New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

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New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

swampedout



Hey folks, I just picked up this 1984 f250xlt 4x4. Previous owner said it has a 460 bored out 0.040, hooker headers, edelbrock carb. Airbag suspension, gear vendors overdrive. He also said it was previously owned by a gentlemen who worked at Naapa in Pagosa Springs CO. if anyone recognizes the truck, let me know. I'm always curious about the history of these things.
I'm used to working on older Japanese vehicles but I need something to tow/haul so I came back to Ford after about 10 years since my First truck, which was a 1994 f150.
It's been a long time since I've sat in something with this much power and driving it home was a blast!
I'd been looking for something with a 300 in it but this 250 checked off almost all my boxes and was in pretty good mechanical shape so I figure I'll put it to work for a couple months and see how it does. However, I do still want a 4x4 300 so if anyone can picture themselves being the other party in such a trade, let me know.

It seems like my biggest issue with this truck is going to be sorting all the wiring out. It has gone through a couple owners' worth of "modifications." Not all of them have passed the test of time. There's disconnected grounds, a headlight that fades in and out, overdrive is not receiving power, rear fuel pump not receiving power, trailer wires a mess of old splices, etc. But it does have cool stuff like msd ignition.
Other than that I'm probably looking at spark plugs and wires, tie rods and brakes.
I wish I could do the full restoration a truck of this era deserves but I bought it to work and get me through these worn out desert roads so my main investments above the basics will be in suspension upgrades and tires.

So I just want to thank everyone for all the information you've already made available. I'm an untrained shade tree mechanic without dads or uncles to teach me stuff so I learn a lot on forums. I will also apologize for any dumb questions I might ask. I'll try to keep them confined to this thread so if you don't want to hear me ask "where does this wire go?" every other week, you don't have to.

-Sam in New Mexico
Sam
1984 F250. 460. C6. 4x4.
 MSD Ignition. Airbag rear suspension
Whole buncha problems
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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

1986F150Six
Administrator
Welcome to the forum!
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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

grumpin
Welcome!
Dane
1986 F250HD SC XLT Lariat 4x4 460 C6-Sold
1992 Bronco XLT 4x4 351W E4OD
1998 GMC Sierra SLE K1500 350 4L60E
Arizona
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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

Gary Lewis
Administrator
In reply to this post by swampedout
Welcome!!!  Glad you joined!  

Where's home?  We have a member's map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu) and I'd be happy to add you if I had a town/city.

Nice truck!  I'll bet it is fun to drive.  But I'm curious - is the front air bagged?

But, I don't think you want to ask your technical questions here.  Instead I'd open a thread in the main section where you'll get more exposure to others.  Maybe start a thread about the truck.  Does it have a name?
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

ArdWrknTrk
Administrator
In reply to this post by swampedout
Welcome Sam!  

Glad you've joined the Forum.  

We have all the wiring and troubleshooting manuals documented here.
Some of us are really good at reading schematics and locating points of failure.

I'd invite you to start a new topic down in the main section of the Forum
Maybe include some pictures to help us visualize the problem.
I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of it.
 Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.
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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

swampedout
Thanks everyone!

I'll start a new thread in the general discussion for all my little questions. And I will take plenty of pictures. I'll try to get it up sometime today.
I'm still sorting through all the resources here. I'm very impressed with how thorough a lot of the documentation is. I was looking at various generations of fords and I'm feeling lucky right now I found a Bullnose.

Gary, to answer your questions: I'm right outside of Santa Fe, NM.
And only the rear is airbagged. Can the front be bagged as well? I only looked briefly at it, and the TTB system is still got me scratching my head a little bit. I've read a lot about it from trophy truck/pre-runner crowds and it seems like it's decently suited for my needs. It's definitely a lot tougher looking than some of the IFS systems I'm used to. The guy I bought the truck from also said he has a set of 99(?) 350 axles he'd give me. His impression was they'd be 3/4" off a direct swap.
Sam
1984 F250. 460. C6. 4x4.
 MSD Ignition. Airbag rear suspension
Whole buncha problems
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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

Gary Lewis
Administrator
Sam - You are now on the map - in Santa Fe.  Beautiful country!  Been there several times.  And, we've even found Rancho de Chimayo north of there.  

