okay, im looking at a 1989 or around there f-150. Its a manual, not sure if 4 or 5 speed. Has 90,000 miles. This will be my first truck and first 4x4 for that matter. I plan on going offroad with my friends and im just wondering how this truck will do? I plan on lifting it up a little and some bigger tires and then I was planning on a 302 swap but ive read some good reviews on the inline 6 and figured I might stay with it. Can some give me some info on maybe some perforamnce parts for the 300? maybe the specs on it, hp rating and so on. My dad use to have a 93 f-150 with the inline 6 and I remember it never ever giving us a problem at all. Just want some opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of a truck like this

 

The 300 is quite at home off road. It's low end torque makes it IMO one of the best power plants for this purpose. Keep the 300 it will do any the 302 is capable of.
When you go to the bigger tires don't forget the 300 makes it's power at the lower end of the RPM scale, so you''ll want some lower gears to keep it within the proper power band. One of my hunting buddies has a 89 F-150 300 I6 with a 5spd 3.73 gears
31" tires. The only mods to engine was Cloyes timing gear set and removing the cats.
It's a tough little truck and it's off road ability is very respectable.

Pat

 

well i was thinking of getting more like 35" tires atleast

 

35" tire will tax the differentials on your little truck to the limit, if your in to some serious off roading they wont last long.BTDT And you'll need 4.56 gears to pull those monsters with a small engine. Your truck most likely has 3.50 gears.
Remember the 300 make it's hp under 3000 rpms.
Try this http://www.bncoffroad.com/tire_gear_cal.html

Pat

 

Your best bet if you want good all around capability out of a TTB Ford is to do the following:
4" suspension lift (NOT body lift)
33"x12.50"R15 tires on steel wheels (because steel bends and aluminum shatters)
Dana 44 Power Loc or Trac Loc differential with 3.73 gears in the front
Detroit Locker for the 8.8" rear axle with 3.73 gears
www.broncograveyard.com for differentials and axle stuff
www.tyres1.com for wheels and tires
www.rockymountainsusp.com for the Rough Country lift (part number 465PUH it has everything you need)
also, you may consider replacing your hubs with Warn Premium Lockouts. They are pricey, but WAY better than stock (especially if it came with the automatic hubs), and well worth it.
As far as the 300, it is a GREAT engine for offroad. You are lucky if it does have a manual tranny, especially the 5 speed, because it is very versatile, and makes for a more enjoyable driving experience. It will also allow you better gas mileage. The straight six is also easy and fairly cheap to upgrade. You do not want a 302! The 4.9 makes more torque, and has more torque potential than the 302 ever dreamed of. It is also more fuel efficient, and way more reliable/ has a longer service life. With 90,000 miles on the truck, and proper maintenance, it could last you 350,000 miles +. The only shortcomings the truck is going to have are the ball joints and tie rod ends will need replaced at about 150,000 miles. Maybe sooner than that if you do lift it and put bigger tires on. When you do that R&R, you may also need to replace the wheel bearings and wheel seals. Speaking of tires, 35s are really unnesscessary on an F-150, and impractical with the TTB front suspension. A 4" lift and 33s will get you alot of places. Heck, stock suspension and 31s got me more places than I would have guessed. Another reason is because the axles weren't designed for that much centrifugal force. Also, you may consider replacing the stock clutch if you do alot of offroad stuff, simply because there is better stuff out there, like the CenterForce II . Great clutch! If your truck doesnt have tow hooks up front, it is a good idea to pick some up (they are only $20). Not so much because you will get stuck, but because its alot easier to get to those stuck Chevys driving foward and tug them out in reverse! A tow strap is another good idea. I got a 2"x20' strap rated for 18,000lb from Tractor Supply. I hooked it to a 150 yr old oak tree and to the 95 PowerStroke F-250, and it didn't break so... The stock front bumper is decently resilient, but if you are going to do some serious trail bashing, you may consider upgrading. Also, the stock exhaust is way to quiet. Hope this helps, and have fun. If you got any questions, post em, or pm me, I'll be watching. And remember, body lifts are for show, suspension lifts are for go!

 

I wouldn't recommend 4.56s for 35s unless you have overdrive. 4.10s and 35s is about right with a 4 speed. As far as the engine, it is great offroad. They will lug down to 600 rpms and pull up to about 3000 all in the same gear. That is pretty versatile.

