**Calling All Gen 6 Lovers** '74 on Auction

[Alvin in AZ]

I fixed my '75's original horn-pad's frame using lots of
PlioBond contact cement and Popsicle sticks.

That's all, go back to your drooling.

Tinkering fool in AZ

 

[DNFXDLI]

One more tidbit...
Base curb weight for F250 4x4
2680# front
1716# rear
4396# total weight.
Curb weight which includes standard equipment, fuel, water and oil

 

[taxreliever]

Tires, brakes and axles as well as the frame stength would be more of a concern than the engine. I don't have the book for your year of truck, but a 1974 F250 4x4 shows the Dana 60 to have a rating of 5300# and a 70 at 7400#
Tires would be damn near maxed out if not over. I'm fairly sure that frames were all the same on the 150-350, although someone might correct me on that.
To put it in perspective, my 350 weighs roughly 8300# with me in it and the GVW for the truck is 11200#..which gives you a box carrying capacity of nearly 3000#..1.5 tons.
Looking at my 1974 book, it shows a maximum GVW of 8100# and a maximum load rating of 3625#.
Edit..I was looking at 2WD...4WD shows a GVW of 7700, with a load rating of 3165

I know what the stickers say...and I know what's safe and I know the potential issues of rolling overloaded. So I'll say in a controlled setting, the tires are the weak point...I've witnessed these rigs haul a 5 ton dies in the bed several times before, but that's about all she can handle.

One more tidbit...
Base curb weight for F250 4x4
2680# front
1716# rear
4396# total weight.
Curb weight which includes standard equipment, fuel, water and oil

To say overloaded is an understatement. I mean, we're talking about a local town municipality here.....and they ordered this rig (from what I was told) custom from Ford, meaning, they didn't mod it, except for the tank and winch, and told them what they were doing with it (ie: tank in the bed). You think cooler heads would have prevailed and said, this rig can't handle that. Needless to say, it didn't get used much over the years and spent most of it's first 2 decades in local town parades. Who knows, maybe they are that dumb....

 

[DNFXDLI]

No Ken...most people don't factor in what weights they will be running or just say "ahh, it will handle it". I'm not entering into a discussion about what these vehicles will handle over and above what the factory specs say. Will they?..sure they will, but at what cost?.

 

[Blue Goose]

Back in the day, I was told by a Ford truck fleet salesman that Ford would admit to a 10% overbuild/underrating of their trucks stated gvw's.

 

[LEB Ben]

^^^My grandfather used to say the same thing...and he said he thought that was conservative.

 

[DNFXDLI]

Old wives tales IMO

 

[73F100Shortbed]

It's possible, probably in the same way HP ratings were disguised for emissions, etc. But why take chances? And I say this from experience. I've overloaded trucks before. Yeah it did the job, but it isn't worth the risk most of the time.

 

[O'Rattlecan]

A tank that weighs that much plus 5,800 lbs of water is not even close. That was my original reaction...

Ryan

 

[Alvin in AZ]

Remember when Bill talked about DSO's? And how certain
vehicles had been sent to -another-manufacturer- to be
-modified- -before- release to the customer?

What's the DSO on that rig?

Would somebody please call 'em and ask 'em that? LOL

Butthead in AZ

 

[DNFXDLI]

Unless some aftermarket company had a magic wand, a Dana 60 and associated tires are only rated so high

 

[SuperCab]

tires would be the biggest weak point imho...

and as for municpalites ordering underdone trucks: my dad had a '76 f150 with a service body on it... got it from the thomasville nc fire department - it was the rescue truck - used to have an enormous generator and crap... an f150 rated for 6600 lbs factory... thing weighed damn near 8k...

 

[taxreliever]

tires would be the biggest weak point imho...

and as for municpalites ordering underdone trucks: my dad had a '76 f150 with a service body on it... got it from the thomasville nc fire department - it was the rescue truck - used to have an enormous generator and crap... an f150 rated for 6600 lbs factory... thing weighed damn near 8k...

Sounds like I was giving our local guberments more credit than they deserve.....you'd think they'd have more sense to seek experts on such basic situations like this....if they can ignore even these basics, I could only imagine what they'd do with a blank check (our taxes)....proof is in our economy.

A super small town, maybe 1100 people that boarders the small town I live in had the opportunity to buy a GREAT CONDITION firetruck from another close by town....I mean, this thing looked and ran like it was brand new and was only about 10 years old....was in all the local parades and in its life had maybe visited a dozen fires....imagine the condition of this thing. Anyways, that town approved the purchase of a new one and offered it to that small town near me for $150k, which at first I thought was a ton of money. not compared to the brand new one they bought with tax payer money for $500k and turned down the use done.....just plain stupid!!!!!

 

[Alvin in AZ]

Sounds like I was giving our local guberments more credit than they deserve...

You aren't alone on that, I was thinking more-stupid and figured they'd know
better and at least -try- to stay within all the safety laws. Oops.

And they'd prob'ly jump at the chance to fine us for overloading a truck after
an accident too. LOL

...new one they bought with tax payer money for $500k and turned down the
use done.....just plain stupid!!!!!

Not stupid. Picture how it works, the more money that passes through their
hands the more they can skim by way of kick-backs etc. Even if it's just
time-shares from the new-truck seller, it's something better than saving you
money. When'd you ever take the town council on a paid vacation? Huh?

Just another libertarian with a bad attitude in AZ

 

[taxreliever]

You aren't alone on that, I was thinking more-stupid and figured they'd know
better and at least -try- to stay within all the safety laws. Oops.

And they'd prob'ly jump at the chance to fine us for overloading a truck after
an accident too. LOL


Not stupid. Picture how it works, the more money that passes through their
hands the more they can skim by way of kick-backs etc. Even if it's just
time-shares from the new-truck seller, it's something better than saving you
money. When'd you ever take the town council on a paid vacation? Huh?

Just another libertarian with a bad attitude in AZ

You're right......stupid for the dumb taxpayers for putting these guys in office, but smart for the guys who lied to get into office who's making huge bucks on those kickbacks.

 

[Truckin4life]

I think in the past it was much more common and much more acceptable to over load these trucks. Really, your tires will fail before anything else will...
As they are natrually the weakest link.

Ken's truck seems very solid and i think it speaks loudly about the quality of truck that for was producing at that time...

 

[taxreliever]

I think in the past it was much more common and much more acceptable to over load these trucks. Really, your tires will fail before anything else will...
As they are natrually the weakest link.

Ken's truck seems very solid and i think it speaks loudly about the quality of truck that for was producing at that time...

Thanks....I agree....for that truck to be driven 40k miles over 38 years (12k was done as a personal driver the last 3 years) with a load like that and still drive like a dream is pretty wild. I have yet to change the oil since early Spring and this thing doesn't burn or leak. She's as fast as a turtle, but man this thing has some torque and I know will last me 20+ years with minor tinkering.

The more I drive this rig around, the more I fall in love with it. It's fun to tinker with it (paint, minor parts and stuff)....when I drive my dent, which is fun also, it's more about keeping it clean than tinkering.

 

[m78]

I'd be willing to bet the tank stayed empty most of the time. Then filled when it was needed.
A 5" hose has the capability to deliver 1000 gallons a minute.