My first vehicle was a '64 Ford F100 at 14 years old. 292 Y block V8, 3 speed column, manual steer and brakes. Last year for the straight axle with kingpins. White spoke wheels, 70's in front, 60's in rear. 2 tone custom paint and interior and of course, an 8 track from Radio Shack. Hauling ass around the corners in the mountains I could place the inside front tire on the double yellow or the white stripes and with that straight axle the inside tire would SCREAM for mercy.
"Twenty years ago today, the kids had the Beaver Fever, but it twasn't what you have here today. This is madness!" - Bet nobody will get that movie quote.
Took my driver's test in my dad's 1966 f 100 , no power steering,bias ply tires, it was a struggle, but the state cop, that's who gave tests way back then, was sympathetic, gave me a couple of hints, and passed me the first time. My dad was sure I wasn't going to pass. It was the most nervous I've ever been.
I took my drivers test in a 57 Mercury with no power steering/brakes or AC!! My Father said that stuff was just something to break!! I too had some slack from the tester!! Later when radial tires came out I put them on my 56 Ford and it became a BEAST to steer-especially in a slow curve although they did improve handling. Don’t get in a tight place!!😦😬🙈
@@ludicrous7044 yep you are right putting radials on a car not set up for them could be dangerous. Also, I had a 67 gtx with radials and I wanted red lines on it, but at that time they only came in bias, did it anyway ,looked great, drove like crap. Expensive lesson learned. But they did help sell the car.
Twin Traction Beam (TTB) debuted in 1980 with the introduction of the new seventh generation truck, now referred to as the Bullnose. The previous 4x4 trucks and Broncos were all live front axle designs.
I had a 80 with it and had a few late 70's 4x4 to. I like the 400 and c6 in all of them. But man I couldn't not keep the 80 front-end aligned . I even went to one of the places that said there alignement would work or they would redo it. I think they did it like 15 times before they refused. It might have been the 38 ground hoggs. But the sold axle ones handled 35-40 in with no problems.
Twin I beam isn't ttb all 100 and 150 series trucks from 65-80 had split I beams if they were 2wd, 4wd had a solid axle all 250 up trucks 2wd or 4wd had solid / live axles front and rear. Solid beam for 2wd live solid for 4wd. The TTB set-up with 4wd for all 150 and light duty 250 trucks was a pita to keep aligned as the guy above mentioned, especially if you increased tire size above 255/70r16 or 30/31" 10.50 r15 or r16 you could squeeze 33 10.50 r15/16 inside the fenders but your ttb would be out of camber/caster and once fixed would walk it's way out even with mild a/t M/t tires. The more you know
I've driven twin I beams for 34 years on the farm. Absolutely nothing wrong with them. Nearly indescribable, ride is reasonable, handling is acceptable, and load capacity is great.
Hi Steve, Thanks for all the hard work and research that You put in to all these videos. Also thanks to You and Shane for all the filming out in the wrecking Yard. You must have a Giant Magazine collection, You always seem to find out some stories and info in a magazine, even if it was not a Photo car on the cover or even the main stories. I thank You a lot for showing them to us. Please don't keep drawing on the pages with a pen or Sharpie, just so it makes it a littlie easier for us to see the story. They are Your magazines that have taken You a lifetime to collect and I can not believe You actually draw on them. Your little yellow Post-It notes are enough for us to see. Cheers Mark.
