I have a 79 ford f100 inline 6 .do I have struts and shocks under my truck.
I am a littel confused.or is it two differant things .do some have a strut suspension or a shock suspention .i know I have shocks becaus I looked.do I have struts to.or is this a dumb question.

 

A strut has a shock but also has a coil spring.

If you have leaf spring you just have a shock. If you have coil springs you have a strut.

 

I highly recommend you purchase a Haynes or Chilton's manual. The beginning of each chapter is an overview of that system - engine, brakes, steering, chassis, etc.

 

79 F100/F150 2wd has a trim I beam front suspension with coil springs and radium arms in the front and leaf springs only for the main rear suspension.

And yes you have shock absorber's, but they are outside the coil springs, so they are not "struts" like on a car.

X2 on on getting a basic Chilton book for some know how, and parts ID.

 

Thanks I plan on getting a chiltons manual and a cd for working and iding parts on my truck
But I am broke right now.but I get payed at the end of the week.i plan on putting new shocks on this week to.but I have to call around for pricing.

 

FYI you can get some free auto part catalogs from LMC, DC, NPD, JBG, Macs and so forth, that way you can get free ID catalogs.

You can go to the local Library and look up those Chilton and or Hayes auto repair manuals and just copy some pages....

 

77&79F250 thanks I did not think of the library.i will try it out.

 

You can also check prices on-line such as:
RockAuto Parts Catalog
AutoZone | Auto Parts & Accessories | Repair Guides & More
Advance Auto Parts: Car, Engine, Batteries, Brakes, Replacement, Performance & Accessories

If items have to be shipped, don't forget the S&H in comparing. Advance -main headquarters in Roanoke, VA and zone has a set up where you can order online and pick up in store.

 

For general repairs, chiltons/Haynes are fine but if you ever get into the insides of an engine, transmission or axles, I find them to be kind of vague. Most of the information you will ever need for these trucks can be found in these forums, or by simply googling the issues, or ever looking on YouTube.

Best not over look eBay or Amazon for parts... These two sources are always the best for shopping and comparing different options but once you have found a part you want to go with look up the part number here to make sure you are getting the best price.