As for the F250's front suspension, I'm sure it can be air bagged, but with great difficulty.  We were recently discussing a coil spring kit for converting the F250, and if that can be done then you could bag it.  But, that kit is over $3K.

As for the '99 F350 axles, if I were you I'd get them.  I think those will be the different bolt pattern for the wheels so you'd need to swap both front and rear axles so one spare would work on both ends.  Plus you'd have to change wheels.  And, get the front springs as well, if not the rears.

I'm not a big fan of the 4wd F250's front suspension.  There's nothing wrong with TTB's, and they work great on the F150's.  And there's nothing wrong with leaf springs, which work great on the F350's with solid axles.  But in my experience the combo of TTB's and leaf springs isn't a good one.  The geometry is wonky.

Big Blue had that suspension and it was very rough riding.  Even when the sway bar was disconnected, although that helped a lot.  And there was very little wheel travel.  In fact, there was only 3/4" between the spring and the bump stop.

So I'm swapping that suspension out for a '95's F350 front Dana 60 solid axle and adding SuperDuty springs as well as a reverse shackle kit.  You can read about that on my thread here: Sky's Offroad Design Super Duty RSK Install.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

swampedout
Gary,
The first thing that caught my attention on the TTB was the leaf springs. I dont know if they are meant to be this way but mine look flat, but flat in a way where the front is higher than the back, if that makes sense? As in there is a rake to the springs. Seemed odd to me.

I'm definitely going to try to get those axles. It might take me a couple years to actually do the swap but it seems like it would be worth it. From what it sounds like, the axles are already pulled and might not come with springs.

Thanks for putting me on the map! Let me know if you're ever out this way.
Sam
1984 F250. 460. C6. 4x4.
 MSD Ignition. Airbag rear suspension
Whole buncha problems
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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

Gary Lewis
Administrator
The springs on the 4wd F250's seem odd to me as well.  And, they are pretty much flat when the weight is on them.

Good plan to get the axles if he's giving them to you.  As for the springs, instead of looking for the original F350 springs you could go with the longer SuperDuty springs, like I'm doing.  You'll have to go with a reverse shackle kit.

And, I'll let you know if we get out that way.  
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

swampedout
Just because I haven't been asking stupid questions, doesn't mean I haven't been using the site! Getting into the resource sections. Great info there.

Updates: Love the 460. The last vehicle I was using to tow was the toyota 3.4L v6, which is a great engine and I'd put it every Japanese truck I own if I had the time/money. But it's no big block. Towed my project truck home finally and gave the 460 about as much of a workout as I'm ready to give it for the moment. But nowhere was I disappointed.

I knew it when I bought it that the transmission wasn't perfect. I usually drive a manual, but I can get used to the auto.

I pulled the airbags off the back because they limit my suspension travel too much. Getting home was a backbreaker with them on. Now it's a mild discomfort.
I like the TTB so far. Put Bilstein 5100 shocks on front and back and the suspension gets worked but it gets the job done for pretty much being stock.

Now the real problem: There's an 86 F250 with a manual trans and the 300 I6 that just popped up on craigslist.... I know I shouldn't but it's so tempting. Trying to get my buddy to buy it. We'll see what happens.
Sam
1984 F250. 460. C6. 4x4.
 MSD Ignition. Airbag rear suspension
Whole buncha problems
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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

Gary Lewis
Administrator
Glad the site is helping.

But, tell me about the air bags you pulled off?  What are they?  Are you wanting to sell them?

As for the one on CList, if you've got a one F250 why do you need another?  Pass the good times on!  
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

swampedout
No, I don't NEED another truck, but I'm buying my girlfriend a new truck sometime this year or I'm buying myself a new truck and giving her one from the current stable. So I am technically in the market and the 300 paired with a manual trans and 4x4 is what I'm looking for. I'm going to let this one pass, but by spring or summer I hope to find another.