Hi Mark, the "desecration" of the pages is to make certain I can zero in on the exact info I'm hoping to share. It also helps Super Shane to zero in as well. I know we were told "never write in books" as kids in school but that went out the window when we were issued Hi-Liters to apply translucent ink shading to important passages. Also, i have multiple copies of most of my "props" so if I want a pristine example, I have it (I've been collecting / hoarding for 45 years...I don't know why). Also, there may come a time when I RAFFLE / AWARD these paper items to viewers. In that situation, it'll VERIFY that the item received is THE ONE used in the video. So I don't see the writing as a loss. Plus I never throw them out, the ink merely adds personalization to items I cherish and refer to regularly. I say all of this to explain that I understand your reaction, but rest assured there are un-marked extras in my stash if I need to have one. THANKS for writing, Steve Magnante
No, plenty of online resources to determine the production sequence and how it falls into the model year. It's more likely you'd find that in the parts catalog versus the service/shop manual. Most Ford parts catalogs have a VIN and trim tag decoder in them and that's where most online resources got their information. Yes, the trim tag and VIN tell it all, so as we always say, "When we get the VIN, we win". F10 for F100 2WD, B for 300 CID straight six with one barrel, L for Michigan Truck assembly, and the rest is the production sequence lining up with June 1966 production, making it a 1966 model year truck. The Michigan Truck plant still operates today and is known as Michigan Assembly and is located in Wayne, MI next to the Wayne stamping plant. When you get the tag, you can brag: 129 is the truck's wheelbase in inches (something still on door jamb tags on Ford trucks even today), J for Rangoon Red exterior paint, N for Red Crush Vinyl and Red Cody plastic interior trim, 81 for conventional cab, C for three speed manual light duty transmission, Ford produced, 08 for rear axle which is a 3.50:1 non-locking unit, Ford produced, 5000 is the maximum Gross Vehicle Weight Rating in pounds, 150 is the rated horsepower at 3600 RPM, and 11 is the Boston, MA sales district.
Yea I was pretty shocked to learn they still use it. I still see lots of Econoline vans running around with it. It's to funny to see the completly awful camber curve when they hit bumps. Turns out it was a great design for dessert pre runners but awful for a street driven vehicle.
@@geoffmooregm Not awful, just different. But most importantly way more durable than control arms and on 4x4s, CV axles up front. And that is why they still use it 60 years later. And on a bigger scale same goes for the old Straight I beam. Big trucks still use it because you really just have to try incredibly hard to break one.
@@geoffmooregm I was shocked at the 2016 f250 4wd we got new. A real 4wd lever on the floor ,rubber floor ,and you actually have to get out and lock the manual hubs. Sort of a real work truck, but I don't trust it now that recently it killed an ecm at 135k.
Steve, This is a reminder that cars used to be large and pickups used to be sanely sized. This F100 looks like a lightweight compared to today's Ranger let alone the F150.
Yeah, today's Ranger looks the same size as full size pick ups did 20-25 years ago, I don't know if styling is playing an optical illusion on me and certainly the raised suspension, but that's what I always thought.
@@bobhill3941 Your right the styling does trick your eyes into thinking things are smaller. For example in the early 2000's my cousin had a 63 Mercury Monterey 4 door and a 91 Pontiac Bonneville 4 door keep in mind the Bonneville isn't a full size car but if you park them next to each the Mercury was only a foot or two longer
The fact some of large old cars are lighter than some of the smaller modern cars. For example, the 1968 Chevy Malibu sedan with V-8 roughly the size of a 2012 Ford Crown Victoria, but weight lighter than 2010 Honda accord V-6 Sedan.
In those days pickups normally came without rear bumpers. Dealers installed them routinely. My hometown had a welder/blacksmith who made a lot of the bumpers in that area. They were sturdy enough to serve as dozer blades for a small tractor.
The Ranger I had was a leftover from a fleet sale . It had a bumper on it but normally wouldn’t. At the end of ‘86 Lakewood (CO) Fordland had two white with 2.3 and 5speed OD. I got the one with blue interior, the other had red inside. Both went for $6688 and N/C for the bumpers
My second and third gen "E" series vans had the twin I beam. Other than king pin replacement on the second gens, they all held up very well and had good road manners.
My dad had a 1965 F100 1/2 ton that was a service vehicle from a garage with all the company's name written on it. It was in mint condition, chrome everywhere. I remember the frame had rot thru. My dad said that they never could be aligned properly.
Back in the 70’s I drove a 1970 Ford cargo van for my job. After driving it for a while I told my new boss that the truck pulled to the right. They sent it into the shop and believe it or not one of the beams was bent. The mechanic said he had never seen one do that before. This was in 1973.
