Ford F-150 Crash Tests - (Five Star Crash Rating!)
Ford F-150 vs. Chevy Silverado vs. Toyota Tundra - Bed Bounce
Ford F-150 History
The F-150 - 1948-1952 - The Beginning Years...
The first F-Series, called the F-1 (half ton), F-2 (three-quarter ton), or F-3 (Heavy Duty), were introduced as
1948 models. A few "modern" improvements over Ford's previous pickups were smoother body contours, integrated headlights, a bigger cab and a
one-piece windshield. 1951 brought a new base engine, a 215-c.i. inline six with 101 horsepower. Heavy-duty versions were renamed F-350.
Horsepower also increased, with the six rated at 137 horsepower and the V8 (increased in size to 272 c.i.) pumping out 173 horsepower.Two body
styles were available, the traditional Flareside with its separate rear fenders and a new Styleside model with smooth sides that lended a more
unified appearance. A new grille debuted for 1958. 1959 saw a larger V8 (292 c.i., 186 horsepower), the availability of four-wheel drive and
two-tone interior trim along with the traditional front-end freshening. Three trim levels; base, custom and Ranger were now offered. The Ranger
had carpeting, plusher seats and chrome exterior trim (such as the grille) standard. A Crew Cab (four-door pickup truck) was offered for 1969.
1970 offered F-Series buyers a choice of four trim levels: Custom, Sport, Ranger and the top dog Ranger XLT. Grille designs changed slightly to
update the 1971 and 1972 models. A new body topped these changes and featured a concave groove that ran the length of the body and a cleaner
grille with integrated turn signals. Aside from minor facelifts in the grille area, the F-Series continued through 1976 with little change.
Engine choices were revised for 1977 with 351- (163 horsepower) and 400-c.i. (169 horses) V8s replacing the 360 V8 option. For 1978, the 300-c.i.
inline six (114 horsepower) became the standard base engine and square headlights debuted (on all models except Custom). 1979 brought square
headlights for all F-Series trucks.
The F-150 - 1980-1986 - The Roaring Eighties...
Entering the eighties, Ford's 1980 trucks sported an evolutionary, more aerodynamic redesign. Flareside
(regular cab only) and Styleside (regular or SuperCab) styles were again offered and the big 460 V8 was dropped from the option list. The
four-wheel-drive versions adopted an independent, coil-sprung front suspension design called "Twin-traction beam." 1982 saw the "FORD" letters on
the hood replaced by the blue Ford oval in the grille center and the fitment of new, "lubed for life" ball joints. F-Series models now consisted
of base, XL, XLT and XLT Lariat. 1983 saw engine offerings increased to again include the 460 V8 (or 7.5-liter, as now engine sizes were referred
to in liters) with 245 horsepower and a 6.9-liter diesel V8. 1988 saw the SuperCab offered in a shorter (139-inch versus 155-inch) wheelbase and
all engines were now fuel injected, including the 5.0- and 5.8-liter V8s. The Flareside body style was dropped. Horsepower for the various
engines stood at 150 for the 4.9-liter inline six, 185 for the 5.0-liter V8, 210 for the 5.8-liter V8, 230 for the 7.5-liter V8 and 180 for the
now 7.3-liter (up from 6.9 liters) diesel V8. A new silver and black grille replaced the all black unit for 1989 Custom and XL models. A
heavy-duty service package, ideal for snowplow operators, consisted of a heavy-duty battery, high-capacity radiator and skid plates.
The F-150 - 1990 - 1999 - The Grunge Era...
Automatic hub locks were made standard for F-250 and F-350 trucks for 1991. Helping to make the transition from
two-wheel to four-wheel drive even easier was an optional (on models with the 5.0-liter V8/automatic overdrive transmission) "Touch-Drive"
electronic transfer case control that put the truck into four-wheel drive with the press of a dash-mounted button. The oddly named "Nite" package
debuted this year as an option for the XLT Lariat and featured blackout trim, alloy wheels with 235/75/15 white-lettered tires, sport suspension
and the obligatory decals. Plusher seats and door trim made the interior more inviting, and SuperCab models offered a large, optional console in
addition to standard three-point rear seatbelts. Raising the seat cushion and adding padding improved rear seat comfort in SuperCab models. The
aptly named Lightning, with its tire-smoking 240 horsepower, 5.8-liter V8 joined the popular F-Series lineup.
