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Ford truck recommendations

T

terry274

Member
Sometime in the next six months I plan on buying a used pickup truck. I would like a Ford F-150, gas not diesel. Something between 1995 and 2006. My budget is less than $6,000, prefer around $4000. (need money to change the oil and other fluids). It will only be used occasionally, maybe two or three times a month. It will pull a 16" trailer loaded with a 3,000 pound tractor about 3 times a year.
My questions:
Any motor or transmissions to avoid?
Any problems in general to watch out for?
Any constructive statements and advice welcome.
Thanks,
Terry
 
if you are gonna go down to 95 you might as well look at the 92-96 wich would be the 9th generation. 8th generation is kinda the same options just different looks which would be 87-91. if you were going to get a 87-96 your engine options would be 300 straight 6 which is the best, 302, or 351. a 300 will last the longest and is proably the most truoble free. a 302 has a span of about 225k and that is pushing it. i dont know anything on the 351 but it is like the 302 with more power. as far as trany and rearend i dont know much about. my 94 f150 has a 5sp wich hasnt gave out with a 103k. ive never been a around 97-06. as far as i know i dont really want one. a good price for a 92-96 would be around a $1000-3000 depending on condition but if you are making far trips you want a reliable with the lower miles and better shape and one from a person who looks like they have well taken care of it.
 
Find one with the inline 6, I'm not sure when they stopped making them but I think they still had them in 95, good mileage and great power.
Nate
 
Terry, you're gonna get a lot of different answers on this depending on the experience they have had. Keep in mind that some folks blame the equipment even though they were the ones that mistreated it. That being said, I personally have always had good service from Ford trucks. A 300ci. six will develop more torque than a 302 v8.Then there was the 351 ci. v8. All are good engines. However you will only find them in the 95 and 96 models as that is the old body style. (Which I like better). They restyled them in 97 and introduced the v6 and 4.6 v8. and one larger, but I can't remember. All are good power plants. All the transmissions were trouble free as well unless you just worked the snot out of them. I worked in the parts dept of a Ford dealership from 1993 until 2003 and as I said, they are all around good trucks. (I guess that is why they have outsold others for years.) I apologize for being long winded, but hope this helps a little. PS. Many come from the factory with 215 or 225 tires, I always run at least 235s on mine.
 
(quoted from post at 04:39:04 12/18/11) Sometime in the next six months I plan on buying a used pickup truck. I would like a Ford F-150, gas not diesel. Something between 1995 and 2006. My budget is less than $6,000, prefer around $4000. (need money to change the oil and other fluids). It will only be used occasionally, maybe two or three times a month. It will pull a 16" trailer loaded with a 3,000 pound tractor about 3 times a year.
My questions:
Any motor or transmissions to avoid?
Any problems in general to watch out for?
Any constructive statements and advice welcome.
Thanks,
Terry
Click to expand...

I have had several of the 92-96 Ford trucks. Parts are plentiful and cheap and all three engines are great. I see a lot with 200k plus on them. The 5 speed mazda transmissions were also good, but not great for pulling because 1st gear is not a granny gear. The 300 and 351w engines are both built for pulling more than the 302. IIRC the 300 and 351 has the E4OD transmission and the 302 has the AOD. The E4OD is a stouter transmission. Just my 2 cents! :)
 
The earlier 5.4 V-8s had the problem of shooting the spark plugs out of the head. Ford had a kit to fix them but I think it is about $300 and does not always work. A good friend has a 99 F250 Super duty. He had to replace both head at 85k because of this problem. Other than that it had been alright as a motor.

He also has rear disk brakes. IF you do not use the parking brake regularly the self adjusters will stick and wear one pad out real fast. So even with an automatic use the parking brake every now and then. Since he has started doing this he has not had any more rear brake problems.
 
Ford makes a fine truck, as does GM. If you were planning to use it more frequently as described, I'ld consider the F250. The F150 is rated high enough, but, the F250 is heavier. I never liked the way the cab overlaps the bed. If anything slides, your rear window is at risk. I noticed the F250 and F350 don't have the overlapping cab. Beyond that the F150 is a fine truck. The 300 is a great engine to get with it, also. I had one in a 1992 F250, and I could haul almost anything. A friend of mine was shocked at what all I could haul without a V8.
 
