Factory lockers? Worth it?
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Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Across from the neighbors
Factory lockers? Worth it?
In the bulletin board today was the following "4wd highboy 429 runs great complete truck $500". So i call and the guy said it runs great its a 4sp but the body is shot and its got lockers front and rear. So i drive 45 min to go look at it. When i pull in its sittin in a barn yard in bout 6 in of mud with the hood across the bed so im thinkin oh great. Then he says lets go look at it. Well this good runnin 429 is sittin in the bed with the oil pan off!! He said he bought it to put the motor in his dump truck but it wouldnt fit so he took the oil pan off and tried to put a small block 2wd oil pan on it. Said it wouldnt fit imagine that! Then he proceedes to tell me he gave the Ford garage the rear end numbers and they said it has factory lockers. Is that a possibility? The body is shot so nuthin any good there. It also has a 4in blok under the rear springs. Did that come factory with a high boy? It has the divorced transfer. With all this said do you think its worth $500? I have the money and the only things i need are the suspension and the transfer. Oh and it has the closed knuckle drum brake d 44 front end and the full float d 60 rear. Thanks for any info.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2006
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Ford "trac-loc" is not a real locker. It was simply a limited slip.
Pretty sure if all you want is the suspension and case, you could find a case for less money, and effort it is going to take to go through the expense of hauling all of that stuff home. Dod you make sure it was a 205 at least? You know the 203 was pretty common. This seller thought that he could put a small oil pan on a big engine, would you actually take his word for it that the truck actually had lockers in it anyway?
Pretty sure if all you want is the suspension and case, you could find a case for less money, and effort it is going to take to go through the expense of hauling all of that stuff home. Dod you make sure it was a 205 at least? You know the 203 was pretty common. This seller thought that he could put a small oil pan on a big engine, would you actually take his word for it that the truck actually had lockers in it anyway?
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Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Across from the neighbors
I didnt really get a good look at the transfer to be honest. I deal with the 78-79 stuff so im not real sure about what came on the highboys. Thats why i asked about the lockers. Do you know if that lift block is factory? Its additional to the block with the snubber on it.
Post Fiend
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I apologize man, I forgot to reply to that. Yes the 4" block was factory. It did have the horn for the bumpstop and a pair of ears that the u-bolts go through to prevent the blocks from walking out.
You said additional to the block with the snubber on it. Does it have more than one?
You said additional to the block with the snubber on it. Does it have more than one?
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Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Across from the neighbors
Yeah it has the block with the horn for the bump stop and then another block id say to be 4in. It sits level so im guessing it has a suspension lift on it along with the 3 in body lift.It has 265 tires on it with near new tread so i cant tell if itll fit large tires or not but it does sit fairly high.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Across from the neighbors
The real reason i want a highboy is for the front bar that the front springs bolt to right under the bumper. Its that front crossmember that the springs bolt to and that is rivited to the frame and then the bumper brackets are rivited to. What i am doing is a 4wd conversion on a 79 f-350 crew cab with an 8 ft bed. My neighbor has a highboy and we compared frames and mine is like his. Its drilled for that bracket. If i had it i could mount the springs and drill for the shackles. I wanted a divorced transfer but i thought about it and im goin with a married 205. If anyone has that bracket im wiling to buy it and have it shipped to my home.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2006
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I removed that bracket from mine. You really dont need it. Why do you think that you do? It is only sandwiched between the hangers, and the frame with the rivets running through both of them. To me, it just got in the way. My bumper does not even bolt to it at all. I can send you pics of one other I have at the shop if you wanna see. Build it without it.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Across from the neighbors
The bracket im talking about runs clear across the front of the frame and thats what the front of the springs bolts too. I looked at my neighbors highboy and it all seemed to be one peice. I know the 78-79 lowboys had a boxed frame and 2 individual spring cups. The highboys i noticed had that bracket all the way across and if i dont have it i cant bolt the front springs up.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2006
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I know exactly the one you are talking about, and mine was between the front hangers, and the frame. When I knocked off all of the rivets to get the hangers off, that crazy thing that went accross fell off too. I never put it back on. PM me with your E-mail address, and I will fire you a few pics of one I am working on now. You will see that it really is not necessary.
Worst case is you just bolt up some spring hangers directly to the frame.
Worst case is you just bolt up some spring hangers directly to the frame.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Across from the neighbors
i found a pic of the bar i thought it went all the way across. its that very front bar in the pic https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...119077&width=0
Post Fiend
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If you look at the pic previous to that one You will notice a small gap between the front hanger, ang the frame. This is where that support goes accross. It is held in by 5 rivets that go from top to bottom, and two in the very front. Then there is a gusset that attatches from the inside of the frame to the top of the plate / bar.
Either way it seperate from the hangers, and when I removed mine, I attatched my hangers right to the frame without that "thing".
Either way it seperate from the hangers, and when I removed mine, I attatched my hangers right to the frame without that "thing".
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2006
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I just took the golf cart over to the shop, and shot some pics of a 74 for you. I just sent them, and you should be looking at them now.
I used Super Duty spring hangeers on my 75' and i added support by installing a front reciever hitch between the frame rails. I have a few highboys, and only the 74' runs that bar. Like I said it will be removed when I get rid of the hangers alltogether, just like all of the others. Think I am going to 4-link this one, and hit it with coilovers all the way around. Time will tell I guess. But back to the story, you can do the conversion to front leaf springs without using that crazy piece. I guess if you really really had to have one, you could just nake one to add strength to the horns.
I used Super Duty spring hangeers on my 75' and i added support by installing a front reciever hitch between the frame rails. I have a few highboys, and only the 74' runs that bar. Like I said it will be removed when I get rid of the hangers alltogether, just like all of the others. Think I am going to 4-link this one, and hit it with coilovers all the way around. Time will tell I guess. But back to the story, you can do the conversion to front leaf springs without using that crazy piece. I guess if you really really had to have one, you could just nake one to add strength to the horns.