OK, here's the deal. I have a 78 Bronco that I'm working on. The driveline is out for rebuilds and repairs so it's just a rolling chassis right now. I went to a guys house Saturday to look at some parts he wanted to get rid of. Low and behold he has a 78 F-150 4x4 sitting in his yard. We got to talking and he said he parked it back in 2000 (as evidenced by the inspection sticker) for having spun a bearing. He took everything out (motor, t-case, tranny) like I did. He said he would take $600 for it as is. Well...best I could tell, there were only a few minor rust spots on the top rail of the bed behind the cab and some obvious window seal issues. He swapped in a different front axle that is already angled up for a high pinion angle. It is set of for the quad shocks and he has both shock mounts installed. He knew of my Bronco as he looked at it one time before I bought it. So he mentions an even trade...that got my brain thinking. I'd much rather have the pickup than a bronco, both are basically in the same cond. (no motor, tranny, t-case), with the only difference being the pickup needs a little interior work and a couple minor rust issues that can be easily fixed wereas my bronco is in good shape inside and out. So...my question is what would you do? It would be an even trade, I already have my stuff here (driveline wise) and as far as I know everthing off the bronco will fit in the F-150. My brain is going nuts thinking about it. Do you think it would a wise decision?

 

Only you can answer this question. Is it a fair trade to you? The Bronco and F150 do share a lot of the same components, in fact pretty much every thing from the cab forward is the same.

You say that the front axle on the F150 is already angled for a high pinion. From the factory it had a HP D44 front axle, just like your Bronco. The factory setup can handle ~4" of lift. Did he have something higher in mind for the truck?

It's really up to you. I can only make assumptions. If you want a truck and he wants a Bronco, and both are in relativley the same condition, then yeah it sounds like a fair trade.

 

Tough decision to make based on weighing what is really needed.

Make a list of what is needed for the F150 and cost for the repairs.
Then make your decision. It does seem like the Bronco is in better condition. then if you want the truck, base your decision on how much it will cost to get the F150 running and looking the same as your Bronco. Then you can ask for money to make up the difference on the trade.

 

I think it sounds like a fair trade. My concern is the front axle. Do you know what axle he swapped in and why? I'm not completely clear on what was meant by "already angled up for a high pinion angle". A high pinion axle has the pinion cast higher than the center as opposed to a regular axle that has it set pretty much dead center. Now if you take either axle and angle the pinion up (like with degree bushings) too much you can screw up your caster angle and the truck will handle horribly, wandering and pulling all over the road.

So without having more facts I'd say it's a fair trade but do more investigating on the front axle before you commit. You don't want to be stuck with a screwed up front suspension that you'll need to sink hundreds into later on.

 

Well...after we talked and looked at the trucks he decided he would rather sell his rather than trade it. Said he doesn't want to take on another project. So, in spite of this I'm putting my bronco up for sale so check out the classified section!