A cousin of mine (rancher) owned a new ‘65 F-100 with Twin-I-Beam. A few years later a tree fell on it. A had a ‘95 F-150 with it, and in 17 years I never had any weird alignment or tire wear issues - just had to replace the driver’s side bushing, twice. Later trucks switched from forged radius arms, to stamped ones, with a shaft welded to it, that went through the bushing.
I had a 1985 F 150 with the twin I beam. Suspension was great but what i preferred was the great turning radius the combination of beams and steering linkage provided.
Definitely one of my favorite trucks I actually own 3 of them two are tow trucks ones a pickup all drivers the TTB in the 4wheel drive stuff gets a lot of hate but if set up correctly they ride and work very well . I actually doing to up grades to one now and sharing on my channel
I like em too, got two of em as well the thing is they tend to be wobbly steering, other than that solid trucks. The only thing I hate is trying to lift them for tire changes
Great Video Steve The Twin Beam front suspension was an alignment shop nightmare. A customer would bring one in empty, you set the alignment,they load the crap out oft it Then the nose goes up the alignment goes out and the customer is mad as hell at the alignment shop! We always thought they were designed by Firestone since they were hell on front tires! They also did a great boat imitation! Put a load in the rear,front end comes up, tire contact goes to 1é2 inch and you loose all feel for the steering! Great in the winter Keep up the great work
TIB was in compact Ford trucks as well. I bought a new 87 Ranger with twin I beams and drove it every day and all over the country for almost 34 years. The ECM finally went bad so I sold it to a former co worker cheap and got my 73 C30
It’s less to manufacture!! I had a 56 Ford I wanted to drag race it would spin one tire and I would lose!! A friend at HS said to weld up the spider gear but about once a week I would need to jack it up and let the axle “unwind!”😦😬 The axle would break from twisting in a turn because of uneven speed!! It also made the front tires work harder. I would beat a stock differential every time!! It was illegal but nobody seemed to notice!😁 My Uncle was working on a military 6x on a lift. When he raised it off the floor it jumped over the rack and smacked the back wall! The owner did not disengage the differential and the axles unwound and push the truck!! It says caution on the dash and to forget to pull the brake lever!! It fortunate no no body was hurt!!⛑The owner fixed the damage!
Hey Steve! I had a 1977 and a 79 F-150 both with the twin I beam axle. I remember a few times when I had stone in the 77 the front tires were kinda doing their own thing but empty or a normal load they rode like big cars, very smooth.
That's because you can't put all the stone on the tailgate. Keep it to the front of the box so you have weight on the front axle. Also if you overload the truck that will happen, even semi trucks have a load limit and the same thing will happen with them if overloaded or loaded incorrectly. Think Ford was bad, chevrolet would have left you sitting.
Twin I beam was an attempt at independent front suspension. The early 80’s 4x4 Broncos and trucks had a twin I beam set up. It was kinda flimsy. Ihave a ‘75 F-350 2wheel drive dump truck that my late uncle left me. I was my grandfather’s he bought new. Truck only has 29K miles on it.
I sold my 1965 Ford 100 long bed, fleet side truck when I moved to Texas. It had a 3 in the tree like this truck and a 6 cylinder with a one bbl carb. No radio, no cigarette lighter, no power steering and no power brakes. It was not the Custom Cab. Just a solid old truck and the doors closed so easily, you would not believe it. Wish I still had that truck.
61-66. 61 came as a uni body or with the wrong bed shared with 57-60 and also used up to 66 on factory 4x4 and f350. 64 -66 for the style side bed maybe a handful of 63 most 63 f100-f250 came uni or step side. It's too bad that truck is so far gone, frame looked compromised with rust even but that was a great old truck
Our neighbors had a 66 twin ibeam When I was a kid in the 60s . I don't remember the transmission. But I do remember the rear axle shaft coming out of it while they were driving it . Although they drove it for years before that
My neighbors dad bought a new 3/4 ton with a 390, 4 speed.1974, Man we beat the hell out of that thing! Rebuilt and replaced those beams 4 or 5 times in just a few years. His dad traded it off because he thought ibeams were crap. He just didnt know what they went through between farming, hunting and partying!
