Could someone please take a minute to explain the differences between the F100 and F150 of '80 - '86? I'm wondering if I would have more luck finding goodies for the F100 if I could specifically ask for F150 parts, but I have no idea of what is interchangable (or what ISN'T interchangable, maybe).

Thanks again

 

I'll start this off, others may add to the list. I'm far from an expert, so I will miss some stuff.

F100 was a "light" version of the F series line. I mean that literally - they were build to be light. For example:

F100 could only have up to a 302 engine, nothing larger.
F100 could not have power brakes.
Some F100's came with a light duty suspension, including a 5 on 4.5" lug pattern. A heavier (F150-ish) suspension was an option with 5 on 5.5" lug pattern.
Some have said that all F100 came with a "swiss cheese" frame. My '82 F100 does not have the swiss cheese frame, so maybe one could say that most F100's came with the swiss cheese frame.

Most parts will interchange between the F100 and F150, but you need to be careful in the area of suspension and brake parts.

There may be other differences that I have missed.

 

well the F100 most certainly could come with power brakes.

while I have heard of the 5 on 4.5 wheels, my f100 is the lightest suspension option you can get (4700lb GVWR) and has 5 on 5.5.

In terms of f100/f150 interchange - it ALL interchanges, even at times when the catalogs sez it dont!

I have yet to find an F100 with uplevel trim, but I just took parts off an F100 4x4 so we know they go both ways...

 

Thanks so far guys.

By power brakes do you mean servo assisted?

Also, what were the std issue F100 wheels? I bought mine already running 30 x 9.50r 15 on 8x15" rims. (do these equate to 195 80 15?)

 

Number Dummy could help as far as what years the "swiss cheese frame was there best of my memory it was 1980 and before cuz my 82 doesnt have it. also my 82 has 5 X 4.5 lug wheels but Fordtruckman80 has and 80 F100 and has the 5X5.5 lug wheels. this is also and area where not real sure when the change happened????? but ive been struggling to find new wheels for my 235/75 r15 tires that are similar to the 92-96 wheels . thought about wheel adapters but idk. but everything is interchangable

 

My 80 F100 ranger came from the factory with additional helper springs, a c6 transmission and a dana 60 rearend. We compared the rearend to to the rearend of an 83 f250 hd diesel and they were exactly the same. It was a custom order bare to the bone truck. The only power option on it was the power steering.
The suspension was a custom order directly from the factory. That sucker was beat on from the time it was new to when I took it to the junkyard about a year ago. It ran like a champ and would pull anything, but the body was literally falling off.

I actually would rather drive that truck then my 89 f250 diesel. I never had a problem making things from 150 and up trucks fit on the f100.

 

The 1980 f150 pickups had the holes in the frame also. It wasn't just the f100's.

 

The last year for the F100 was 1983.

If a 1980/83 F100 has 4.50" bolt pattern wheels, it uses smaller brakes front and rear than like F150's use.

The springs and shocks are also different from like years F150's and it has the Swiss Cheese frame.

Quaddriver: All these parts do not interchange.

For example: The F100 rear brakes are 10 inches, the F150's are 11 inches. The rotors, calipers, brake pads, spindles, dust shields, etc used with the 4.50" wheels will not work with the 5.50" wheels.

Ford advertised these F100's as a Light Truck, very few options were available on these models.

The largest engine available was the 302, some 1980/82's have 255's, a smogged up dog of an underpowered V8.

While the 300 I-6 was offered, the 3.8L V6 was used on some 1982/83's. This V6 was one of the worst if not the worst engine Ford ever made.

We used to call this V6 the "Miracle" engine. If it went more than 70,000 miles without the head gaskets blowing or the timing cover beginning to leak, it was a miracle!

 

I dunno if Id say they dont interchange....the 9" rear using 5 on 5.5 has 11x2 brakes and take the EXACT same shoes and 'other stuff' as the later years using 8.8 axles (see: my project page)

what i have found that crosses over is not limited to brakes.

I have the rear shocks from a 90 F150 on mine, Im about to have the brake M/C and booster from a 90 4x4, I have the springs from an 89, the driveshaft from an 89, the exhaust system from an 89 (cat back), dash components from an 84 F250.

we know that even tho the front of the rear spring hangers interchange on paper, they are close (but remediable), the front springs interchange all years of F150 (for the first set of years, one years 'HD' spring became the next years std....)

the rear springs are 3 thin 2.5 wide leafs for the light option, 4 medium thick 2.5 leaks for 5450, 4 thick 2.5 width leafs for 6250, 4x4 used 3" wide springs, thick, 3 leafs - all you have to do is bolt on the spring rating you desire (for a few months this year I have owned 4700, 5450 and 6250 GVWR 2wd trucks at the same time)

front axle and steering 'knuckle' parts do not interchange, the 80-82 was an odd bird 4x2, but you can graft on a later setup with no fuss and can even use the symmetric track arms(radius arms)

under the hood, within the engine family just about everything swaps except the specific location of the AIR ports. the carb - regardless of year now uses a universal kit #, the alts pumps etc interchange. you can even change the relative placement of all the pumps from year to year

the steering boxes exhange all years and oddly, so do the pumps if you get the right mount and the right pulley.

now granted I know there were 5 on 4.5 axles/wheels,but I have yet to ever see one, ESPECIALLY in F100's.