Safety upgrades took place for 1994 when a driver's side airbag (except on heavy-duty models), side door beams
and a high, center-mounted third brakelight debuted. Named after the outdoor gear and apparel company favored by yuppies, the Eddie Bauer
F-Series was the most luxurious Ford pickup available, with features such as two-tone paint, air conditioning, power everything, stereo with
cassette, alloy wheels and the 40/20/40 front seat. A new 7.3-liter, "Power Stroke" turbodiesel became optional on F-250 Heavy Duty pickups. Two
models were dropped and two were added for 1996: F-150 Flareside and Lightning models met their demise and shorter-wheelbase versions of the
F-250 Heavy Duty SuperCab and Crew Cab debuted.
The F-150 in the 21st Century...
Regular cab, SuperCab (extended cab) and SuperCrew (a crew cab introduced for 2001) body styles cater to
passenger-carrying requirements. A choice of standard or Flare side bed styles are offered (except on SuperCrew — standard bed only) and trim
levels consist of base XL, midlevel XLT and plush Lariat. The Harley edition (based on a 2WD SuperCab) came with black paint with orange accents,
huge (20-inch) wheels, special leather interior trim, and, of course, plenty of badges.
Three body styles; regular cab, SuperCab and Crew Cab are available in the traditional Ford truck trim levels
dubbed XL, XLT and Lariat.
An STX package became available on XLT 2WD models and featured 17-inch alloy wheels and a color-keyed grille.
Unlike the rounded styling of their F-150 and F-250 siblings, the F-250 and F-350 Super Duty versions had prominent grilles, angular body lines
and "stepped-down" front side windows, all of which reinforced their big truck status. Regular Cab, Super Cab and Crew Cab body styles were
offered, as was a variety of power plants that included the Power Stroke turbodiesel V8.
Fitted with special leather trim, this special SuperCab Flareside 2WD also had black paint with orange accents,
the 5.4 V8, massive (20-inch) chrome wheels and plenty of Harley emblems festooned about the body and cabin. The Super Duty trucks picked up ABS
brakes (in Lariat trim) along with power windows and locks as standard for the XLT trim levels.
A crew cab body style, dubbed "SuperCrew," came aboard for 2001. The Harley-Davidson edition adopted the
SuperCrew body this year, and a new top-o'-the-line trim debuted, called King Ranch. Four-wheel ABS became standard across the line as did
power-adjustable pedals on the Lariat models. A trio of new options (heated front seats, power sunroof and rear-seat entertainment system) became
available late in the year.
The Harley-Davidson edition added some bite to its bark for 2002, in the form of a supercharged version of the
5.4-liter V8 that sent 340 horsepower to the rear wheels.
More F-150 History
The first F-Series truck (known as the Ford Bonus-Built) from Ford was introduced in 1948, replacing the
company's previous car-based pickup line. It was a modern-looking truck with a flat, one-piece windshield and integrated headlights. Options were
the "See-Clear" windshield washer (operated by foot plunger), passenger side windshield wiper & sun visor, and passenger side taillight. The
F-1 truck was also available with additional chrome and two horns as an option. All F-series were available in "Marmon-Herrington All Wheel
Drive" until 1959.
Design of the F-Series truck changed little from 1948 to 1952. Starting on the 1956 models, Ford offers the
very rare "Low GVWR" versions of each model. On March 13, 1953, "Ford-O-Matic" automatic transmissions became an option. Second generation trucks
were built in Brazil from 1957 to 1962 as the F-100, F-350 and F-600. F-series trucks were built at sixteen different Ford plants. Serial numbers
indicate the truck model, engine, year, assembly plant, and unit number.
The Early Years -The 1954 Ford F-150
The 1954 ford truck had the new over head valve V8 engine this had 230ci and a 130 horsepower (97 kW) this was
called the "Power King". The 1954 model is considered the start of the F-150 series reign of high quality trucks. The Canadian F-Series and
M-Series (Mercury trucks) maintained the Flatheat engines for 1954.
