hey everyone..... today i went to the local pick-a-part to see what i can find for my truck(1973 f-250 2wd 460 auto) and this time around all i could find was five lug f-150's of the same generation...and as i was down there i noticed that front suspensions all look pretty much the same.Now my question is are the 150 and 250 suspension parts interchangable?I also noticed that they all had drums on the front and my f250 has discs. Did f-150 trucks ever come with discs in the front? i ask because i was looking into converting my 8 lug to 5 lug...has anyone done this before?sorry for the essay

 

my 73 f100 cames with front discs

 

So did mine.

If I may ask, why are you wanting to go to with five lugs instead of eight? More wheel choices?

 

well yea i wanted to make it a "muscle truck". i got a really good deal on it and i figured it already had a 460 but i didnt like the fact that it was a 3/4 ton. and i dont see to much 3/4 ton trucks drag racing??......so my question again is would a 5 lug i-beam suspension bolt on to my 8 lug frame? and has anyone done it??

 

I see lots hell I am building a diesel race truck

 

Ford141 did it I know, might try sending him a PM.

 

What F100/350 had front brake drums after 1972?

1973/75 F100/250 4WD's only.

Everything else had front disc brakes.

Dual Piston Caliper front disc brakes were an option on 1968/72 F250 2WD's and F350's.

All 1973/79 F250 2WD's and F350's have power front disc brakes as standard equipment.

1973 was the first year that F100 2WD's came with front disc brakes. Manual discs were standard, power discs were optional.

1976 was the first year that Ford offered front disc brakes on 4WD's (standard equipment).

1988 was the first year Ford offered rear disc brakes on trucks, but only on Super Duty's.

btw: Since 1975 was the first year for an F150, there is no such thing as a 1974 or earlier F150.

 

I converted my truck to 5 bolt spindles, but I also did it while I was installing the 3" DJM dropped I-beams. Since DJM doesn't make dropped I-beams for a 3/4ton, it was necessary to swap to 1/2ton spindles. It also helped that I had all of the necessary parts left over from other trucks that I parted out, so it didn't cost me anything for the parts (just a lot of time).

Here is everything that you will have to swap: I-beams, spindles, hubs, pitman arm, drag link, tie rod, calipers, brake hoses. You can reuse the 3/4 ton coil springs (you will have to anyway) and the radius arms, but everything else must be swapped out. The reason for swapping the steering components is because the 3/4 ton tierods mount from the top of the spindles, but the 1/2 tons mount from the bottom of the spindles.

If you are serious about doing the swap, may I suggest putting dropped beams on at the same time? Since you have to swap the beams anyway, and you are looking for a "muscle truck" stance, the extra 3" of drop will really help visually IMO. The dropped beams will come with new king pins and polyurethane pivot bushings, which would be good to change as well.

Remember that you will have to locate a 9" rear as well to swap on the back. This is a simple swap, but remember that the driveshaft U-joints will be a different size, so you will have to use a half-ton driveshaft. This is also a good time to upgrade to limited slip and better gearing.

Here is a photo of mine after the swap/wheels:

 

had the huge side mirrors huh

 

Yep.

FYI, the huge camper mirrors don't give when you hit something with them... Guess what does give... Notice the big dent in the passenger side door (previous owner damage)?