 

Well mostly to do with badging and suspension and its just a very light duty truck F150 got the heavier duty suspension components etc

 

Anything can be "MADE" to work. Parts are said not to interchange when whole assymblies have to be replaced.

The swiss cheese frame was used in 1980 and 1981 models.

Most F-100's built between 1980-1983 have the 5 on 5.4, with 10 inch brakes. Not the other way around. Then you have the ball joint and kingpin differences...

You can't say that it's all interchangeable, it's not. You can't put 5 on 5.5 wheels on 5.4's, you cant put 11 inch brakes on 10 inch parts. You got to swap everything out pertaining to it.

I think you understand this, but others reading this may not. Trying to make things clear.

 

I understand that 10 inch brakes COULD be had on an F100, the thing is, they rarely ever were. most parts stores do not stock the 169 shoes. Its a special order.

Personally, I have yet to ever see them. mebbe someone out here has them? the same goes for the 5 on 4.5 (Im thinking u didnt mean 5.4) (looking further, no 8.8's had 10 inch brakes and no 9" with large spline count had em - so the question is, did the 5 on 4.5 ever make regular production or just a one off?

the best thing to do is gather up some parts catalogs and research. Ford updated so many part numbers and updated so many items even they dont know. the 100 only existed in the first few years of essentially a 16 year run. best place to start - get the F series 80-96 LMC catalog and memorize it. Oh I get a lot 'it will never work's. Thing is, I have yet to fail on my f100 project. A prime example is the brake update I am about to do. there is not a parts store alive that will say what I am about to do will work - I am going from manual brakes to a 1990 x4 booster M/C. No catalog booster for an 81 will drive the 90 M/C, no 90 booster will drive a 81 M/C. You will get told how you need fitings and such, OR you study the catalog, measure a few things and find the mounting never changed. A 90 will bolt in the 81. you just swap the brake lines up front cuz the 81 used a front reservoir in the rear, the 90 in the front - problem solved.

Did I have to swap out a whole assembly? well ya, but I would have had to anyways - I dont have a booster, so I have to get that. a power M/C is quite different from a manual M/C, the brake actuating rod is different. So I could have purchased these or interchanged from a truck I had apart.

In short, are there any parts drop dead specific to the F100 vs the F150? yes - the emblems on the fenders.

PS - you wanna see how bad some catalogs or parts lookup get? order an intake for a F100 with the 351.

 

also F-100s were all 2wd after 78? and were often equipped with overdrive transmissions.

a factory F100 with a dana 60 rear and a C6? hmm...

 

There were no 8.8 rear axles till 1983.

No F100 from 1980 thru 1983 was available with any 351 engine. The 1977/79 F100/350's (2/4WD) were available with the 351M.

The 351W was first offered for F150/350's & Bronco's in 1981. Econolines got 351W's beginning in 1975.

Every Ford car & truck parts catalog from 1948 thru 1989 is available on a CD from hipoparts.com.

The one that applies here is: 1980/89 FORD LIGHT TRUCK PARTS CATALOG.

Here's a couple of examples of parts lists from the above parts catalog for F100's only:

Front Hub & Rotor Application Chart: 1980/83 F100: Section 11.1 / Page 1.

Rear Hub & Drum Application Chart: 1980/83 F100: 10" x 2 1/2" = Section 11.2 / Page 3.

Rear Brake Application Chart: 1980/83 F100 10" x 2 1/2" = Section 22.1 / Pages 1 & 2.

Here's a part number for that "phantom" wheel that you say you've never seen: 1980/83 F100: 15" x 4.50" wheel: EOTZ-1007-D.

I could list every part that pertains to F100's only, but that's just too darn much work.

btw: I have every parts catalog Ford printed from 1928 thru 2002 (on paper and Ford microfiche slides).

Every Ford O.S.I. (Obsolete-Supercede-Interchange) Catalog from 1940 thru 1997, and the Master Cross Reference Catalogs from 1948 thru 1996.

I also have access to a Ford dealer only site that updates the part numbers the OSI catalogs don't cover.

So, there are very few parts numbers I cannot update.

See my signature...I post facts, not hearsay, rumors, or BS.

 

What was the 81 F100 with vin code G? (I'll give you a hint - it rhymes with 'tree nifty run'....)

83 was the last year of the F100...so what coulda been sitting underneath?

Like I said, they made so many changes even Ford does not know what is in them (see my project page for examples)