From 3/4 ton to 1/2 ton

[wolfpack]

How easy will it be to go from 3/4 ton to half ton? just wondering? the free truck i'm getting is a 72 and the guy says there 8 hole rims and there hard to come by and he would like them back and if that is the case i would prefer the 1/2 ton chassis anyway... any help would be greatly appreciated......

[Banjo]

to go from 8 lug to 5, you'd have to change rear end and front suspension. Sounds like an awful lot of work, most I've seen in past in local yards here (of course, most are crushed now) were 3/4 tons, I wouldn't think 8 lug rims too hard to find. Not that I've done it, and I've only owned 1/2 tons (several though, not all Fords), but I'd locate some rims rather than go through all that swapping.
If you can't find some 8 lug rims in yards, you might try some of those freebie papers in your community. Alot of folks put on nicer rims and the stockers stay frozen in a corner for decades until someone will pay a little bit for them. If someone has some stashed away with dry rotted tires, they might take 100 or so to get them out of their way, Banjo.

[gbrett]

8 hole rims are everywhere all ford 8 holes are the same up to 97. 8 on 6.5 used on all domestic trucks factory chevy rims have too small of a center hole but all aftermarket and ford rims will fit

[ToughOldFord]

They used the same 8 holes for literally decades. The wheels are just as easy to find as the five holers.

[wolfpack]

cool thanks everyone.. I really didn't want to have to do all that work because i have enough on my plate with all the kids in sports and not having alot of time to work on stuff.

[MadMaxetc]

I did it and it wasn't to bad. Disk brake swap takes care of the front end $500 for new everything. The rear is as easy as swaping in a 9" I used one from a 75 and moved the spring perchs in and reset the pinion angle. $300 to doo all that. (brakes too)

If you are bussy I would just find some 8 lug rims you like.

(oh and if you swap the 9" in you will have to work out the drive shaft length)