Since buying this truck new in '92, I have never seen another F150 just like it. SWB, 4x4, XLT Lariat, 5.8L, HD suspension, LSD both axles, manual locking hubs, single fuel tank (I added a second 18.5 gallon aux soon after purchase).

I've had more offers to buy this truck than I can count. It must be rare. Most trucks I see are LWB or extended cab. Does anyone else have one like it?

 

Front axle limited slip is very rare. How well does the front limited slip drive off road?

Clean looking truck! I like the 4x4 SWBs

I also have a 92 F150 4x4 SWB. It doesnt have the front limited slip-but does have the 4.10LS with 4.09 front axle ratio.Also a rare option. And it has factory skid plates-another rarity for these.

 

I didn't know an LSD in the front was an option . What's the axle code on the door jamb sticker?

 

Peck Road Ford Trucks is now Rush Truck Center (Ford & Isuzu), same location on the far west side of Whittier...only a few blocks south of El Monte.

 

I agree, I didn't know that a front LSD was available or 4.10 gears for a V8 for that matter as Phoneman91 states (perhaps phoneman is referring to a 4.9l six cyl. when stating the 4.09 gears?).

My recent Ford purchase took me several months of serious searching to find (which leads me to believe that John's truck is very, very rare even w/o considering the immaculate condition it appears to be in) mines a 1996 F-150, 5.0L, 5-spd., short box, 4x4, with manual windows and door locks, no A/C, but with factory tach./gauges and tinted rear sliding window (only missing front tow points), but it is exactly the way I wanted it since it is going to be used for serious back country adventures.

I bought it happily from a local (to me) original owner who had marked down the mileage in the Ford manual at every single oil change since new, that's right approximately twenty inscriptions since it came with 205,000Kms. This combination of Reg. Cab and Short Box w/o power options and A/C is difficult to find where I live (most likely the same story everywhere) because the dealers generally order the trucks with many options to increase profits making a Plain Jane hard to find.

Also most buyers now prefer more then two doors which makes Trucks like John's and mine less appealing to the masses (although more rare) as almost all F-150's are/where ordered with the Super-Cab (or whatever Ford's new fancy name is for the extra room, multi-door cabs of today) the preferred equipment like John's has (power everything & A/C...) and automatic transmission, but rarely a Reg. Cab/Short Box.

John's sweet Ford is perfect if you wanted an automatic (to bad Ford never offered a 5.8L, 5Spd. manual transmission, 4x4, short box F-150) and seems to be only missing front tow points too from it's order sheet. As much as it is a very rare truck and possibly one of a kind for that year due to the dual LSD's, colour and configuration it is even more rare due to the incredibly clean and mint condition that it is in.

 

i don't know how rare she is but you've sure kept dang good care of her over the last 22-23 years!
i like the $60 credit for manual locking hubs! lol.they suckered poor fools into paying more for those junk auto lockers.i didn't know that.

looks like you added a front tank? so tell us and be honest.......just how many times has she really been in 4wd? it amazes me what vehicles can look like out in Cali.i swear to god,that's in better shape than a 2-3 year old vehicle here.

 

The front axle ratio is normally a "point" or two numerically lower than the rear axle ratio. A 3.55 rear axle ratio would have a corresponding 3.54 front axle ratio for example.

 

Thanks for the comments guys. At 185,500 miles it's been mostly freeway, although this truck has been off road and in 4WD every year since new (it's been in 4L maybe 5 times). We do yearly trips to Lake Tahoe; it handles great in the snow. We also did trips to Baja several time a year up until about 2007. So, it has seen plenty of off road; most recently two weeks ago we did some truck trail canyon-crawling. I thought it would be rattling and creaking after that excursion; but it's still quiet and solid on the road.

The axle code is H9B. Springs code C4L (quad shocks up front). Like Dialed-in, it took me six solid weeks of searching to find this truck. Pre-internet days meant calling dealers and a lot of driving around to nearly every dealer in SoCal. I finally found it at the place Bill mentioned. It was a special order for a commercial business that never picked it up.

