Looks like we got a troll here.

Have fun being a jackass

 

Reported.

 

Decided to dig into some ford parts just to see what the difference was for the suspension and axle. Looks like the part numbers are the same for the 9.75 axle that comes with the heavy duty payload and max tow packages. The only visible change according to ford part diagrams seems to be the outer wheel lug assembly, which is 7 lug instead of 6 lug. Assuming this is true, it would seem that the axle is the same axle outside of the differential internal workings IE the limited slip vs the electronic locking. This means you could switch to the 7 lug wheel assemblies should you choose to.

I already looked at the rear leaf springs, and the heavy duty leaf springs would be a straight bolt on upgrade as well, same width, same length, same bolting and anchoring points.

The frames are identical thickness, standard thickness for all supercrew models from what my research is telling me.

So, the weak links in the suspension and driveline for max tow package:

Shocks
Rear leaf springs
wheel lug assemblies
wheels

While I cannot legally update the door jamb stickers, I could easily buy the parts and update the current truck to be identical to the heavy duty payload package.

I have seen some people say the axles are rated differently, but I believe it has to do with a combination of factors listed above, as opposed to the axle itself being rated higher.

 

to me the splines and type of metal the axles shafts are made of would be different? i would compare each to the other i would think you will find a higher grade of steel or higher numbered spline (or is it lower?)in a max tow or max payload. bet the max tow and payload have axles of chromoly where as others are just good old steal shafts. but its just a guess and if you have searched it on a ford parts site or there books well my guess is crap.
but it seems like ford might have pulled the old fast one on them that bought a max payload or tow.
i would like to think ford would not do that and charge so much more for it.

 

It's a good and bad thing really, if it is truely the same part numbers and axle then it can be both bad from a marketing standpoint, and good to the customer because that would in turn give the customer more capability.

If I had to put a guess on the subject I would say that the wheels are probably not rated as high, I'm sure the 6 lug assembly would handle the extra load just fine, it's just a matter of finding wheels with the higher ratings. However I suppose you could easily just grab the stock 17inch 7 lug wheels and the 7lug wheel assemblies and simply have Ford reprogram your tire size. Which I did find out they can reprogram tire size for Stock tire sizes only, not plus sizes. The wheel assemblies, wheels, rear springs, and shocks would be the only changes... which can be easily updated on any max tow package truck so long as it is a supercrew(higher frame thickness).

This would make sense from an efficiency and assembly point of view for Ford.

 

I'm curious if the frames are the same for the super cab models? I was under the impression the HD payload had a slightly heavier frame thickness.

 

Not sure on the super cab models, I was able to confirm that supercrews come standard with the .150 thickness frame as opposed to the .100 and .110

 

I just measured my frame thickness on my 1997 F150 with a paltry #6250 GVWR and a miserable #3200 rear GAWR and I do have the Sterling 9.75" rear axle! (5 lug hub).

It came out at 0.1585" just above the rear axle. I used an electronic micrometer to measure.

I run about #500 over GVWR and about #200 over rear GAWR when I'm towing my little #5000 TT... Oh well... Been doing it for over 10 years now and I have over 240,000 on the truck...

I feel it's a fine tow and I'm not any more of a risk out there than the next guy...

Do what you want and do what you need to do to make YOUR towing experience what you want it to be... That's what I did and I'm perfectly satisfied with my setup..

Mitch

 

Your frame isn't boxed either. That makes a HUGE difference. It makes for a stronger frame with a smaller thickness.

 

Forgot about it being boxed on the new ones...

Hydro Formed too I imagine..

Super Duper Whopper Fangled too for all I know!

Guess I just got a POS too!

Mitch

 

If you had gotten the 6.5' bed SuperCrew it would be. For the 5.5' short bed, the frame thickness is .110 Raptors also have the thinner frame. Heavy Duty Payload trucks and SuperCrew with 6.5' bed have .150 frame thickness.

This is why they don't make the heavy duty payload available on the short bed SuperCrew.

See page 90 of the source guide and the notation on page 86:
https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckBBAS...12_F150_SB.pdf

There is no getting around it. Just bite the bullet and do a trade-in if you want the Heavy Duty Payload truck.

 

Hmmm, perhaps I'll have to check the thickness on mine then. Even then the strength of the steel itself is higher than the increased thickness. Which would mean the frame itself can still withstand the higher payloads. Which if the yield strength is higher on the thinner rails, this would give the thinner rails an advantage weight wise when doing these upgrades.

The point in doing these upgrades is to increase the stability not necessarily carry more weight.

Everything that is listed as an update in the HD payload package is swappable onto a regular F-150.

I think my truck will do just fine for what we need it to do. Probably just hang on to it assuming Ford can fix the engine issues, trade it in on the 2nd year of the new models since they are all coming out in 2014.

 

That's what I'm waiting for as well. The second year of the all new truck. It will be a 2016 MY.