I've got a 78 F150 craigslist find that I am working up to be a wheeler. The steering box is pretty shot and I am putting in a new one from redhead, but while I am at it I am hoping to get all the parts lined up from whatever lift was put on it years ago.

I am pretty new to this, so I am hoping that the FTE community can come together to school me and let me know what I have and what I need. Drop pitman arm? Etc...

See pics below, and let me know if any other angles are needed.

 

That's a stock pitman arm.


...I don't think it has a lift.


Are those 33-inch tires?

 

They are 35's. Is there a part or place I can measure to make sure the geometry is right? I just don't want to throw in a new steering gearbox and then have to go taking stuff apart again.

 

My rig wore 35s with 2-inch lift lift coils and sat generally level. I subsequently installed 4-inch lift.

Post up the front and rear vertical measurements from the wheel hub centerline to the fender arch. Doing so will take out any height contributed by tire height/sizing.

And post a pic of the rear suspension.. specifically, the area of the lift blocks.

 

Up front it looks to be around 24" from wheel hub to the top of the fender arch. on the back it is more like 25", but it doesn't have a wheel well since it is a flat bed. Also it looks like the front clip was replaced with a 76-77 one since the grill is that pattern and not the 78 version. Don't know if that makes a difference. It is quite the frankenstein truck.

Here is the rear suspension block from the back. And then a picture of the flatbed.

I want to get the steering geometry as close as possible the first time.

 

So, after looking around it looks like in the rear there is an extra block (about 3" tall) under the "stock" lift block. Does that look right? I need to replace the rear leaf springs anyway so I will probably upgrade to 3 1/2" lift leafs so I can get rid of the bottom block.

But I am still confused about the front. From other pictures I found it looks like there is not a lift (or maybe a small lift) on the front. The track bar seems to be fairly lined up with the drag link, so it doesn't appear that I need to change that geometry with a drop pitman or track bar bracket. Does that sound right?

Either way, the redhead steering box will be a welcome relief.

 

Grilles / headlights are easily swapped between various years on these trucks. I wouldn't go quite so far to say its a full cab swap just because the grille isn't right.

 

Indeed it does not mean that at all. Just saying parts have been utilized from other years/styles than indicated by the VIN. It is a Frankenstein truck for sure and I love it. But it does make it hard to shop for parts when you are not sure what has been done.

That being said, is replacing leaf springs or the steering box too complicated for a relatively new truck enthusiast to manage on their own? I have done a few minor repairs on an 88 f150 and it was very rewarding. But steering and suspension I don't want to risk messing up if it is too difficult.

Thanks!

 

I don't think you'd be in over your head to do the leaf springs yourself, pretty straightforward. I've never done the steering box, and you'd have to do some steering bleeding afterwards. I hate bleeding lines, so I'm doing things the wrong way and waiting until my steering box goes completely out and will probably land me in a ditch.

 

Yeah, I hate bleeding too. Changed a caliper on the 88 and bled the brakes by myself. It was a bit of a pain, but not as bad as I was expecting.

I have heard of a lot of issues with the PS on the dent sides though, so I will just have to see how adventurous I am feeling.

 

sporkacus is on the same track as me. i have wanted to lower my truck though. i just cant figure out if it is factory or did the po lift it. the center hub to wheel opening is 24 - 24 1/2 just like sporkacus but looks totally different. its a 79 4x f150. anyone having an opinion what was done here would be appreciated. .
not trying to take over the topic just sporkacus has raised similar issues.

thanks for the input.

 

mine has blocks under the rear axle as well. the drop on the pitman arm looks drastic to me as well , doesnt look stock at all.

 

I'd say you've got a 4-inch lift...same as my 73/74 (with 79 steering gear and links).

 

So does that mean with the front wheel measurement that the front has lift springs? The back for me has the two blocks so I assume one came from the factory and the PO added another one. I am going to ditch one on mine and replace with 3.5" lift leaf springs. Just not as sure about what is going on in the front.

 

My rig with its four-inch lift (and all fenders) measures front and rear at 25.5 and 27.5 inches, respectively.

My rear add-on blocks only measure 2.25 inches tall.