Steering stabilizer and HD & Custom difference
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 3,146
Likes: 32
From: Maryville, TN
A custom is just a stripped down, bare bones work truck. Not even a headliner. If your lucky you get a/c and maybe a radio. My dad bought a new 90 model custom when I was a kid. It had air, but had to have a radio installed. If it's straight shift, it will have the weaker m5od. The heavy duty is going to have beefier springs, if straight shift, a zf5, if auto a hd tranny cooler, and other things that someone else can chime in on. Probably a lower gear, higher capacity tires etc.. Why do you think you need a steering stabilizer for that truck? Any steering stabilizer should work, may have to fab a mounting bracket.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 562
Likes: 0
From: Otto, NC
Does the truck wander? On roads that heavy truck traffic the road tends to have truck ruts. Does the truck follow these ruts in excess? Does the truck tend to drift more than you would like on the highway. More effort to keep it straight? This is what my truck does. It's a 4x4 7.3 extra cab long bed. So far I have done tie rods and ball joints along with a FEA. I still have the problems I've described. I'm thinking at 200K I need to replace the steering box and the rest of the stuff in the steering. I also question the tires. They are the right tires for the truck but come from CosCo. They were put on by the last owner for the sale of the truck. After a 1000 mile drive from NC to MA I was exhausted from wrestling with this issue. 2 FEA shops keep telling me all is ok but I drive the truck and know it is not right.
I don't know how different 2WD is from 4WD but I'd be currious as to what you do to fix the problem
I don't know how different 2WD is from 4WD but I'd be currious as to what you do to fix the problem
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Freshman User
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
Well I bout this truck for 2800 with only 71,000 miles on it. It has AC/Heater, it's a 5speed with cruise control, has a radio and even has a headliner. I saw it was a custom and thought it's not gonna be able to pull large trailers or even a car hauler. So I was just wondering if there's much difference between a HD And Custom.
And for the stabilizer part it keeps going into the ruts on the highways down here. And when I try holding it straight the ruts will still turn me into them. At one point I almost went into on coming traffic. So I was thinking a stabilizer would work. But idk where to get them from and preferably a dual stabilizer too.
And for the stabilizer part it keeps going into the ruts on the highways down here. And when I try holding it straight the ruts will still turn me into them. At one point I almost went into on coming traffic. So I was thinking a stabilizer would work. But idk where to get them from and preferably a dual stabilizer too.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 8
as indicated, a custom is a bare-bones pickup ... however ... it could be ordered with all kinds of upgrades. for example, you have a/c ... that would be almost unheard of on a custom up here. you could very well have a suspension or rear-end upgrade ... or not. decoding your VIN might tell you more about your truck.
at only 71k miles one might THINK that the steering box should be ok ... but i would definitely take a look at it.
at only 71k miles one might THINK that the steering box should be ok ... but i would definitely take a look at it.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 5,670
Likes: 13
From: Sand Lake, MI
There is a Custom HD at least in the 8th generation, never seen LD in the 9th generation but hear tell there is such an animal.
Look at the sticker in the door jamb, if over 8500lbs GVWR it is heavy duty. As previously stated "Custom" is a trim package a basic no frills truck manual everything.
Far as the stabilizer a properly functioning front end does not need one, instead of buying one and installing it to mask underlying issues, use that money you'd spend on one to replace worn parts and a have an alignment done at a competent shop with good normal sized tires on it.
Only reason to install a steering stabilizer especially a dual model would be if you intend to run high speed on very large tires, doing so over very rough terrain such as baja racing type activity. Normal street stuff a well maintained front end/truck just doesn't need it, is a waste of money.
Replace any and all parts with play in them, ball joints piviot bushings tie rods ends worn parts in the steering shaft etc etc and so on. Once you do that and have it aligned you'll be surprised how nice it runs down the road.
Look at the sticker in the door jamb, if over 8500lbs GVWR it is heavy duty. As previously stated "Custom" is a trim package a basic no frills truck manual everything.
Far as the stabilizer a properly functioning front end does not need one, instead of buying one and installing it to mask underlying issues, use that money you'd spend on one to replace worn parts and a have an alignment done at a competent shop with good normal sized tires on it.
Only reason to install a steering stabilizer especially a dual model would be if you intend to run high speed on very large tires, doing so over very rough terrain such as baja racing type activity. Normal street stuff a well maintained front end/truck just doesn't need it, is a waste of money.