The Ford 300 c.i. straight 6 was the best engine ever made by Ford. Could not kill them. I had an old 79 f-100 ranger step side 4x4 with that 300 engine and I beat the snot outta that truck. Best vehicle I have ever owned.
One of my cousins had an F150 as a company vehicle that he managed to kill before it was a year old. He was a salesman for a company that rented construction equipment at the time. He and his boss ordered the truck with the 300 c.i. six, 5 speed manual transmission, (5th gear was overdrive) and the lowest rear axle ratio available. I thinK it was 2.54:1. He was delivering a good sized air compressor to a customer. The frame and suspension might have been okay for towing that much weight but the drive train certainly wasn’t.
One thing that I've always found interesting about the Twin Traction Beam design for F-250 and F-350 pickups is that they still used leaf springs up front. F-100 and F-150 pickups used coil springs up front on the 4x4s. Also, no matter what Ford pickup you're working on, if it has either the Twin I-beam or Twin Traction Beam suspension, those axle pivot bushings can be a major PITA to replace, especially in the rust belt!
Small detail. Twin I-Beam pickups had the engine offset to the right. Not much, about an inch give or take. The rear diff was centered so the driveshaft was slightly diagonal. I always thought it had something to do with one I-beam ahead of the other (although I THINK the wheelbase was the same on both sides) Maybe you know or can find out why… (I hope it’s not just for steering box clearance)
@@WildBillFlysRC There were changes in frame width, so there can be differences in the bed-mounting holes, especially if you're dealing with a High Boy ('67-'77 F250 4WD) And you can see how a Bumpside '67-'72 uses the older Slickside backlite. Then the Dentside '73-'79 uses a new backlite, but the same windshield as the Bumpsides. Then the Bullnose '80-'96 got a new windshield, but carried on with the Dentside's backlite - along with the floor and back wall of the bed.
Grandpa had a white 65 stepside with a 352 3 on the tree. Chrome grill and bumpers. He promised me he would give it to me when i got my license in 1979. But a neighbor made him an offer he couldn't refuse and he sold it. And about 2 weeks later he got drunk and rolled it. Kept driving it with the roof all smashed in. And i had to watch him come by every day driving it. Broke my heart. I'm still mad.
You said that from 1961 to 1980, the VIN didn't ID the year model. Wasn't aware, but that could explain why I've seen several ads for mid-1960s F-100 that clearly misidentified the year model. Sometimes the seller would insist that the (incorrect) year was on the title.
Front end “shimmy” was something that would pop up with the Twin I Beam from time to time. My dad bought a new 1974 Custom, and not long after, someone decided to disconnect the radius rods after dark. It had a bad shimmy problem afterward and the shops never could manage to diagnose and fix the problem. I had a new 1989 that never had any issues, however. I also operated 1986-95 Broncos for my job. The factory rims that came standard with the XLT package on the 94-95s seemed to have recesses especially made to trap mud, thus inducing shimmy when getting back on the road and requiring a spray nozzle daily to prevent the shimmy. Usually slowing down and yanking the wheel right and left would get things back in balance, but in retrospect I can see how that tactic might cause a loss of control. Otherwise, the front ends were pretty durable. Nevertheless, for replaced them with a more conventional front suspension on the half tons and Rangers for the 97 model year.
Twin I beam was considered a good setup for 2wd racing. It was nearly as tough as a solid axle and tougher than an A arm independent suspension. And it gave a better ride at high speeds on rough dirt road than a solid axle. The system is considered undesireble for other types of driving because of alignment and durability problems. Haltenberger steering is also something to avoid vs parallelogram steering. I believe people convert the former to the latter when restoring older vehicles.
Ive driven millions of miles in the past 40 years in Twin I beam truck .....never once had an alignment issue......unless the frames are bent from an accident ect.
