Well i am no stranger to trucks however i am new to for trucks. I love my 84 chevy and it is a bad *** street truck but that is exactly it it is a steet truck. So i am selling my 85 parts chevy for money and space to buy my little brother a truck. he just turned 16 yesterday and i think it would be cool to have this truck and then in the summer when i get back from school i can clean it up paint it up and him and i can go out and have fun with it. The truck is a 1978 f250 4x4 with the 351m and 4 speed manual. the truck has manual locking hubs and has the t case with 2whigh in it. How are these off road? the truck has a plow on it and i don't plan on tacking the frame off but i will keep the blade behind my house. Are there any common weak spots on these? Any ideas? i want to keep it cheap and reliable.

hear it is
http://s65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...gAnch=imgAnch1

 

Great truck to start with, Especially if its got a D60 up front to start with. With a plow being on it, check the frame rails up front for damage....bending, cracks, all that. Im bias, but you cant go wrong with a 78-79 ford!
Brian

 

yeah the truck was a drive way plow not a lot or businees plow its whole life. the old owner was a school teacher so he took it easy on her

 

thats a great truck man!

since it had the plow on it could it possibly be that it has the SnoFighter package? guys? is there a chance?

if so you just hit the gold mine! if it has the SnoFighter package it'll have a Dana 60 solid axle front and Dana 70 rear! rock solid combo, people pay $1000 for a front 60 from 85-97 F350 and $1200-$1500 for a D60 from a 78/79!

the t-case is a NP205 and you literally cannot hurt them! they have been used in some very serious situations and held up without sweating it! the tranny could be a toss up, i'd say it's either an NP435 or T-18. I'd prolly lean more towards the 435 b/c they were more for the heavier trucks.

have you crawled under it and gotten acquainted with her underbelly yet?

edit... looking at the pic it doesnt look like it has the SF package, sits to low. looks can be deceiving though! can you get closer pics of the front and rear axles?

-cutts-

 

it is the dana 60 front. The guy said the rear is a 60 also? it has a 351m in it now but i am not sure if it was the stocker cause the guy he bought it from hadit replaced. She looks tough but is dfinatly not a high boy. she has alot of surface sust and some rot but i don't care cause i am planning on useing it as a fun truck not a restoration project. I plann non patching any holes or rot then painting it flat black then adding a nice wood bed. maybe a winch later

 

it looks pretty promising that i might get the truck. Since it has no bed now might be a good time to lift it. i want to go 2 or 4 inches. or i might just keep it stock. Biggest thing is money... Would it be better to buy the lift or tiresnow? i was thinking of some Buckshots, because my buddy had them and they held up nice untill a tree lime impalle the side wall. Also i was looking at a jack or come along. i wish i had the money for a winch but that is going to have to wait. So should i do the tires first or do the lift. it is pretty big now and i am planning to do some mud and some backwoods trails not really into flexing.
thanks for thehelp

 

my suggestion would be to go with a 4inch lift now, and then you can go with a 33 or a 35inch tire, your choice. and as far as jacks go, get a hi-lift

 

if money is an issue (it is for most of us) then i would go ahead and get a set of 35's. they should fit without any lift and then if they scrub any trim ythe fenders out some. since youre nto really into flexing then you shouldnt have anything to worry about!

if you dont mind getting your hands dirty you might keep a sharp eye out for winches! i have been lucky enough to find 2 warn 8274's for $75 a piece. the first one i a, runing now and all i did was add winch rope and some oil. the other needs new solenoids but not a bad deal if you ask me.

check ebay often, sometimes there are some goog deals out there. but before doing any of that i would get a 60" hi-lift jack. not only can you use it as a jack but also as a pry bar, winch, spreader, fence post puller, etc, etc. i could go on! lol


-cutts-