 

I really don't see the problems with 35's on a 1/2 ton drivetrain, UNLESS:
1.) You wheel it hard, i.e. rockcrawling, mud racing, ect.
2.) You got lockers. There's nothing wrong with lockers, but 35's on those axles with lockers will probably break something. Usually when your tires are spinning then hook up. That's when U-joints, and axle flanges go bye-bye.

If it's light offroading, 35's would be fine. If it's a little more intense, I would say 33's at most. Unless you go to wun tun stuff, then 38's or 40's would be fine.

 

well this weekend ill get a better look at it. Its been for sale for like a year I believe but its not at one of the better car dealerships in town. I want my truck sit bigger then most and I want a lift where I dont have to upgrade other crap with it. What lift do you guys recommend? I want atleast 33"s on her. Where can I get an aftermarket bumper and what are some good upgrades for the 300?

 

Hooker Bob, that is a pretty cool site you have there.
chris

 

Off roading means different things to different people. If you are a desert racer it's a whole different world from rock crawling.

 

go to the links I listed in my post, do a search on Summit (www.summitracing.com) and you will find litterally hundreds of parts. Bronco Graveyard has EVERYTHING you need for your drivetrain, body, and lots of other stuff too. Tyres 1 is the cheapest place online I have found a wide variety of offroad tires. And Rocky Mountain Suspension has a great, inexpensive 4" lift. Why am I going over this again, read the post I wrote. you wouldn't have to ask these questions again. Just a friendly warning though, I have come across quite a few TTB Fords that were produced with open differentals, not something you want offroad (mine had 3.08s with open diffs). You will more than likely (if you want to have good off road capability) need to get at least one limited slip differental, and you will definantly need to regear your differentials, unless you have 3.73s or better from the factory (doubtful).

 

sounds like u wanna cheap wheelin rig. the 87-91 f150s have large wheel wells and u can fit 33s stock and 35s with a 3" body lift. id go with a 3" body lift and 33s or a leveling kit and 33s. cheap, minimal and easy to install. 33s wont require a gear change (unless it has 3.08s, then ur screwed) and wont put a lot of stress on the drivetrain.

for 300 mods please look at the stickey at the top of the page, everything is layed out there.

the 300 is a strong, durable engine. slow but steady it'll take a beating and keep on chugging a long. it aint no race car engine stock but its easy to work on, parts are cheap and sounds dam cool with no muffler

oh and rotgrubestier44 calm down man, those sites u listed arent the best for what u suggested. dont try to push stuff onto people like that, no one will take u seriously. and ur posts are hard to read.

 

My truck has the stock gearing and 33" tires along with the 4"lift. I've had it off road many times. When I first got it money was tight so I ran it like I got it. I can cruise at 65mph alright, although hills give me some trouble. It's for sure no race engine. As far as off road goes I've also had no problems other than just wishing I had more power. I mean ya the 300 will get ya around alright, however I'm the type of guy that like my right pedal. Oh, well guess thats what my Bronco and the ol' 400CI is for.

 

I am running a mildly built 300 in my 84 F150 4x4 (bored, cammed, carbed, headers, ignition, etc). It has a 2.5" (soon to be 4") suspension lift with 33s, 4.10 gears, Trac Lok up front, Powertrax No-Slip in the rear, and a 4 speed granny. This truck is an animal off road, it has earned a great deal of respect by the people who see it in action. It's famous for recovering other stuck vehicles and going home without breaking anything, don't get me wrong I still get stuck sometimes. I have been concidering going to 35s, however it would hamper my towing abilities so I am staying with 33s for now. The 4.10s are plenty low for 35s, I actually sometimes wish I had 35's so I could go a little faster on the freeway. With my set up I am running 2800 rpm at 65 mph, wish I had a 5 speed. The 300 Fords love to be lugged down and worked so it makes a great all around off road power plant.

 

if you're lookin' to go really cheap, i'd say hack the fenders to fit the tires. if its rusted much, like a lot of them are, its a good chance to do some backyard bodywork, trim the fenders, weld in a support along the lip of the curve, and a can of rustoleum goes a long ways. it'll also keep your center of gravity lower, which is something that comes in handy if you end up teetering on a log somewhere far from home.