Cascade Crew

[aaron_sK]

F150 needs ball joints bad. Audible clunk when pulling the hub up and down with the tires off of it, and lots of play.

Done one before at the shop I used to work at, so I know the tools I'm gonna need to pull the Darth Mauled Dana apart. Probably gonna do wheel bearings and a brake job while I'm under there.

Now normally this is about the time I would cheap out and buy the Blatozone junk, but truck rompage is increasing exponentially, taller tires are going on it soon, and 4BT's kinda weight a lot, which is making me think maybe I should get some better ones.

Any suggestions as far as brand or where to go?

Thanks!

[rjmcgee]

If your going to put a diesel in there then save your money and get a dana 60 or even a dana 50 IFS like my powerstroke has under it. Those half ton are really light duty when you start looking at suspension , brakes, and bearings. You should see the brakes, hubs, and bearings on my Powerstroke, their massive. Back when I was running 16" wheels I had the tires balanced and they used these little 1/4" thick stick on weights, left and the brake caliper peeled them off. That little dana 44 isn't up to the task of packing another 500lbs around.

Why the little 4 banger Cummins?

Purchase cost of your pickup, cost of baby cummins engine swap, plus the cost of beefing up the suspension equals just buying a 3/4 ton or 1 ton with the Powerstroke which will run circles around the little crummins.

[aaron_sK]

I test drove a few F250 and F350's with IDI and PS diesels, and they hauled some ass. However I needed a truck and lacked the cash to throw down for a PSD truck.

I was looking at the 4bt primarily because of it's weight (700~lbs vs the 500~ of the 302), fuel mileage vs the PSD, and the fact that I can run the Mazder 5-speed behind it.

I have no doubt that a 7.3 could outhaul and outrun the truck, but (hopefully) I'm trading power for mileage and weight.

[rjmcgee]

I know a farmer that did the 4bt inplace of a 6.2 chevy, his biggest complaint was the lack of power compared to the 6.2 he had in it.