1994ish F150 vs F250. What's the difference?
11-25-2007, 12:22 PM
#11
Just wanted to add my two cents. I've owned about a half doz of these pickups and have noticed the following - There are two distinct lines (mechanically) in these trucks, the light duty (LD) and the Super Duty (SD).
The LD trucks are the F150 and light duty F250. There are two different F250's, the other one is the Super Duty (SD) F250. The most noticeable difference between these two is the front suspension, the LD 250 has coil springs and the twin I-beam axle and the SD 250 has leaf springs and a solid front axle. The engine lineup is about the same, with some engines available in different sizes of trucks from the 6 cyl. to the 460 V8. The various mechanical options and possible combinations are mindboggling and beyond my experience anyway, suffice it to say as you go up in capacity you'll find heavier axles, wheels, tires, etc. I think the frames on the LD's are dimensionally the same, but I wouldn't be surprised if the 250 has heavier gauge steel. I plow with my trucks and it looks like the F150 plow frame would fit the LD 250, but I've never actually tried it. All my trucks have been 150's. If you're interested in "toughening up" a 150, a local spring shop in my area sells a coil spring that fits the 150 but has a heavier load capacity. I use these as the weight of a plow will destroy your front springs and I don't like air bags. Any competent spring shop could increase the capacity of your rear springs and sell the front coils. These comments apply to the four wheel drive trucks, 2WD aren't too common around here.
Cosmetically, the 92 -96 share the same body, plus the 97 SD's. Ford introduced their new body style (yuck) in 97, but continued the old body for the SD's. The SD's got an all-new body in 98 and I guess it wasn't ready for 97. Dashes changed in 95 as did radios.
If you want the low down on these trucks and you have a 93 or 94, I recommend you check eBay where you can buy a reproduction of the original Ford service manuals on CD for $10 - $15, I've found it handy a number of times.
The LD trucks are the F150 and light duty F250. There are two different F250's, the other one is the Super Duty (SD) F250. The most noticeable difference between these two is the front suspension, the LD 250 has coil springs and the twin I-beam axle and the SD 250 has leaf springs and a solid front axle. The engine lineup is about the same, with some engines available in different sizes of trucks from the 6 cyl. to the 460 V8. The various mechanical options and possible combinations are mindboggling and beyond my experience anyway, suffice it to say as you go up in capacity you'll find heavier axles, wheels, tires, etc. I think the frames on the LD's are dimensionally the same, but I wouldn't be surprised if the 250 has heavier gauge steel. I plow with my trucks and it looks like the F150 plow frame would fit the LD 250, but I've never actually tried it. All my trucks have been 150's. If you're interested in "toughening up" a 150, a local spring shop in my area sells a coil spring that fits the 150 but has a heavier load capacity. I use these as the weight of a plow will destroy your front springs and I don't like air bags. Any competent spring shop could increase the capacity of your rear springs and sell the front coils. These comments apply to the four wheel drive trucks, 2WD aren't too common around here.
Cosmetically, the 92 -96 share the same body, plus the 97 SD's. Ford introduced their new body style (yuck) in 97, but continued the old body for the SD's. The SD's got an all-new body in 98 and I guess it wasn't ready for 97. Dashes changed in 95 as did radios.
If you want the low down on these trucks and you have a 93 or 94, I recommend you check eBay where you can buy a reproduction of the original Ford service manuals on CD for $10 - $15, I've found it handy a number of times.
Last edited by jetro; 11-25-2007 at 12:25 PM.
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joshua flowers (02-24-2023)
12-01-2007, 05:21 PM
#12
No Pain, No Pain!
Just wanted to add my two cents. I've owned about a half doz of these pickups and have noticed the following - There are two distinct lines (mechanically) in these trucks, the light duty (LD) and the Super Duty (SD).
The LD trucks are the F150 and light duty F250. There are two different F250's, the other one is the Super Duty (SD) F250. The most noticeable difference between these two is the front suspension, the LD 250 has coil springs and the twin I-beam axle and the SD 250 has leaf springs and a solid front axle. The engine lineup is about the same, with some engines available in different sizes of trucks from the 6 cyl. to the 460 V8. The various mechanical options and possible combinations are mindboggling and beyond my experience anyway, suffice it to say as you go up in capacity you'll find heavier axles, wheels, tires, etc. I think the frames on the LD's are dimensionally the same, but I wouldn't be surprised if the 250 has heavier gauge steel. I plow with my trucks and it looks like the F150 plow frame would fit the LD 250, but I've never actually tried it. All my trucks have been 150's. If you're interested in "toughening up" a 150, a local spring shop in my area sells a coil spring that fits the 150 but has a heavier load capacity. I use these as the weight of a plow will destroy your front springs and I don't like air bags. Any competent spring shop could increase the capacity of your rear springs and sell the front coils. These comments apply to the four wheel drive trucks, 2WD aren't too common around here.
