Hello, new to forum, hope someone can help. I was looking to upgrade my 66 shorty to the later model good'ys, and after a not to indepth look at the 76 to 79 f100 & f150 can't tell a big differance, thanks in advance.

 

Hey there, hobbysrus, welcome to FTE!
I would suggest you re-post this in the '61-'66 forum, as most of us there are more familiar with the differences you mention - we have to be, to know which years to get good parts!

 

Hey banjopicker, actually What I was trying to find out was what is the difference in a f100 & f150 in the late 70's

 

Hobby,
The coil springs might be a little lighter duty in the F100 but that would be the only difference. All basic components are the same between the F100 and F150 and are also the same as the 65-66 truck you mentioned. The great thing about the newer front suspension is front disk brakes and power steering and its all a direct bolt on. I was planning on doing the same thing to my 66 swb until Ive put it up for sale. Hope that helps

 

im assuming your talking about a 2wd, but clarify for us...

 

I was talking about 2wd trucks. I hope hobby was also.

 

thats what i was asking....if hobb y was talking about a 2wd, i assumed you were

 

Yes, I was talking about a 2wd, I need to do the king pins and have heard about the frame swap and had been looking, and thought why did ford do a f150 if they weren't going to beef it up more than I can see.

 

You really dont need to swap the whole frame. You could swap the suspension just about as easy as taking the spindles off the 79 truck. 2 bolts for the radius arms 2 bolts for the I beams and I think 4 bolts for the coil springs and youre done. IMHO there was a little redundantness in the 100 and 150s. Not a big enough difference to constitute 2 different models but thats just my $.02

 

The F150 was a way of getting around emissions requirements. Ford raised the GVWR of an F100 to over 6000 (so that it didn't need cat converters) and called it F150 since it still wasn't a 3/4 ton like the F250.
Technically, the F100 is a half-ton truck and the F150 is a heavy-half. Correct me if i'm wrong here, AFAIK the only real difference between the two is the springs.

 

That's how I understand it too. The only reason for the F150 was to be able to make it without emissions equipment. That's why they are almost identical to the F100s - almost all the steering and brake parts are the same.

Marty

 

FoMoCo made some options based on the F-150 that were not available on the F-100.

For example 31 spline 9" rear axle assy, or camper specials with the overload provision on for rear springs, or trailer specials with F-250 size/type calipers & rotors but using a 5 on 5.5, Standard FoMoCo LT truck wheel lug pattern, Both Camper Spcl & Trailer Spcl also came with front & rear anti sway bars & F-100s did not come with rears, or 460CID engines unavailable in an F-100 as an OEM production, or Super Cabs in a LT Specification.

So Generally speaking the F-100 & F-150 are very similar and what's on 1 can be installed on the other, but they are not identical in several ways.

As for his intentions on his original question, My 66 SWB/CC F-100 sits on a 79 F-150 SWB Trailer Spcl. I had to fudge the bed a bit but there is only 2" actuar difference in WB 117 vs 119 for SWB.

There's +3" difference in rear frame width in "CA", or Cab to Axle area between 65-72 and 73-79 FoMoCo pick up trucks. That req's re-drilling the bed floor, or hanging the 66 bed sides on the inner part of a 73-79 styleside bed, or using a flareside bed.

BUT I got 14" dia X 1.25"w front discs, heavy front & rear anti sway bars, a 31 spline 9" FoMoCo 3.00:1 open leg rear axle assy, heavier rear leaves in my springs, 460 CID engine, my fuel tank out of my cab & back between frame rails where it belongs. The 73-79 slipper style power steering. All I did was fit 66 sheet metal to a 79 F-150 SWB Trailer Special frame.

AND I concur with Banjopicker66! If you have a 66 go to FTEs' 61-66 forum, we're way into making our "Slicks" 21st century compatable by doing such upgrades, and I will gaurentee we DO HAVE THE HANDLE ON THIS MODIFICATION. . . .

FBp

 

I don't have any data on any of the differences....I wonder if the Ranger XLT's didn't get some of the stuff that would normally be on an F-150. I have a 73 F-100 Ranger XLT and it has a ford 9" 31 spline traction loc. It doesn't have the sway bars though.

Tracy

 

If you've a LWB and/or a FE and ordered traction lock it should be 31 spline set up in an F-100. But if you ordered a trailer special (as opposed to just a F-100 with towing package) it would have been an F-150 & had the enhanced/ upgraded suspension.

If you can get a hold of the salesmans desk manual all these neat things are parsed out. Also they are referred to in the OEM Factory shop manuals dealers used back in the day, to work on these when they were "New".

FBp

 

Well since the F-150 wasn't introduced until 1975, it's very reasonable that some of the 1973 F-100s would have some of the options that are only 1975 and later F-150 specific.

the F-100 Heavy Duty springs to mind.... a small pun intended.

They were first introduced as a way around emissions is how I understood it as well.

Stay away from the early 80's F-100s Before they were phased out in 1984, they were really cheapy done IMO. Smaller brakes, smaller wheels and lug nut patterns, ball joint and stamped I-beams instead of the normal kingpins and forged I-beams... to name just some of the differences in the 80's versions...