OK, new to the forum. I just spent 2.5 years redoing a 1969 Camaro and now a buddy and I are undertaking customizing a 1948 F5. It actually runs and everything but will not meet our needs. We want to have it be a highway driver and be able to car a Factory Five Cobra on the rear! All is original so the gearing is what too low and the truck to high for loading the Cobra. So some questions. Please direct me to another thread is they have been asked already. We plan to replace the engine, trans and rear axle to get it more street able. Definitely would like to keep it a dually. Thought about a F350 rear, 5 speed, new crate truck engine. We would also like to put disks all around and run smaller tires up front. We assume this would require a suspension swap. So any recommendations on rear axles, suspension components? How about front axle and suspension swaps to ge something for functional? Can we do the f350 on the back and leave the front as is? Are parts easily available? We are doing the whole truck in a deep metallic black, a custom interior and chopping the top too. We know we could start with a much better vehicle but that is part of the fun and challenge and we love the truck. Thanks in advance!!

 

The rear axle will be the easy part. The hard part is gonna be getting a front axle narrow enough to fit the front fenders of the truck.

 

Parts are relatively easy to get - as far as sheet metal. The brakes and suspension, well, not so much. Try Chucks Trucks LLC.

 

OK, any specific recommendations for the front or rear axles?

 

Are you aware the stock wheels on your truck are called "widowmakers"? Very important to understand that before you do anything!

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...ml#post8729546

I don't see how you can lower the truck enough to make loading a car a joy, and still have the carrying capacity. How about pulling a trailer?

 

Yes I am that is why I would love to replace both the front and back axles and get slightly smaller tires. We will figure out a roll-back solution or a trailer may be the final answer for the car. The height will be a challenge. Not really worried about storage except the car.

 

Thanks for the recommendation. That is why I join and enjoy forums such as this with dedicated enthusiasts! I found Chuck on-line but wanted to see if others recommend them before I reach out.

 

Rear axle isn't hard, especially if you are willing to change bolt patterns. To keep the 5 lug x 8" pattern one option is to find a Dana 70 axle from an old '70s era Dodge motor home. They have a 4.56/1 gear that is more road friendly.

The issue that generally ends discussion of this is front axle limitations. Track width is one issue as said, the other is steering geometry. Your truck has its drag link and steering arm outside the frame, more modern vehicles with disc brakes have inboard steering. I don't recall reading where anyone has successfully overcome this. I do, however, have a pair of 5 x 8" pattern front disc brake assemblies, with matching D70, to someday see if I can adapt them to stock spindles. But I don't expect it will be feasible. If you try this, the donor motor home will also provide its tubeless 19.5" x 6" wheels that solve the widow maker wheel issue.

I'll second/third high praise for Chuck. The man knows these trucks, and has a sales relationship with Job Lot that gives him great big truck parts resources. Stu

 

The underlying theme whenever I see these threads pop up seems to be axles and wheels for these trucks. I'm not saying that as a bad thing only as an informative observation. If you're serious about swapping axles out of the truck, the Isuzu NPR trucks seem to grab my attention but aren't very popular for some reason.

They've been around for decades, GVWR from 12-20,000lbs. Leaf springs with a straight axle in the front, dually rear and the six lug pattern looks a little more period correct than eight or ten of the newer 1+ ton trucks. Axle ratios look like anywhere from 4.55 to 5.57 and with 16" or 19.5" wheels available there's a ton of tire options.

 

Interesting, Isuzu lists the "axle width" as 65 +/- inches. Might be a match.

 

Had an Isuzu here on Monday picking up a load of lumber. Was too busy to grab my tape measure, but I was thinking the same thing. This one had 19.5s and was very heavily built. I'd grab that 4 cyl diesel too while I was at it! Probably not your kind of powerplant though. I have a sterling 10 1/4 dually rear axle from a '92 F350 onder my '59 F350. I converted my front hubs to eight lug to match. My axle is 4.11 and I can cruise at 65 quite nicely

 

Ross - is that front or back? Any info available on steering components?

Edit - the D70 is 66" wms to wms. It is 41.5" c/l to c/l of the spring perches. Stu

 

Here's a couple craigslist ads in F5inNC's area that might give a little visual.

2000 isuzu npr diesel

1999 Isuzu Diesel Box Truck (NPR/NQR)

Looks like an NQR model comes with 19.5's. The engine/tranny combo is completely up to you but some are equipped with 6.0 *Gasp* Chevy motors, and most of the 5.2L diesels are decently powered at about 215hp 440 lb/ft. It might not seem like a lot of power with newer trucks at 400/800 but this is a very similar power rating of the 94-97 power stroke diesels. I've driven the smaller diesel ( 3.0L or so?) running deliveries and it would run 65mph foot on the floor on the flats and that was only 150hp or so.

Wow I sound like an Isuzu dealer, but these seem like great donor vehicles for a non traditional build and you see them everywhere. Heck, find one with a big lift gate and you could probably just drive the cobra on the platform and lift it up.

 

Subscribing. Isuzu? They are all over the place.
Never thought much about them as a parts rig
till now.