Cosmetically, the 92 -96 share the same body, plus the 97 SD's. Ford introduced their new body style (yuck) in 97, but continued the old body for the SD's. The SD's got an all-new body in 98 and I guess it wasn't ready for 97. Dashes changed in 95 as did radios.
If you want the low down on these trucks and you have a 93 or 94, I recommend you check eBay where you can buy a reproduction of the original Ford service manuals on CD for $10 - $15, I've found it handy a number of times.
The LD trucks are the F150 and light duty F250. There are two different F250's, the other one is the Super Duty (SD) F250. The most noticeable difference between these two is the front suspension, the LD 250 has coil springs and the twin I-beam axle and the SD 250 has leaf springs and a solid front axle. The engine lineup is about the same, with some engines available in different sizes of trucks from the 6 cyl. to the 460 V8. The various mechanical options and possible combinations are mindboggling and beyond my experience anyway, suffice it to say as you go up in capacity you'll find heavier axles, wheels, tires, etc. I think the frames on the LD's are dimensionally the same, but I wouldn't be surprised if the 250 has heavier gauge steel. I plow with my trucks and it looks like the F150 plow frame would fit the LD 250, but I've never actually tried it. All my trucks have been 150's. If you're interested in "toughening up" a 150, a local spring shop in my area sells a coil spring that fits the 150 but has a heavier load capacity. I use these as the weight of a plow will destroy your front springs and I don't like air bags. Any competent spring shop could increase the capacity of your rear springs and sell the front coils. These comments apply to the four wheel drive trucks, 2WD aren't too common around here.
Cosmetically, the 92 -96 share the same body, plus the 97 SD's. Ford introduced their new body style (yuck) in 97, but continued the old body for the SD's. The SD's got an all-new body in 98 and I guess it wasn't ready for 97. Dashes changed in 95 as did radios.
If you want the low down on these trucks and you have a 93 or 94, I recommend you check eBay where you can buy a reproduction of the original Ford service manuals on CD for $10 - $15, I've found it handy a number of times.
06-17-2019, 02:23 AM
#13
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Discussion was very helpful
Really appreciate this chain! I have a 1992 F-150 that my dad had bought new. Wondering about the frame steel guage compared to the F-250. 5.0, extend cab, auto, 4x4, 108k miles. Contemplating a travel trailer that this truck can handle. No cross country trips but west coast. I've found most of my truck's specs ok but not a build sheet. With great advices in trailer building recently I believe I'll be ok with a 5-6k trailer, 5-600 lb hitch weight, equalizer hitch, trailer breaks, & new engine rubber. I have ALl service records!
06-17-2019, 10:27 AM
#14
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As you find your truck's specs & details, put them all into your signature as this caption explains:
(phone app link)
It also contains many links that can help you collect more info than the build sheet (which can sometimes be found under the floor covering under the front seat of pickups, stuck to the painted floor); and a link about embedding photos like I'm doing. This caption is from the service manual, and describes the frame thickness:
(phone app link)
These show the best engine mounts I've found (if that's what you meant by "engine rubber"):
(phone app link)
(phone app link)
This shows an aftermarket trailer brake controller with the factory pigtail spliced on:
(phone app link)
Those pigtails are still available, if your truck is prewired with the "trailer adapter" package. Much of that wiring package is PnP if you browse your local junkyards.
(phone app link)
(phone app link)
(phone app link)
It also contains many links that can help you collect more info than the build sheet (which can sometimes be found under the floor covering under the front seat of pickups, stuck to the painted floor); and a link about embedding photos like I'm doing. This caption is from the service manual, and describes the frame thickness:
(phone app link)
These show the best engine mounts I've found (if that's what you meant by "engine rubber"):
(phone app link)
(phone app link)
This shows an aftermarket trailer brake controller with the factory pigtail spliced on:
(phone app link)
Those pigtails are still available, if your truck is prewired with the "trailer adapter" package. Much of that wiring package is PnP if you browse your local junkyards.
(phone app link)
(phone app link)