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Hello all! Posted a while back but due to things beyond my control: like tearing my Achilles heel and someone wiping out the corner of my garage! Ok, enough of that. First of all I just retired today and have a 56 f100 that I have a new frame for from TCI in California and if anybody out there is familiar with TCI I would like some input on moving the gas tank from inside the cab to the rear of the new frame and also make room for a trailer hitch. That's the first thing and the second is attaching the battery holder to the frame again or move it to the inside of the engine compartment. Thoughts?
one note on the battery... if you plan on a low truck or even if you don't... the battery on the frame rail while cool is a bear to work on. I have to use a floor jack to lower mine and raise it back up. Made an attachment for the floor jack to hold the battery in place moving it. I'd also recommend maint. free type.
the fuel tank is a one day job at most, especially working with a bare frame... Trailer hitch is doable, but it's crowded with the tank back there... My original plan was a coke box trailer but nixxed that idea. I had to drop my tank and removed the hitch...didn't put it back...don't know where you are but it's probably too heavy to ship...
TCI makes some good products. I am looking forward to watching your build.
I would use a drop down battery box, bolted to the frame just behind the right running board mount that it originally sat on. That is what I did on my 55 and I still had room to fabricate a bracket for a remote transmission cooler.
The PO of my 55 mounted the battery inset into the right inner fender. The inner fender is not designed to take that kind of weight and it damaged the inner fender mount on the cab. That is why I went with a No Limit stainless steel drop down battery box.
Yes, TCI definatly makes great stuff but It's a thick boxed frame! You can't just drill holes and run bolts thru to mount things like the battery tray and gas tank,my welding skills are nill !! I'll have to use blind fastners and the such. My new saying will be " more to come".
Congrats on retiring! I have a TCI chassis under my 40 Ford as well as a TCI 4-link under my 56 F100...as has been said, TCI builds quality products. However, if you are not the original purchaser of your frame, good luck getting any support from TCI...if you don't have a receipt with your name on it then you are persona non gratis. That said, unless you are making gross changes to your chassis then you should be OK, As for mounting items to the boxed frame, you may want to invest in a nutsert kit...here's one for reference
I dont see why you cant have a rear mounted tank and a frame mounted trailer hitch as all later trucks have this setup.
Reese Hitchpart#37096 003 on my 81 F100 that dose have a rear tank and the spare tire mounted under the tank.
Dave ----
As for the trailer hitch, I made mine integrated into my 6x2x3-16 rectangular tube rear bumper. I made it 6 inches high so the license plate fits on it without hanging over.
I figured that I saved weight by integrating the hitch into the bumper, instead of having two separate items.
@jniolon makes a good point on frame mounting of the battery for accessibility. I have been thinking about a nice tool box in the front of the bed with a battery compartment (vented) built in. That would make it easy to get to for the trickle charger and a master disconect switch. Never fly for a show truck, but for one that gets driven it might be worth consideration. I had big plans to get mine finished when I retired, but somehow I feel I am busier now than when I was still working. Best of luck to you, and looking forward to seeing your progress.
Hello all! Posted a while back but due to things beyond my control: like tearing my Achilles heel and someone wiping out the corner of my garage! Ok, enough of that. First of all I just retired today and have a 56 f100 that I have a new frame for from TCI in California and if anybody out there is familiar with TCI I would like some input on moving the gas tank from inside the cab to the rear of the new frame and also make room for a trailer hitch. That's the first thing and the second is attaching the battery holder to the frame again or move it to the inside of the engine compartment. Thoughts?
Congrats on retirement! I retired 1 1/2 years ago and have been having fun working on rusty trucks almost every day.
TCI is a good company, I recently bought a m2 suspension and parabolic spring kit, I can not say enough about their tech support, called them a couple times and they answer the phone and answer your questions.
For batterys, is the '56 different than the '53. I have an access door and it is easy to lift the battery out. My battery comes with a lifting strap.
I am still learning, but I believe that the '56 is the first 12-volt system for Ford F-Series. The '53 would still be 6-volt unless converted.
Edit:
A bit of research in the parts catalogs, it looks like '53 thru '56 used the same floor. So, they all had a battery access hole at the passenger's feet. However, they both have different parts for the Battery Box itself.
I think that some may close the access hole so as not to have to remove carpets?
Hope I am correct in this.
Last edited by sgtcurly; Jun 5, 2023 at 08:20 AM.
Reason: Additional info
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