Terry, I've had a lot of Ford trucks, and a few other brands. Each brand has its own pecularities and maybe weaknesses. But overall, Ford has served my farming needs best. I have never lost an engine or a tranny, but I do reasonable maintanence. My oldest truck currently in use is a 1988 Dodge, but it suffers from bad rust. But Fords and Chevies from that same time period suffer the same fate on our salt plastered roads.

I have had most of the engine choice options and tranny choices. The manual tranny of the era you are considering had a hydraulic clutch, the slave cylinder (inside of bell housing) was troublesome (at about 150K miles) in 3 of the trucks. The ones with automatics never gave us any trouble (even the notorious E4OD). But I never had the tranny flushed by any shop. I'd pull the tranny pan, replace the filter with genuine FoMoCo, drain the converter, and replace all the fluid.

If you are going to pull a 16 ft trailer with a 3000# tractor, get a good electric trailer brake unit installed and a 2" Class 4 receiver hitch. Do not pull from the bumper with that size load. Also get a weight distribution anti-sway hitch for the trailer. These are real common in the RV community, and can often be found on Craigs List.
Use real chains and binders for tie down, not straps, and you will be as safe as can be.

Enjoy your upcoming adventures.

Paul in MN
 
I have a 97 4.6v8 lock it out of overdrive and haul two B Farmalls around does a great job. Driving to work ect it will do 20 pluss.
 
this is what mine hauled earlier this summer. i posted it before but if mune can haul this and the skid steer im sure it will ahul your tractor.


4580.jpg
4581.jpg
 
That is honestly the worst disaster waiting to happen that I've ever seen on here. I hope you didn't venture out on a public road with that thing.
 
You might have to go earlier, but it"s hard to beat(in a Ford) an F-150 with a 300 and a T-18 4 speed. Not great gas milage, but pretty simple and reliable. Mine is an '89 short wheel base 4wd.
 
terry274, I bought a New Style 97 in June of 97, Mine was built just after the model change June of 1996, 4.6 V8 w/ a OD tranny, 3:55 gears Supercab longbox.
I got her @ 12K miles today she has just a tad over 336K miles. Just regular oil changes;(Dello 400 15/40 only), 1 H2O pump, and radiator, and rear end S#it canned, All replaced @ or about- 200K to 250K. Tranny just a couple of filter changes. Fill it with gas and Stand On It!
The Trident V8s 99/00 models were the ones that had head/ spark plug problems, avoid them.
1997,4x4,S-cab, Model,,, Hands Down!!! Best, Toughest, 1/2ton truck I have ever owned!!!! I have hauled loads and pulled trailers that most people would have run home screaming they need a 3/4 or 1T pickup!
And after a wash she will still hold her own in a beauty contest for a truck of her age at the Dairy Queen on any Friday night!
OBTW, This pickup is driven by my 17 yr old son now!!
Later,
John A.
 
It may be a little old but how about a pickup from around 1970?Simple,reliable,NO COMPUTERS,decent milage,And you can fix it!
a56432.jpg

a56433.jpg
 
My '95 with the 302 had the E4OD. Went thru two trannys in 250k miles, and I almost never did any towing. I didn't have a tranny cooler, though. That probly woulda saved me.
 
All I can tell you is you are thinking right in getting a Ford, and nothing else. Take it from a Detroiter who can't stand companies even if it is prior to those others who took the big "BAIL-OUT" FORD= First On Repealing Debt!
 
Terry, where are you located. I have a 1997 Ford F-150 Lariat, Ext-Cab, 4.6 V8, 6.5 bed, Dark Toredor Red over SadleTan, leather, electric brake controller, receiver hitch for pumper pull, gooseneck ball (unused by me, orig owner 3 times before he got out of cattle business). Bought it in about 2001 or 2002 from local orig owner. Has 103,000 miles. Runs like a top. Let me know if you are interested as I no longer need the truck. Tom
 
