so ive been running my f150 with the cummins 5.9 in it for several months with no problems. but im wondering if any one knows roughly how close to the front axle weight rating a 2wd f150 is with a 5.9 in it. i know i can go to a dump and havethem weigh it. i know its listed on the door jam, and i know gawr is max capacity, not what the truck weighs.

 

Considering that you had the heaviest V8 500 - 600 lbs in the f150, I'd say a 5.9 is way over the limit and i would imagine that you could have a serious front end failure eventually. I don't get why you guys are doing a 5.9 swap in a half ton truck. A 4bt would be a good swap but even then I would beef up the front end.

4BT Cummins Diesel Specs

5.9L Cummins 12v Specs

5.9L Cummins 24v ISB Specs

 

so anybody got any numbers?

 

The front axle weight rating is what ever the truck was given by the manufacturer with what ever engine was in it, and what ever year, model etc. The front axle weight rating does not change because you put a different engine in it.

If you are trying to figure out how much more weight you have on the front end then subtract the weight of the previous engine from the 5.9 and then you would know how much extra weight you have.

I believe the front axle weight rating is there in case you want to add a snow plow or something like that.

Maybe you would get more response from others if you gave more details, What year?, sub model, etc.

If your truck is the 8th gen 97-2004 maybe you could get the front end from the F250 light duty which was from the the same f150 chassis.

I had a 97 f250 powerstroke which was the last model of the 7th gen which had the same chassis for the f150-f350, so if that's the gen that you have it would be easy to get a front end from a 250 or 350, but then you still have to contend with inevitable broken drive shaft or rear diff from you likely having a 9 inch or 8.5 inch rear end.

Then there's the likely bent frame from all that weight. I don't know of you have ever seen old fords with the sagging frame with stock engines and high miles. but I'm sure that boxing the frame could help with that.

 

its a 1988 twin ibeam 2wd. i assumed gawr was determined with the stock engine as well as the stock springs, im running a 3/4 ton spring. I know that adding more weight to my truck dosent make it able to handle more weight, but thanks for the info. what i want to know is does anyone have any knowledge on the actual components : the i beams and the steering knuckles/spindles. i know i can bolt an f25o i beam set up to it and i know that the rear end is under more stress, thanks. i plan on eventually replacing the front i beams with a solid axle most likely a dana 44 converted to a 2wd steer axle by machining out the steering knuckle pivot brakets and welding in a strait tube in place or the diff, with leaf springs, and a 9 3/4 in the rear with the axles drilled to the older bolt pattern.

 

stick f250 2wd stuff in and be done with it buddy. my 94 12v without turbo manifold or oil in it weighs 1023 lbs (assuming the dock scale at work is half accurate) the bearing in a half ton front end cant take all that weigh for long. even if you use a d44 hd youll still be a little on the light side

 

If the F250 I beams would bolt up thats what I'd do sounds like the easiest way out. Is the frame the same on both trucks. I'd go junk yard shopping get the 250 parts rebuild with new bushings and bearings and be done lot quicker than fabing up the front axle.

 

Assuming you already had the truck, and got a good deal on the 5.9. I think it would be much cheaper and less of a headache to sell the f150 and find a 7th gen f350 4/4 and swap the engine in that.

 

yeah but i put the cummins in my truck because i like my truck, i spent 1900 dollars for the engine and transmission, ant the swap cost me about 30 dollars. has anyone had a similar swap and had a failure/problem? I know it seems like it shouldnt work, but it has. i check my front bearings about every 3 weeks, everything is fine. I know i can buy an f350, i want an f150 with a cummins in it, thats what makes it cool, everybody has a one ton with a diesel in it, nobody cares about that. if they can put a small block in a chevrolet in a bike, or a 302 in a miata, i think its possible that the 5.9 half ton will work. I guess this is more of an engineering question the i beams arent going to break because the load on them is distributed evenly across both ends in a verticle push pull fashion, the only components im concerned with are the spindles, the war i look at it is this: they are similar material and similar size to a trailer ball base which is usually rated for 10-20 thousand pounds of shearing strength, and the load is distributed mostly to the inner bearing which has a considerably larger diameter than the outer, the centerline of the engine is aft of the axle so some of that weight is sent to the rear which give the weight far less leverage than say a huge bumper of a snow plow. i just dont see why it wont work. I mean alot of people have done this, does anyone have any experience of it not working?

 

There's a guy on here eastern aggie who has a F150 with a 6bt in it, you should ask him.