Four wheel drive drive-train, which was once outsourced to Marmon-Herrington is now produced in-house by Ford
Motor Company in 1959 to the present time. Ford still offers a "Low GVWR" version of each model. In May 1957 Ford discontinued making all trucks
at the Highland Park Ford Plant in Highland Park, Michigan. All heavy trucks were transferred to the Kentucky Truck Assembly in Louisville,
Kentucky. All light and medium trucks were transferred to 10 other plants in the USA. Third generation trucks were built in Brazil as the F-100,
F-350 & F-600 from 1962 to 1971.
The truck was completely redesigned for 1961 with a wider look, and unibody trucks were built with an
integrated cab and box. In 1965, the Twin I-Beam front suspension was introduced with coil springs. The 1965 and 1966 trucks have a "TWIN I-BEAM"
emblem on the front fender. A 4-door crew cab version was also introduced in 1965, still a popular option. Ford still offers a "Low GVWR" version
of each model.
In 1965, the name "Ranger" is first introduced as a styling package for the F-Series pickup trucks. Then later
(1981) the name Ranger is used for Ford's compact series trucks; a non F-Series American competition for the foreign truck market at the
time.
In 1968, federal regulations required all automotive manufacturers to add side marker reflectors or lights, so
Ford redesigned the hood emblems to incorporate reflectors. The top trim for 1970 was now named Ranger XLT with Ranger, Sport Custom and Custom
rounding off the rest of the line. Some trucks came with an outer flush mounted bed side compartment/tool box on the passenger side
only.
After the 1968 models, Ford discontinued the "Low GVWR" versions. The Explorer and Ranger trim names were the
name sake for the current-production Ford Explorer SUV and the soon-to-be discontinued compact Ford Ranger, which shares the same platform with
the Ford Explorer.
The truck was redesigned in 1973. Large round headlights were on either side of the grille with the park/turn
signal lamps placed above in the same rail where the "FORD" lettering was. In 1976, this familiar "split-grille" design was facelifted slightly
to feature black accents around the headlights and a refined appearance overall. In 1978, the round headlight design was retained for the regular
Ranger and Custom trim levels. The XLT and "Lariat" trim level incorporated rectangular headlights with optional chrome headlight doors and
chrome grille insert. The split grille design was overhauled in favor of a single-piece grille insert design. A luxury Lariat trim was also
introduced for 1978. In 1973, a new model was offered, the F350 SRW (single rear wheel) pickup. The GVRW ratings for these trucks was tied to a
combination of wheel, spring, axle and brake combinations. It was also the Ford's first use of an independent front suspension on 4X4 models. The
Ranger trim line was dropped from the F-Series in 1982, since that name was to be applied to the new Ford Ranger compact pickup, which replaced
the Ford Courier mini-pickup line. Trim options were now XL, XLS, XLT, and XLT Lariat. The F-100 was dropped as the base model at the end of 1983
and the now-familiar F-150 took its place as the base model F-Series truck for 1984. The various changes that occurred between the 1981 and 1982
model years were accompanied by a slight cosmetic change- 1980-81 trucks have a plain grille with "FORD" spelled across the front of the hood in
chrome letters, similar to the previous model. 1982-86 models had the letters removed, and a Ford blue oval placed in the center of the grille.
RANGER- The intermediate trim level that added a color keyed floor mat, some extra chrome, and woodtone dash trim. RANGER XLT- A step up from the
RANGER that added nicer seat trim, a color keyed headliner, color keyed carpeting, aluminum tailgate trim and optional power windows/locks. XL-
this is basically a new name for the intermediate RANGER trim level for 1982 as the name "RANGER" is now used for Ford's new compact truck. XLS-
a new for '82 trim level that featured a blacked out brille, bumpers and headlight trim. It also featured a stripe graphics package and black and
silver dash trim. XLT LARIAT- the top of the line truck for '82 which featured floor carpeting, color keyed headliner, a standard chrome grille,
and optional power windows/door locks. Rear antilock brakes were now standard, and the first truck to boast this. Starting in 1980 (to 1996),
Ford offered a four-wheel-drive swing arm independent front suspension called Twin-Traction Beam, or TTB. The 5.0 L truck also had an optional
"Touch Drive" electronic transfer case. Custom, XL, XLT, and XLT Lariat were the trim options available. All wheels were 10-lug with DRW (Dual
Rear Wheels). This model should not to be confused with the "Super Duty" commercial line of trucks starting with the 1999 model year.