Ford produced the spark plug spitting triton engine in 1997.Ford took 10 years to fix that mistake.I have a 1996 F150 with 190.000 miles the salt has eaten the frame bad.Put the truck up on a lift and take a close look a the chassis where the back bumper bolts on to the chassis.I had to plate the chassis from the cab back,replace the spring hangers,rear gas tank and the cross member just forward of the tank.Ford wont sell a new one and junk yards want 50 bucks for a rusty one.I made a new one with steel I had on hand.I took the box off in mid July, took all summer the get everything fixed.Still need a new front gas tank.I should have junked it but it still looks and runs good.Trucks I can afford all have the same problem here.I looked at used trucks that were priced higher than new ones.You better look for an f250 for towing a 3000 pound load.better chassis and tires on a 3/4 ton plus a stronger rear axle and front end.Forget the gas milage BS that always comes up.It costs money to haul big loads.Pass by any truck that has a salt eaten chassis and body.My next truck will be a 3/4 ton Chevy from salt free country.My 77 chevy 3/4 ton had 8 ply tires and zero pollution junk on it.I ran it 90.000 miles.It had been 250,000 miles when I parked it because the salt ate up the chassis.Put any truck you are interested in up on a lift and pay a mechanic to check it over.Dont get stuck on one brand, the overall condition of the truck is more important.A lot of Fords burned up because of a cruise control problem.Make sure the new fused wire harness is on any Ford you look at.
 
That PU brings back memories.
My first nice 'car' was a 1970 F100 just like that. Same color but mine was a 6 1/2' box and was the Ranger package. Dealer I bought it from had put a black vinyl roof and matching tonneau cover on it. I put chrome rims and new tires on it. It had the 360 and auto in it. I put the intake manifold and 4 bbl form a 390 T Bird in it.
Real sharp looking PU that I had a lot of fun in my last year in the Navy out in San Francisco.
 

I don't know about the year ranges but I had two 1980 E-250s with heavy load package with the 300 six. We loaded heavy, and they would pull the hills much better than the eights that I got later.
 

I have a 2000 Ford F-150 7700. This is considered the "heavy half ton" - the GVW is 7700 instead of 6500 on a regular F-150. It has 7 bolt rims and a little heavier suspension than a regular 150. It has the 5.4 in it. I've also heard of the trouble with the truck spitting plugs, but that only happens right after you change them. If the plugs were changed over 10000 miles ago, it shouldn't be an issue. I changed mine at 90,000 and it's still going strong at 160,000.

I use the snot out of her. More than I should, really. This fall I bought some corn from a guy 40 miles away. I took my big box (230 bushel) because it had the best tires and gear. I told him not to fill it because I was pulling it with a 150. When I got back for it, I about crapped - it weighed to have 215 bushel in it! I weighed around 20000 lbs. That was a slow, nerve racking ride home... but it did it. I also hauled several loads of equipment to and from Kentucky, and hauled countless loads of hay and equipment nearer home.

All in all, I'd say the Ford F-150 7700 with auto transmission and 5.4 has been a good, reliable truck. They can be had in your price range.

Here's one on ebay (Not mine. Mine is red) - http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-F-150-Lariat-7700-1998-F150-Lariat-4X4-7700-CLEAN-title-new-tires-rims-5-4L-V8-Triton-/180774404204?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2a16fe806c#ht_594wt_1084
 
That's not a very heavy trailer load. An good half ton should handle it. I had a 91 Ford with the old 300 six and a 5 speed tranny. It handled that kind of load fine for 17 years & 190,000 miles til rust got her. My '01 F150 with a 4.2L V6 & 5 speed tranny also does fine, and has for 90,000 miles. Just shift down, don't lug it. You do need a good receiver hitch and brakes on the trailer. Weight distribution hitch would be good, but if you are careful when you balance your load it helps.
 
That was my thought, too. I wouldn't hesitate to haul 5 or 6 thousand with a half ton if it had enough motor.
 
In June I bought a 1996 150 4x4 300 six, 5 speed manual. This was a California truck that had been in North Carolina for one year. I paid $2400.00 for it and got it on ebay. 180,000 miles on it, but it had a ton of maintenance records with it, newer clutch, new battery, and absolutely no rust. I sort of hate to drive it here in Northern Michigan where I know the salt will get it. I am very pleased with the truck, haul wood, equipment, etc. with it. It was the engine/tranny combination I was looking for. 1996 was the last year of the 300 six cyl.
 
