Project Oddball. 1996 F150 4x4

[mustangwarrior]

I have thought about that but have not found a bench I find comfortable. I'm thinking about doing a nice Corbeau bucket at least for the drivers side. The only passenger would be a dog more than likely. I'll bring tie downs for anyone else who wants to come along.

three people isn't comfortable anyway, we had three guys in my cab once, it was only a 10 min drive and i was going nuts, haha

 

[Greggk]

if you are doing all that work, get rid of that ttb front end, and do a SAS swap.. you will thank me....

 

[OGRE81]

if you are doing all that work, get rid of that ttb front end, and do a SAS swap.. you will thank me....

I know I've been thinking about it. I've had several TTB Bronco's and F150's over the years and have had good luck with them. The swap would make things easier in the longrun I suppose. I'll start watching craigslist.

On another note I've been thinking alot about the 4BT swap and have some concerns. With the custom motor mounts and brackets I'm concerned about reliability and also concerned about parts for the motor itself while on the road. I'm thinking of rebuilding the engine and transmission (leaving them all stock) and hitting the road that way. What's everyones thoughts on this?

 

[marshal]

if you're looking for ultimate longevity for a expo vehicle along with the increased weight and torque from that 4BT i would SERIOUSLY consider looking into a bigger axle than a Dana 44. why not buy a Currie high9 for the front and put a ford 9" in the rear?

 

[alexfm]

It looks like you've got big plans for this truck. Im looking forward to seeing all this come together. On another note, thats a nice looking Kenwood your putting in there. I wish I had room in my XJ for a double-din system like that. :sombrero:

 

[Robert B]

Nice, classic rig. Look forward to your build.

 

[fx4matt]

you should try and hunt down a d44 from an f250 highboy, cheaper than a d60 but it has 1/2" tubes to handle the weight up front, nice rig tho, i wanna find a mid 90's f150 when i get back in canada, love the look.
matt

 

[scoby41]

Keep us updated! Just picked up a '95 myself. I'm keeping the 5.0 for now, just going to freshen her up a bit. My only complaint other than a little rust is the Maroon interior I want to pick up some 93-95 lightning seats and maybe change out the interior later?

 

[Greggk]

good luck finding 93-95 lightning seats that are worth buying anymore.. i would go with 2002's personally and make the brackets you need to make it work

 

[scoby41]

I just don't like the leather option. I figured I'll keep an eye peeled while working on everything else and if a set pops up I can snag it.

 

[Greggk]

have you sat in both styles? i can get over the leather for the comfort differences.. the newer ones feel far superior. just my .02 cents

 

[scoby41]

A friend of mine has a HD, I'm assuming they're very similar. Haven't sat in the old lightning seats.

have you sat in both styles? i can get over the leather for the comfort differences.. the newer ones feel far superior. just my .02 cents

 

[Greggk]

they are close but not quite the same

 

[cocco78]

I would keep the TTB, it makes for a nice ride off-road especially if you get the urge to get a little speed... I had a 94 F150 XL, 5.0L, auto, with a 6" explorer pro-comp lift. If I find a pic of it I'll post it up...

 

[BCHauler]

Nice truck. I have a soft spot for that body style as my last truck was a 94 with the 5.8. As an option for the suspension that is also cheaper, I installed Moog cc844 coil springs from an f350 2wd in the front of my 4x4 f150. Raised the front end around 2" and really firmed up the front. I also rebuilt my rear spring packs with extra leafs from an f350. Raised the back end and the ride was still good. With this setup, I was able to run 33x12.5x15 on 15 x10 wheels and only had to space out the front bumper. I also removed the rear 18 gallon gas tank and replaced it with a 32 gallon from a Bronco. The two tanks combined held 50 gallons which was great expedition range.

They are a good platform as parts are plentiful, cheap, and the technology is still simple enough to make DIY reasonable. Good luck.

FYI my extended cab had buckets with a folding console seat in the middle. Makes for a convenient compromise.