1979 Ford F150 4x4 - Page 2

75K30 · 02-06-2009, 08:22 PM

All of mine are street legal. Well,,,they have license plates anyway.

Getting to yours. It sounds like the pinion support on your 9 inch axle is busted. This is a sign that there could be some real damage in there. This can be fixed, and the entire axle canbe replaced, but this is gonna cost money. To give you an example, the ring and pinion in the 9 inch is just less than 300 bucks, and you will still have to pay to have it set up. This cost will be about as much as the truck costs, so you need to be aware.
You should also know what you are looking at. You should make sure that the transfer case that is in the truck is a 205 transfer case and not a 203. This is because the 203 is a chain driven full time case and not very desireable. You wil spend a few hundred on a replacement 205 case, and you will have to install different driveshafts. New shafts will run about 300 to 400 each, so you can see that getting the right truck with the correct equipment from the beginning can have its advantages.
You know you have to spend some bucks on the rear axle, and you need a battery and alternator. You will probably buy a stock replacement, but you should buy a 3G alternator with an internal voltage regulator. This will cost a little more, and you will have to hunt down a wiring harness, or make your own. This alternator will put out far more amps than your external unit that needs to be replaced anyway, so this will be a good start.
These are items that you can use to negotiate a better price, so go in smart, and buy this thing right if you are gonna invest in it. They are old, and will require a bunch of work, but they are nice old trucks, and they are becoming very popular.

ErwinRommel · 02-09-2009, 11:49 AM

it like where the shaft goes in, the metal peice of the outside is broke in half but the other half is still attached. I'll show the pictures when I get my computer back...hmm..The axle itself isn't cracked but a peice where it goes toward the shaft it broke inhalf.

ErwinRommel · 02-09-2009, 09:41 PM

Got my computer back and here are the photos...

ErwinRommel · 02-09-2009, 09:55 PM

More...

OK, HERE IS THE PEICE THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S CRACKED:

Here is the shaft going to the front axle:

Guy wants $700. I was trying to give $500. He said the brakes needs to be changed.
What do yall think?

I wonder if it will be good to tow a trailer with a tractor as well and get through muddy muddy muddy places?

ErwinRommel · 02-10-2009, 01:53 PM

I just heard that the 351M are **** and aren't worth having. That they usually don't last 60,000 miles.

75K30 · 02-10-2009, 03:18 PM

Its not that they do not last, though the heads are prone to cracking, but the 351M engine was just not a very performance oriented engine. These small cubic inch elephants produced decent torque, but did not have the overall performance that can be gained by other engines. The 335 series engine is not a bad family of engines, it is just that others are more desireable for performance reasons.
On a higher note, the 335 series and 385 series engines share the same bell housing, so a swap or upgrade to a 429/460 is an easy thing to do.

As far as your rear end, this does not appear to be broken to me, this simply looks like the Daytona style pinion support.

Rest of the truck looks decent. Cant tell if the transfer case is a full time, or part time unit. Unfortunately the NP 203 full time 4 wheel drive case was still used. Not very desireable.

As far as towing a trailer with a tractor on it???? That had better be a lawn tractor. Keep in mind this is only a 1/2 ton rated vehicle. This vehicle would struggle to pull an empty trailer that was large enough to haul a tractor.
This truck is probably not gonna tow more than 6 to 7 thousand lbs. max! Even these loads would b pushing it, and stopping this load would be a real chore.
That is only a semi float axle, and a 5 lug pattern with sheetmetal tubes for the housing. This is not considered a heavy hauler.
Not sure if I would give as much as 500 bucks for that, but it could clean up some, and be a decent runner.

leolkfrm · 02-10-2009, 06:00 PM

is that a hole in the very bottom of the rear end?

ErwinRommel · 03-27-2009, 10:31 PM

He wants $600 for it now. I don't know if I SHOULD get it or not. Gas prices are rising once more....blah...

ErwinRommel · 03-31-2009, 07:41 PM

I bought it. Carb needs to be set. The steering column in the truck is loose.

75K30 · 04-01-2009, 09:22 AM

Column is loose, or the rag joint is bad? Not too common for the column to come loose. I believe you have some other steering issues.

