1995 Ford F150 4x4 experience

[Fordman1981]

Really I'm on my phone your going to attack my grammar when I'm just trying to help someone out. Very nice

 

[RoyJackson]

Really I'm on my phone your going to attack my grammar when I'm just trying to help someone out. Very nice

See...even on your phone, you can use proper punctuation...not tough, unless you're driving (then you probably shouldn't be texting).
It's difficult to read a post such as the one I responded to without some punctuation. Basically, it's one long sentence.

 

[Fordman1981]

Ok back on topic not everyone needs a 1 ton to pull with. Not everyone needs a new truck. The op says he has a ranger now. The 150 would be a step up big time. My truck has 33x 12.50 tires on it and still pulls a Honda rancher in the bed a 16' 5 ton trailer and a c175 tracked skid steer. I don't recommend that with the auto version of my truck but it can and has been done. My question to the op what kind of loads do you plan to pull with the truck. The auto may still suffice.

 

[tlj87]

I have a '94 F150 4x4 w/ the 300 and a 5sp manual. This truck has been very reliable. We have had it since '97 when it had 36k mi and it now has 166k. Now it is retired to occasional use, but I still really enjoy using it. There is a thread around here somewhere on the forum with some photos of it.

One thing you may want to examine is the body, particularly above the rear wheel wells on the outside and inside of the bed and then bracing between the bed and the frame. I have had to have body work done to repair rust. Having the underbody coated with oil annually has really helped.

As for the 4x4, the auto hubs can be problematic. Mine were originally auto, which was convenient, but I ended up replacing with manual Warn hubs around 140k when one began to malfunction.

I have towed some, but never more than a 7x10 utility trailer which it handled well. We upgraded the rear springs early in its life (around 60k mi) and lifted the front 2" to level it out at that time. With an 8' bed, I can easily haul 2.5 yards of mulch.

 

[CLinton_in_FL]

The 302 is not as under powered as people here make it out to be I have had an 87 f150 302 4x4 for many years now before I got my 1 ton I pulled 10,000 lbs 3 to4 times a week not one problem and that was towing up a mountain here in NC now I will say mine is the 4 speed manual and that's a big difference from that auto that's what would keep me away from that truck the auto they were terriable in those years. The 302 in my experience is not a high rev engine makes good low end torque a lot more so than these new module motors.

View attachment 236971

Lets face it. In theory you can move anything with a 1HP (one horse power) engine if proper gearing is involved. Not to pick on this thread, but power is mentioned in almost every thread, when really you would have to know the specs of everything in the drive train(IE tire size, rear gear ration, transmission gear rations, transfer case ratio, .. and RPM) when you talk about moving something with the "power" you have.

 

[Fordman1981]

I agree with you about power that's why I said mine with the 4 speed will pull more than the auto. Mine has 3.55 rear so its not geared low. The big difference is the 4 speed 3 speed with granny its geared real low. I can pull grunt wise with my 1 ton but max speed is 70 mph turning 3 grand. It's not a highway truck but one of the best work/farm trucks I've ever had. To the op if you plan on staying light load pulling I say around 7,000 lbs o think you will be fine with that truck. But that's just my opinion.

 

[Soundguy]

i think ou can get alot more truck and a bit newer for not much more money.

while looking for my 99 f350, I say alot of 94.5+ fords in the 3500$ range with that many miles.. ( I only looked at 94.5 - 2003.5 )

soundguy

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I agree with you about power that's why I said mine with the 4 speed will pull more than the auto. Mine has 3.55 rear so its not geared low. The big difference is the 4 speed 3 speed with granny its geared real low. I can pull grunt wise with my 1 ton but max speed is 70 mph turning 3 grand. It's not a highway truck but one of the best work/farm trucks I've ever had. To the op if you plan on staying light load pulling I say around 7,000 lbs o think you will be fine with that truck. But that's just my opinion.

Fordman1981 thank you for working from a phone to share your personal experience with this generation line of F150 because I really do not know this line of truck but over the last 18 hours from post here and other web sources I have changed that to a degree.:thumbsup:

The pictured truck above turned out to have the 205 HP instead of the 195 HP version engine because it has the MAF air intake. The body was just as straight on all sides as the one in the photo and the paint seems to be unretouched OEM coat of paint. There was no rust even under the body.

It is my guess it was a company truck for most of its life. It has a bracket in the ceiling for like a communication radio and speakers in the rear of the king cab that were not stereo type speakers but more like the kind that could be used so people outside of the truck could listen to radio traffic.

The bottom and back edge of the bench seat on the drivers were taped up due to wear damage but the seat and carpet on the right side looked more new like so it may have been a supervisor truck perhaps because it could not have been used as a work truck. The dash had your normal cracks for that age truck.

It may have a tow package due to the helper springs that looked factory. It had a Perry Company (Waco TX) Crash rear bumper that looked almost like it did when new that was made out of formed heavy channel steel and a heavy receiver hitch under it. The transmission shifted well and the ATF was clearly bright cherry in color on a white paper towel. Like most Fords it has the tow mode switch on the column shift.

Since it has manual locking front hubs it is my guess they are replacement hubs (hope that is the case). We did not stop, lock and engage the front wheels but did do hard right/left circles in a parking lot and there was no noise or other funny stuff happening.

He recently had the brakes redone which required one new rotor as well. Last week he bought a set of used tires for $100 so the tires are so so but seem to drive OK. He had replaced the power steering pump and a new timing belt with the label still very easy to read. The alternator has yellow hand painted letters/numbers on it like it may have come out of a junk yard.

While the engine had some normal for the age oil leaks it was cleaner than most with over 200K miles on it. I never seen so much room under a hood in years.:thumbsup:

It is a rust free/dent free with good paint old PU. Another unusual thing it had the correct large size Ford battery that started it fast. The fact the ATF was cherry red and it was a Ford battery may have indicated it was fleet maintained for many of its miles. They were not put on the truck off roading or in city traffic I am certain. The ride was OK for a $2K truck.

The $2K price limit was a hard number because the truck is not required and that was our cash saved for the project. The daughter wanted it and traded for it today with a 25% deposit. Since she is two years away from driving on the road we may be gifting it at some point but she wants to hand on to it for a while she said.

We are to pick it up next week because the guy requires a truck in his construction business and had picked out a Chevy Z71 for his next work truck and plans to get that trade made the first of the week. He is a Chevy man and wanted more than 205 old ponies. :laughing:

It helped me to know why he wanted another truck. He had spotted this F150 that seemed to look like a straight truck and it fitted his budget for a work truck at the time.

For those who drive I-24 in KY check out Patti's in Grand Rivers KY. The daughter and I ate there after trading for the truck a block away. I think they have the most impressive Christmas lights/display in the four state region. You can see the lights without dining. We got there at 5 without reservations and were fine but when we left at 6:30 group after group of 5-10+ were entering. It is just a few minutes off of I-24.

Pattis 1880s Restaurant Grand Rivers Kentucky

 

[timswi]

Ever consider using punctuation?

When in doubt, leave it out

 

[buck12]

I have a 93 f150 4x4 with 302 which I bought new. The 93 and 95 are all but the same truck. It has been very reliable with no oil pan or transmission issues. It has had a starter, ac compressor, power window motor, and two fuel pumps. It still has the original alternator and the valve covers have never been off. I bought a new f150 in 09 and the old girl now serves as a hunting/play truck. This has been the best vehicle we have owned. With all that said it is not the best truck for towing heavy loads.