Towing capacity
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Towing capacity
I have a 2wd 1989 f150 351, c6 10.25 rear axle (FF) 4.10 gears. What's the max i can tow with this truck (without going too stupid heavy)? The truck is an ext cab long bed 8 lug. I know this is a half ton but it seems beefy and i have yet to find anything it won't pull. I have pulled several goosenecks with it but i cant find any capacity numbers on it.
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From: Chaz
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I ran the vin and it said f150. I can send if over if you would like to check it yourself.
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Murphysboro, IL
It really sounds like an F 150 on an F 250 frame. F 150's had coil springs up front, 250's had leaf springs with the twin traction beam axle and 350's had leaf springs with a solid axle.
Now to answer your question, I have towed 15,000 lbs with a 1997 F 250 with a 351 and the E4OD trans with 3.55 rear axle ratio. I wasn't going to win a race, wasn't towing on the highway, it was farm road speed and it was all loaded on a good trailer with brakes on the trailer. Not advisable for the road. On the road I was often up to 10,000 lbs, it handled it well with the 351 but definitely could have used more torque in the hills.
Now to answer your question, I have towed 15,000 lbs with a 1997 F 250 with a 351 and the E4OD trans with 3.55 rear axle ratio. I wasn't going to win a race, wasn't towing on the highway, it was farm road speed and it was all loaded on a good trailer with brakes on the trailer. Not advisable for the road. On the road I was often up to 10,000 lbs, it handled it well with the 351 but definitely could have used more torque in the hills.
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Freshman User
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It really sounds like an F 150 on an F 250 frame. F 150's had coil springs up front, 250's had leaf springs with the twin traction beam axle and 350's had leaf springs with a solid axle.
Now to answer your question, I have towed 15,000 lbs with a 1997 F 250 with a 351 and the E4OD trans with 3.55 rear axle ratio. I wasn't going to win a race, wasn't towing on the highway, it was farm road speed and it was all loaded on a good trailer with brakes on the trailer. Not advisable for the road. On the road I was often up to 10,000 lbs, it handled it well with the 351 but definitely could have used more torque in the hills.
Now to answer your question, I have towed 15,000 lbs with a 1997 F 250 with a 351 and the E4OD trans with 3.55 rear axle ratio. I wasn't going to win a race, wasn't towing on the highway, it was farm road speed and it was all loaded on a good trailer with brakes on the trailer. Not advisable for the road. On the road I was often up to 10,000 lbs, it handled it well with the 351 but definitely could have used more torque in the hills.
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Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Texas
Is it possible? I had a ‘78 F250 for 30 years. For body parts and some other stuff I had acquired a ‘78 F150. Just to screw with people I had swapped the fender badges…….put the 150 badges on the 250. Got asked quite often how I had a 150 with 8 lug wheels. I always told them it was a special order, one of a kind, only one ever built!
Just rememver that back before the ‘99 Super Duty, they pretty much used the same frame and sheet metal on all pickups. Just had different runnig gear under them.
So on a truck this old, unless you know the history, any thing is possible. Cab swap, running gear swap, whatever.
Just rememver that back before the ‘99 Super Duty, they pretty much used the same frame and sheet metal on all pickups. Just had different runnig gear under them.
So on a truck this old, unless you know the history, any thing is possible. Cab swap, running gear swap, whatever.
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Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
No that is not true at all, a 1/2 ton of this vintage has a much smaller frame and axles but the body work was all the same for all versions except for some minor details with floor pans and the firewall. The OPs truck has had a 1/2 ton body swapped onto a HD F250 or F350 rolling chassis, that means the VIN isn't correct and in some districts that makes this an illegal vehicle. The official towing capacity of a HD pickup of this vintage is based on the powertrain combo and ready to tow curb weight of the truck, for a 351/auto/4.10 gears combo the GCWR was a max 13k. If this truck weighs 5.5k with a driver and tank of fuel that leaves 7.5k for the trailer for example, that may sound really low but the engines and brakes in these old trucks were pretty weak compared to modern trucks.