02-10-2009, 06:00 PM	#17
leolkfrm Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: N.Y. Posts: 4,300	is that a hole in the very bottom of the rear end? __________________ 4 wheels move the body 2 wheels move the soul B.W.A.I

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02-06-2009, 08:22 PM	#11
75K30 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 2,992	All of mine are street legal. Well,,,they have license plates anyway. Getting to yours. It sounds like the pinion support on your 9 inch axle is busted. This is a sign that there could be some real damage in there. This can be fixed, and the entire axle canbe replaced, but this is gonna cost money. To give you an example, the ring and pinion in the 9 inch is just less than 300 bucks, and you will still have to pay to have it set up. This cost will be about as much as the truck costs, so you need to be aware. You should also know what you are looking at. You should make sure that the transfer case that is in the truck is a 205 transfer case and not a 203. This is because the 203 is a chain driven full time case and not very desireable. You wil spend a few hundred on a replacement 205 case, and you will have to install different driveshafts. New shafts will run about 300 to 400 each, so you can see that getting the right truck with the correct equipment from the beginning can have its advantages. You know you have to spend some bucks on the rear axle, and you need a battery and alternator. You will probably buy a stock replacement, but you should buy a 3G alternator with an internal voltage regulator. This will cost a little more, and you will have to hunt down a wiring harness, or make your own. This alternator will put out far more amps than your external unit that needs to be replaced anyway, so this will be a good start. These are items that you can use to negotiate a better price, so go in smart, and buy this thing right if you are gonna invest in it. They are old, and will require a bunch of work, but they are nice old trucks, and they are becoming very popular.

02-09-2009, 11:49 AM	#12
ErwinRommel Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Southern Georgia Posts: 579	it like where the shaft goes in, the metal peice of the outside is broke in half but the other half is still attached. I'll show the pictures when I get my computer back...hmm..The axle itself isn't cracked but a peice where it goes toward the shaft it broke inhalf.

02-09-2009, 09:41 PM	#13
ErwinRommel Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Southern Georgia Posts: 579	Got my computer back and here are the photos...

02-09-2009, 09:55 PM	#14
ErwinRommel Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Southern Georgia Posts: 579	More... OK, HERE IS THE PEICE THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S CRACKED: Here is the shaft going to the front axle: Guy wants $700. I was trying to give $500. He said the brakes needs to be changed. What do yall think? I wonder if it will be good to tow a trailer with a tractor as well and get through muddy muddy muddy places?

02-10-2009, 01:53 PM	#15
ErwinRommel Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Southern Georgia Posts: 579	I just heard that the 351M are **** and aren't worth having. That they usually don't last 60,000 miles.

02-10-2009, 03:18 PM	#16
75K30 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 2,992	Its not that they do not last, though the heads are prone to cracking, but the 351M engine was just not a very performance oriented engine. These small cubic inch elephants produced decent torque, but did not have the overall performance that can be gained by other engines. The 335 series engine is not a bad family of engines, it is just that others are more desireable for performance reasons. On a higher note, the 335 series and 385 series engines share the same bell housing, so a swap or upgrade to a 429/460 is an easy thing to do. As far as your rear end, this does not appear to be broken to me, this simply looks like the Daytona style pinion support. Rest of the truck looks decent. Cant tell if the transfer case is a full time, or part time unit. Unfortunately the NP 203 full time 4 wheel drive case was still used. Not very desireable. As far as towing a trailer with a tractor on it???? That had better be a lawn tractor. Keep in mind this is only a 1/2 ton rated vehicle. This vehicle would struggle to pull an empty trailer that was large enough to haul a tractor. This truck is probably not gonna tow more than 6 to 7 thousand lbs. max! Even these loads would b pushing it, and stopping this load would be a real chore. That is only a semi float axle, and a 5 lug pattern with sheetmetal tubes for the housing. This is not considered a heavy hauler. Not sure if I would give as much as 500 bucks for that, but it could clean up some, and be a decent runner.

03-27-2009, 10:31 PM	#18
ErwinRommel Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Southern Georgia Posts: 579	He wants $600 for it now. I don't know if I SHOULD get it or not. Gas prices are rising once more....blah...

03-31-2009, 07:41 PM	#19
ErwinRommel Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Southern Georgia Posts: 579	I bought it. Carb needs to be set. The steering column in the truck is loose.

04-01-2009, 09:22 AM	#20
75K30 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 2,992	Column is loose, or the rag joint is bad? Not too common for the column to come loose. I believe you have some other steering issues.