Replace any and all parts with play in them, ball joints piviot bushings tie rods ends worn parts in the steering shaft etc etc and so on. Once you do that and have it aligned you'll be surprised how nice it runs down the road.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 5,006
Likes: 72
From: Roseville, MN
danr1 was saying this, but to be clear, "Custom" is just a trim level. It could be on an F-150, an F-250, an F-250HD or an F-350. Trying to figure out the difference between Custom and F-250HD is kind of like trying to figure out the difference between XLT and F-150.
An F-250HD, regardless of trim level, is a 3/4 ton truck that's been upgraded (at the factory) with a full-floating rear axle, stiffer springs and often other parts of the running gear. As Ron94150 said (but incorrectly connected to Custom), a standard F-250 might have the same M5OD manual trans as a half ton truck while the F-250HD will have the same ZF5 trans as a 1 ton (even if it's a Custom).
And as danr1 said, a stabilizer isn't going to help you. You need to find and fix the real issues in your steering.
An F-250HD, regardless of trim level, is a 3/4 ton truck that's been upgraded (at the factory) with a full-floating rear axle, stiffer springs and often other parts of the running gear. As Ron94150 said (but incorrectly connected to Custom), a standard F-250 might have the same M5OD manual trans as a half ton truck while the F-250HD will have the same ZF5 trans as a 1 ton (even if it's a Custom).
And as danr1 said, a stabilizer isn't going to help you. You need to find and fix the real issues in your steering.
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pedant
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 23,576
Likes: 39
From: EXTREME southwest CT
Gearbox depends on engine.
A 460 will always have a ZF.
A 351 250 will have a ZF.
A 302 'LD' 250 will have a m5od and semi floating 10.25.
At least this is what I've seen.
My 'Custom' truck came with radio and headliner, vinyl bench and floor mat.
XL & XLT trucks have plush interiors, lighting & convenience packages, exterior trim and sometimes two-tone paint.
A 460 will always have a ZF.
A 351 250 will have a ZF.
A 302 'LD' 250 will have a m5od and semi floating 10.25.
At least this is what I've seen.
My 'Custom' truck came with radio and headliner, vinyl bench and floor mat.
XL & XLT trucks have plush interiors, lighting & convenience packages, exterior trim and sometimes two-tone paint.
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Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 3,146
Likes: 32
From: Maryville, TN
Originally Posted by Nothing Special
An F-250HD, regardless of trim level, is a 3/4 ton truck that's been upgraded (at the factory) with a full-floating rear axle, stiffer springs and often other parts of the running gear. As Ron94150 said (but incorrectly connected to Custom), a standard F-250 might have the same M5OD manual trans as a half ton truck while the F-250HD will have the same ZF5 trans as a 1 ton (even if it's a Custom).
And as danr1 said, a stabilizer isn't going to help you. You need to find and fix the real issues in your steering.
And as danr1 said, a stabilizer isn't going to help you. You need to find and fix the real issues in your steering.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 3,146
Likes: 32
From: Maryville, TN
Originally Posted by ArdWrknTrk
Gearbox depends on engine.
A 460 will always have a ZF.
A 351 250 will have a ZF.
A 302 'LD' 250 will have a m5od and semi floating 10.25.
At least this is what I've seen.
My 'Custom' truck came with radio and headliner, vinyl bench and floor mat.
XL & XLT trucks have plush interiors, lighting & convenience packages, exterior trim and sometimes two-tone paint.
A 460 will always have a ZF.
A 351 250 will have a ZF.
A 302 'LD' 250 will have a m5od and semi floating 10.25.
At least this is what I've seen.
My 'Custom' truck came with radio and headliner, vinyl bench and floor mat.
XL & XLT trucks have plush interiors, lighting & convenience packages, exterior trim and sometimes two-tone paint.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 5,006
Likes: 72
From: Roseville, MN
At one point the higher trim levels really just came bundled with more niceties "standard", but you could still order most of them as options with a lower level. Back in '84 I ordered a brand new '85 F-250HD with XL trim (the second lowest), but I ordered it with all of the XLT comfort features except carpeting. That gave me the XLT I wanted except that I still had the easier to clean rubber floor mats. So what you find on a low level trim really depends on how it was ordered. Lots of Customs were strippers to keep the cost down on a fleet truck, but quite a few would have been upgraded as they were ordered.
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