I just noticed that no one called you out on the house trailer axles on it before, either.
 
I've got a 98 F150 with a 5 speed manual transmission and a 6 cylinder engine and a 09 F150 with an automatic and 8 cylinder engine. Both were low end price trucks. The 98 is junk compared to the 09. The 09 has way more towing and loading capacity, bigger cab and gets about 5 more miles to the gallon of gas plus I have enough power to pass a car that doesn't have to be going down hill to catch. Ford has made a lot of improvements since the 98 version so I wouldn't suggest going back to far in years at least for a simple F150. Maybe the higher prices ones are different.
 
I 'm sure it would pull it. No way in hell it will stop it thought! Except when the frame bends even further and the tongue starts to drag even worse!!
 
Tom-NorthCenTX, I am in middle Tennessee. Texas is a little far for me to drive. You can send me an email with some pictures and a price, but I am not sure we could overcome the distance. I would not mind the drive but I don"t know when I will be off work long enough to make it.
Terry
 
It didnt take them ten years to fix that plug spitting problem, they had that fixed in early 2003, and i think it started in like 2000, not 1997.Bob
 
One of the contractors at work has a 2005. It spit a plug while under warranty. No idea what date code on the motor. Maybe a leftover? It was a F150 with a 5.4. As far as what to stay away from, there was a integrated bellhousing light duty 5 speed that had a very interesting way of lubing the input bearing. There was a heavy duty transmission used in the same models that was a much better design. I would be hesitant to tow much with the light duty tranny. Thats all I know!

Aaron

Aaron
 
Be careful of the 4.6 V8 I have one with the trailer tow package and the 3.55 ltd slip rear end, when new at half it's rated towing capacity it would only hold about 45 MPH with the over drive off and she was knockin & sputtering smoking and banging all the way. Took it back to the dealer, "they're all that way there is nothing we can do about it" Good news is our new Dodge doesn't do that. When the warranty ran out I replaced the injectors on the Ford, more power better mileage- guess getting it to run on all cylinders has an advantadge. Instead of taking government money they just screw anyone who buys one and has problems.
 
triton engine came out it 97, son had an Explorer that spit a plug.Ford blamed everbody for the problem even tho the plugs had never been changed.It takes Ford 10 years to fix their screwups.Ive been working on my Ford truck all summer repairing Ford screwups.
 
I have a 1997 F150 with the 4.6. I purchased it new with 5,000 miles. Today, it has 280,000 miles and all I have done to it is tune it up. I have kept the oil changed at 3,500 miles and done the usual maintenance. The tranny has never caused a bit of trouble. It is starting to show signs of wear though. Some rust has appeared above the right rear fender and the front end is getting loose. It has been an excellent truck and I will continue to support the Ford Motor Company. No Toyota play trucks in this family!
 
Had a '94 F150 5.0V8 auto. with super duty overloads on the rear slightly under 200k miles. It was the best truck I've ever owned.

Currently have a '99 F250 Super Duty 5.4 with a 5-sp manual. Havent spit any plugs but COP issues seem pretty common. It's an ok truck but I wouldn't brag about it.

Previous research led me to believe the spark plug issues were from '99 to '04. I've been wrong before though.
 
I'll say I've got an 88 F150 2wd, 300 w/ 5 sp. mazda tranny. Rusted out anjd should be replaced, but until then I'll still use it a few times a month to haul the lawn mower back & forth, as well as loads of hay or whatever Dad needs hauled.

I've pulled loads of hay weighing in at 16,000 lbs about 20-30 miles with it. Just go slow and drive smart, it ain't so bad. Found a class 5 reciever for it a number of years ago (when I was in highschool) on clearance so I bougt it and put it on. Installed a trialer light harness at the same time. Was really simple to do that as it's a connection that's already there, just unplug, and plug it back in with the harness adapter in between.

A co-worker just bought a 95 F350 2wd gas dually for $3000. Has just over 100,000 miles on it, hardly any rust, and lots of new parts including gas tanks, brakes, etc... I admit, if I would've found it first, I would have talked to the wife about it.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 
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