Putting on a flatbed
Postmaster
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,441
Likes: 5
From: Muskegon, MI (home)
Thanks John... nice name BTW (my name is John also
) Yeah I found that flatbed in the local boneyard on a similar year Ford truck so it fit my truck almost perfectly. It had a 3/4" plywood deck on it, I ripped all that crap off and decked it with 3/16" steel plate. I pretty much don't have to add any weight for plowing, between the flat bed and the big bumpers she sticks to the road pretty well. I have a Rough Country A.A.L. in the rear and installed the heaviest rated F350 springs I could find up front plus an A.A.L. to the stack. She rides like a buck board but will carry a good sized load without breaking a sweat. She carries around the 7.5' all steel Western snowplow without much complaint. Eventually I want to do away with the D50 TTB and do a D60 SAS, mainly for alignment reasons.
Dave... yeah I like having a locker in the rear, both of my F150s have Powertrax No Slips in the rear; I believe they also make the Lock Rites. Unfortunately the "lunchbox" lockers don't hold up the best in heavy duty applications... excellent in a DD though I love mine. Actually I am in the process of installing a Detroit Locker in the rear (D70) of my 84 F250 (the flatbed) as we speak. Can't wait to see how she plows this year!
) Yeah I found that flatbed in the local boneyard on a similar year Ford truck so it fit my truck almost perfectly. It had a 3/4" plywood deck on it, I ripped all that crap off and decked it with 3/16" steel plate. I pretty much don't have to add any weight for plowing, between the flat bed and the big bumpers she sticks to the road pretty well. I have a Rough Country A.A.L. in the rear and installed the heaviest rated F350 springs I could find up front plus an A.A.L. to the stack. She rides like a buck board but will carry a good sized load without breaking a sweat. She carries around the 7.5' all steel Western snowplow without much complaint. Eventually I want to do away with the D50 TTB and do a D60 SAS, mainly for alignment reasons.Dave... yeah I like having a locker in the rear, both of my F150s have Powertrax No Slips in the rear; I believe they also make the Lock Rites. Unfortunately the "lunchbox" lockers don't hold up the best in heavy duty applications... excellent in a DD though I love mine. Actually I am in the process of installing a Detroit Locker in the rear (D70) of my 84 F250 (the flatbed) as we speak. Can't wait to see how she plows this year!
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
Likes: 15
From: Nutter Fort, WV
Consider dumping 9700 pounds in the bed so the weight is all on the rear axle.
Now consider how a locker works, the more torque you put on the driveshaft, the harder the locker locks.
When you go around a corner, the outside tire has to go faster than the inside tire or slide around the corner.
With a load on the rear axle mostly, the tires will not be sliding.
When the hill you are going up looks like this,
one of two things happen.
Either the truck goes in a straight line with the front tires sliding or something breaks like the locker or an axle shaft.
The only way to turn is hit the clutch, steer to back around the opposite way and then go forward in the direction you want to go.
I have said it before, if you haul weight, a locker is not the traction device you want to install in the rear axle.
Towing weight, since the load is not on the axle a locker will work because the tires can spin and slide.
Now consider how a locker works, the more torque you put on the driveshaft, the harder the locker locks.
When you go around a corner, the outside tire has to go faster than the inside tire or slide around the corner.
With a load on the rear axle mostly, the tires will not be sliding.
When the hill you are going up looks like this,
one of two things happen.
Either the truck goes in a straight line with the front tires sliding or something breaks like the locker or an axle shaft.
The only way to turn is hit the clutch, steer to back around the opposite way and then go forward in the direction you want to go.
I have said it before, if you haul weight, a locker is not the traction device you want to install in the rear axle.
Towing weight, since the load is not on the axle a locker will work because the tires can spin and slide.
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