing this dually ... maybe even customizing some rear F-1 fender and truck bed ... or, just keeping it a flatbed.
Wow ... how did he get the bed on an F5? I need to know ... starting my project in 5 weeks ... gonna drop it about 8 inches and get a more modern dually .. i can't decide if i should keep the flatbed or customize a bed
As far as I remember the box was fairly simple. Just straight sides with an angle bent at the top to mimic the original Ford box. I think it's 9 feet long. The fenders are fiberglass F-1s with the wheel opening enlarged and the fenders made wider. I think the tailgate is just a custom made piece of sheet metal with some reinforcements around the parameter.
He told me he used the rear axle out of the IH truck and that the rear axle internals are the same as the Ford truck of the same vintage. He was able to buy the gears from a Ford dealer out west somewhere. The IH axles have the same 5 bolt pattern as the old Fords.
Interesting ... the guy I may be using thinks he can find a more modern dually with 5 blot pattern ... he also think the Crown Victoria front end will bolt on ... the track width is wider but the extra wide fenders can accommodate it. I am torn between the pick-up bed and flatbed like in this picture (with a short rail on the side):
I want mine drop a good bit lower than that F5 ... but, it is inspiring me
If you're guy can find a five bolt pattern rear axle please add that information to your post on the '48-56 board, I know there are guys there would be interested. The only modern truck I can think of that might work and has a five bolt pattern is a Mitsubishi FUSO truck. It has a five bolt pattern but is metric and slightly different than the old Ford's bolt pattern. I checked into using the rims from one of this trucks for my F-4 but they were too small to fit over the bigger brake drums of the F-4.
If you're going to be hauling with this rig the Crown Vic set up is a very poor option, IMO. It's a car suspension and isn't made to handle the extra weight and hard use a farm truck it going to give it. Also, the fenders on a F-2 to F-6 truck are the same width as the F-1 so if the Crown Vic is too wide for an F-1, which I don't know, it will be too wide for an F-4 and will stick out.
If you're going to use this truck for farm hauling I'd leave it as is. Make sure the brake system is new from front to back with all new components and haul your loads. I just think if you do the modifications you're talking about you're going to go through a lot of hassles, and money, and come out with something that is not going to work.
Understood ... I probably should clarify ... he has to drill the bolt pattern. Maybe I need to re-look this, but there are several forums and documents that say the F-4 - F8 Fenders are wider than the F-1 ... I believe it is 2" wider. The cabs are the same, but the fenders are wider.
Not sure if my guy is right, but he says the Crown Vic front end is heaver and stronger than the Mustang II front ends. That's why he mentioned it. He thought it would be bolt-on and provide more strength than the commercial options today ... like I said, I'm just repeating what I was told. I'll definitely do some more research ... I wish the current set-up worked, but there are few options for wheels and tires on the F-4 ... and the ride is just not good for a daily driver
In the end, I'm not hauling anything that heavy. I just want the dually option and more strength than the F-1. The F-1s seem fragile to me ... I could be way off on all of this, but I've always like things a little different
The fender on the F-1 up to F-6 are the same width. The wheel openings on the F-1 fenders are smaller than the larger trucks. F-2 through F-6 used the same fenders. F-7 and F-8 have wider fenders but IMO look goofy wide on a smaller truck. Also, you would have to use the entire front clip of the F-7/F-8 because the grill is wider and the fenders are longer which makes the filler piece above the grill stick out farther forward.
I'm no expert on the Crown Vic front suspension and don't know it's limitations or dimensions, I'm just thinking since it's a somewhat of a luxury car it would be too soft and not strong enough to be able to handle any kind of a work load. I don't know.
It was your web site I looked at before ... guess I misunderstood it. Given this, can I bolt F-1 Fenders on an F-4? Of course, I would need smaller wheels
They'll bolt on, but like you said, you'll need smaller wheels. A good set of F-1 fenders, unless you go with fiberglass, are getting next to impossible to find. The F-2 to F-6, while are also getting rarer, are a lot easier to find than the F-1s because they were used on many more trucks, many being farm trucks that were only used during the warm, relatively dry months for planting and harvesting and put away during the winter months. Also, the larger trucks once they stopped working were put out back behind buildings while the smaller trucks were driven until they fell apart.