Oh, and finding that second fuel tank was a real challenge! You couldn't get twin tanks from the factory with this set up. After another three month search, I found a specialty RV place to install a custom tank that fits between the forward frame rails.

I'm just finishing up a year long restoration on it. New paint, lights, glass, trim, mirrors, door handles, etc..nearly $10k worth of stuff. A lot of the parts are NLA; so it took plenty of time to find the right parts, including a new $400 leather wrap steering wheel. I've always replaced parts before they fail. Everything works. Still on R12. Mechanically solid. Tahoe trip starts next week.

 

Nice truck

 

If you have the part numbers, you can search for them on PartsVoice.com & rearcounter.com

But, do not type the numbers with any spaces or hyphens, type 'em like this: F6TZ3600AAA = 1992/96 F150 black leather wrapped steering wheel.

If not listed on either of these websites, place an ad in FTE's parts wanted forum. I whiz by there at least once a week to if anyone is looking for NOS (New Old Stock).

There's another search site, the D2D (Dealer 2 Dealer - FoMoCo Dealer Parts Locater System), but...it's not available to the general public, but I have access to it.

 

Not sure why you mention this rla2005, but yes I know, it's because you want the front pulling the rear instead of being pushed. The steering works better this way, however Ford and other manufacturers have not always practiced this exact scenario as the earlier F-150's came with the rear 9" axle and 3.50 ratio while the Dana 44 front ran 3.54 gears. That particular set-up offers poor handling on slippery roads to be sure, because of the rear axle pushing the front ever so slightly due to it's slightly faster speed (I know from personal experience). The ratios can be as many as .04 out +/-, but like I stated earlier you always want the front spinning faster meaning a numerically higher number in the front then the rear for best results (well unless of course you stagger the tires circumferences to compensate). I'm on my sixth set (front & back) of Detroit locker installs with lower gears (numerically higher) for the 4x4's I've owned (first one modified was an early Bronco) over the years, but thanks for tip...

What I was getting at was I never knew you could factory order the 4.09 front/4.10 rear gear ratios for a 1990's V8 4x4 F-150 automatic or manual transmission.

Either Phonemans Ford had a V8 with automatic like John's or possibly was a 4.9L (6 cyl.) engine equipped truck with manual transmission; or possibly (which I've never known) Ford offered those numerically higher gears (4.09/4.10) with the 5.0L and manual transmission equipped 4x4 F-150's as an option. How sweet would that be for wheeling...

Very nice steering wheel btw John and are those NOS (new old stock) floor mats I see. I was recently told by my local Ford dealer that the factory floor mats for my 1996 F-150 are no longer available. Perhaps I will have to do what NumberDummy suggests and try other avenues for all the factory bits no longer offered by Ford.

One other point of interest about your fine F-Series John, do you ever accidentally bump that Red Nitrous Oxide Button (as seen in your last interior photo) on the right side upper portion of your dash?

Cheers D

 

That is a shame you cut a hole in the bed for the second tank

 

I wasn't thinking of that when I read John's first post, but on a ride that clean I suppose it could be an issue many years on down the line when it becomes a mint, rare and old F-150.

I'm going to want to increase the range of my short box too, but was thinking more along the lines of one new and much larger tank (hopefully 150L or more which is about 37.5 US gallons) that incorporates the factory fuel access port so no new hole(s)...

I don't think it should diminish the value since John most likely did a quality and professional install of the second tank and it would only bother the most hardcore Ford purist. For me I would rather have the extra range the an unmodified stock box.

 

I would of put a factory setup in then butcher the side of the truck

 

Thank you. Yes, the range factor was the goal here. The installer did a great job. No foul in cutting a hole for the filler neck. Total fuel capacity is now 37 gallons. It was well worth the surgery scar.

As for that nitrous switch, well uhhh, I wish! It's just the alarm indicator light for one element of the custom built anti-theft system.

Too bad I didn't think of checking out the parts forum here earlier. It's pretty much done now.