Overdrive Usage
Tuned
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 425
Likes: 1
From: Fayetteville, TN
Actually, all it would do is add weight to the van, reducing the amount of cargo you can carry. Do you know the specifics of the conversion, such as what front and rear axles it has and what gear ratio? As Conanski mentioned, since you put larger tires on it, your gear ratio might be totally wrong. As far as GVWR goes, there is more than just spring rate that goes into the engineers' calculation. Strength of axles, engine, transmission, gear ratio, frame strengrh, brakes and more, go into the GVWR calculation. If you have the stock 5 lug rear axle, that's a weak link.
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New User
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Wow! There is a lot I do not know about my Van. So many good points being brought up.The information being brought forth is a huge education in the making. I’m going to have to do some more research to find out if I can get any answers from the questions that were asked above.
I do agree that the 4x4 conversion just added more weight but I don’t know what was done to compensate for that if anything at all. I would hope that they would take into consideration certain aspects of the original stock proponents that would contribute against the conversion and installed the necessary improvements.
I do agree that the 4x4 conversion just added more weight but I don’t know what was done to compensate for that if anything at all. I would hope that they would take into consideration certain aspects of the original stock proponents that would contribute against the conversion and installed the necessary improvements.
Tuned
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 425
Likes: 1
From: Fayetteville, TN
Do you know who did the conversion? When you have a chance or get back to the States, take some pics of your front and rear axle covers to help identify them. Does your van still use 5 lug axles? I think the only true way to verify your axle ratio would be to have one of the covers removed and count the teeth or look for a stamp on the ring gear. Any plates attached to the axle with gear ratio info, might be inaccurate. Hopefully, the front axle has the same ratio as the rear. I bought a vehicle a few years ago that supposedly had 4.56 gearing. I drove it for over 3 years and took it off road. A couple years after I sold it, the new owner let me know he found out it had 4.56 in the rear and 3.73 up front!
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New User
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Actually, all it would do is add weight to the van, reducing the amount of cargo you can carry. Do you know the specifics of the conversion, such as what front and rear axles it has and what gear ratio? As Conanski mentioned, since you put larger tires on it, your gear ratio might be totally wrong. As far as GVWR goes, there is more than just spring rate that goes into the engineers' calculation. Strength of axles, engine, transmission, gear ratio, frame strengrh, brakes and more, go into the GVWR calculation. If you have the stock 5 lug rear axle, that's a weak link.
5 lug⚠️
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2005
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There are a ton of shops that do conversions and are interested in nothing more than taking your money. I think you found one of them. Adding 4x4 then a conversion to a 150 with a 6 cylinder is trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. You don't have the engine, the axles, or the brakes to handle that safely.
A friend of my father once decided to save money, and bought an F150 with a 6 to tow a 5th wheel trailer, then couldn't understand why he got lousy gas mileage, and beat the poor truck to death in just a few years. I'm just glad he never found himself in an emergency braking situation. It would have been ugly.
Just because something can be done, does not mean it should be done.
A friend of my father once decided to save money, and bought an F150 with a 6 to tow a 5th wheel trailer, then couldn't understand why he got lousy gas mileage, and beat the poor truck to death in just a few years. I'm just glad he never found himself in an emergency braking situation. It would have been ugly.
Just because something can be done, does not mean it should be done.
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New User
Joined: May 2018
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I have what I have now. What I didn’t have is is any of this knowledge I’m gaining now. Now t am looking at how to best proceed at any reasonable measure to get the most out of what I have. I bought with 80,000 mi. Hoping to get several years out of it.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 6,298
Likes: 47
From: South central, Minnesota
There are a ton of shops that do conversions and are interested in nothing more than taking your money. I think you found one of them. Adding 4x4 then a conversion to a 150 with a 6 cylinder is trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. You don't have the engine, the axles, or the brakes to handle that safely.
A friend of my father once decided to save money, and bought an F150 with a 6 to tow a 5th wheel trailer, then couldn't understand why he got lousy gas mileage, and beat the poor truck to death in just a few years. I'm just glad he never found himself in an emergency braking situation. It would have been ugly.
Just because something can be done, does not mean it should be done.
A friend of my father once decided to save money, and bought an F150 with a 6 to tow a 5th wheel trailer, then couldn't understand why he got lousy gas mileage, and beat the poor truck to death in just a few years. I'm just glad he never found himself in an emergency braking situation. It would have been ugly.
Just because something can be done, does not mean it should be done.
There is nothing wrong with a 4x4 6cyl. The problem is when you do it a fully loaded conversion/camper van. The smaller engine will need the gearing or engine mods to handle it better. Some 1 ton axles would help things out some but then you are also adding more weight but gaining the brakes to go with it. With a OD transmission I'd want 4.11 or 4.56 gears in it.
No F150 should be pulling a 5th wheel, no matter if it's a 300 powering it or a 460 big block V8. That's just begging for trouble.
The 300 itself is a capable engine that has been used in everything from F100's to big N-series trucks. Along with a whole lot of ag and industrial items too. With some mods they can be woke up a lot. The EFI engines need some porting on the upper intakes, swapping in a V8 truck throttle body. Then some head work and higher ratio rocker arms do wonders. I'm building a 300 to put in a Extended E350 van. But if he doesn't want to get into the engine I would suggest the gearing to make the OD more usable. And a freer flowing exhaust system wouldn't hurt either. And if dealing with mountain passes then upgrade the cooling system and transmission cooler/s!
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