As for the airbags
The airbags are actually one of the selling points on this truck when I originally bought it.

https://realtruck.com/p/firestone-ride-rite-air-bag-kit/frs-2071/?cparam=43666569cd3d90f71b7da7445db0f5cf&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxcLJvsGY5gIVh_5kCh34FwghEAQYAiABEgL3FfD_BwE

To the best of my knowledge, it's the firestone kit. They're great for hauling and towing. They smooth out suspension and increase load capacity. I'm not an expert, I'm sure others could explain better. But the problem is for off-road driving (or terrible dirt roads like I do every day) they only flex so much even when holding only 5 psi (minimum recommended psi). So the rear axle really slams when going over bumps or when the tires drop into a rut or something.

https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/daystar-air-bag-cradle-ku09140bk/_/R-BKCG-KU09140BK
Daystar makes an adapter which allows the airbag to rise out of it's bottom bracket for more suspension travel. This solves the problem but also voids the warranty of the airbags. Other off-road enthusiasts install huge custom airbags like you'd see on the back of a semi or a dump truck, school bus etc.

While I'm not using them currently, I'm thinking about the daystars in the future so I'm probably going to hang on to them. I left the brackets and plumbing mostly in place. I just pulled the bags for now so if I do want to put them back it won't be more than an hour to do so.
Sam
1984 F250. 460. C6. 4x4.
 MSD Ignition. Airbag rear suspension
Whole buncha problems
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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

Gary Lewis
Administrator
Those air bags are the ones I had my hands on in 4 Wheel Parts today, and the Daystar cradles were literally just around the corner.  The manager told me they sell lots of those cradles and have not had a problem, so that's the way I'm going to go to soften up the back end of Big Blue while still having plenty of articulation.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

swampedout
Great!
Let me know what you think of the setup. For 60 bucks, im probably going to get the daystars some day. But right now its a project I know I wont have time for.
I only mention the warranty issue because Ive seen others have issues. But I imagine youd have to do some very serious wheeling to put your rear axle in a position where the bags could be damaged.

On a seperate note, Gary or anyone whos reading this: I got my welder and need some projects to practice on. One is a headache rack for the f250. I was wondering if you had any styles that fit the look and maybe era of the truck. Im thinking more rear window guard than thick roll bar style if that makes sense. Even though nothing says the 80s like a rollbar and kc lights.
Sam
1984 F250. 460. C6. 4x4.
 MSD Ignition. Airbag rear suspension
Whole buncha problems
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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

Gary Lewis
Administrator
I'm not quite ready to buy the new air bags and cradles, but hope to in the Spring.  But I'll let you know how it goes.

As for your welding project, this is the only thing I have a picture of.  It comes from Page 6 of the 1986 Accessories catalog.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

swampedout
Hauled 300 gals of water in the bed. Its actually a nicer ride on my dirt road with the empty tank in the back.

Previous owner did dual pipes and his welding hasnt stood up. One side has split off at the cat and now baling wire is its friend in the fight against gravity. At least the break is clean.
So with true dual exhaust, and dual cats, how bad is it for one side to be full piped and one side to exit at the cat?
Its probably time for the ole girl to meet a muffler shop.
She sounds better now, at least.
Sam
1984 F250. 460. C6. 4x4.
 MSD Ignition. Airbag rear suspension
Whole buncha problems
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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

swampedout
Another thing Im learning is while driving on my road:
I started off in Drive and 4hi but rpms stay low as I crawl through rocks and dips,
But now Ive been driving in 1st and 4hi and the rpms stay over 1k and my mpgs are much better.

I could almost drive in 1st and 4lo to keep the engine up arnd 2k but idk about that.
Sam
1984 F250. 460. C6. 4x4.
 MSD Ignition. Airbag rear suspension
Whole buncha problems
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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

grumpin
Fun things to discover!
Dane
1986 F250HD SC XLT Lariat 4x4 460 C6-Sold
1992 Bronco XLT 4x4 351W E4OD
1998 GMC Sierra SLE K1500 350 4L60E
Arizona
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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

ArdWrknTrk
Administrator
In reply to this post by swampedout
If I put my truck in 1st low I can get out and walk faster than its idling along!  ðŸ˜„
 Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.
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Re: New Member Introduction - 1984 F250

Gary Lewis
Administrator
ArdWrknTrk wrote
If I put my truck in 1st low I can get out and walk faster than its idling along!  ðŸ˜„
Yup!  Big Blue pulled a 30' tall sign down at church idling, with me standing outside.  And that was with the T-19 tranny with a 5.11 first gear.  The soon-to-be ZF5, like Jim has, has a  first 5.72 gear.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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