I'm a huge fan of solid axles and leaf springs. It's by far the toughest type of suspension ever developed, and IMO what all trucks should have, front and rear. However, I still strongly prefer the Twin-I-Beam design to the short/long control arm car style suspension, which is way too weak for a truck. It also has alignment issues. With both solid axles/leaf springs and the Twin-I-Beam designs, caster and camber were never an issue. Yes, the Twin-I-Beam design, like the old VW Bug swing axle and IRS systems, did have some camber change as it moved, it was never really a problem. At normal ride height the camber was always spot on. I have over 300,000 miles on Ford trucks with the Twin-I-Beam setup, and currently own a 1975 F-250 2 wheel drive with that setup, and have never had any issues with it. As with all suspension systems, there are bushings that need to be replaced occasionally, but you don't have to get a front end alignment every 6 months.
Hi Steve another great video. I'm not sure what you meant at the end of the video you stated that the "styling was from 58-66..." The 57-60 had the same style cab and 61-66 were the same. Although I've heard some 66 parts are a 1 year only deal. A friend had a 66 and needed a radiator support and a 65 didn't bolt up or something similar. I personally don't know that as facts. I've owned 2 of the unibody trucks offered in 61 & 62 they were of course front I-beam. I would have liked for you to have mentioned the padded dash offered on this 66 also. Not sure if it was an industry 1st as standard equipment. I know the 67 chevy truck had them standard but not sure if the 66 chevy offered them. I think you could get the padded dash in the 56 chevy cameo. Dodge I assume did the same along the same time. Namaste Steve 🙏🏼
Padded dash became standard on '66 ford's yes, seatbelts too I believe. But no padded dashes on Chevy trucks until '67. Compared to the '61-66 Fords the 60-66 Chevy trucks were kind of spartan. No padded dashes, the interior was always the same color, no headliner ever, little chrome or stainless on the inside even on a Custom Cab. Whereas on the Ford you had color keyed interiors, padded dash, headliner, and stainless trim all over the interior on a Custom Cab. And hell in '65 and '66 you could get carpet and bucket seats in the Ranger trim. Both a first for trucks at the time, and now both those things are standard on all trucks. 61-66 Ford's don't get near enough credit for how far they changed the image of a truck and what it could be into what we see today.
@@josephg41 glad you said it...I knew that info but a lot of folks on here will jump on you about anything miss quoted or 1 yr off on your info. Love Ford trucks but I'm not prejudice at all they all made junk on Mondays and Fridays...lol. But I've owned a few Fords and Chevys in my time both took the beaten I dished out and can't say either one let me down. I've always loved the Ford models they just looked better. If you're a Steve Magnante fan, I've commented almost on every vid. I'm a big fan of Steve's. I've owned 61 and 62 unibody that had a 292 and in school I needed a project to work on. So with a wrecked 70 GS I stuffed that Rocket Olds V8 in my Ford unibody. It was a custom cab with all the chrome jewelry and the big wrap around back window. Called her "Stubby". Thanks for commenting on my comment lol...you have a great day and a better tomorrow. Namaste 🙏🏼
I had a 1965 250 custom cab with the 352 2 barrel and heavy duty 4 speed I bought in 1982 with a broken pressure plate. After putting in a new disc and pressure plate driving it i noticed the steering was hard and would bind and also found chunks of 2x4's between the frame and the cab. what had happened was the cab front mount boxes had rusted off an the front of the cab dropped down and was putting a bind on the steering column so i fabricated new ones to correct the problem. That was a common problem with that era of trucks because sand & dirt would get trapped in the mount box and hold moisture and rot it out.
That's true. My '66 F100 had those boxes full to the brim with dirt when I bought it. However it was not rusted out at all. It has 4 drain areas so as long as water can still get out you should be ok as evidenced by my truck.
The Big Six 240, 300 and 352 VI for that year had ratings of 129, 150 and 172 net respectively. When the 5 th gen came around, they re-gigged it to 145, 170 gross for the 240 and 300. By 1972, the game was up...Net ratings of like 105 and 118 respectively. It's nothing to lose 30% in a gross to net change, but 14-16% is the typical drop if the peak power rpm hasn't been Misquoted. That year, 1966, the West German TUV quoted Net verses gross ratings on all imported US Ford's, and each rating drop gross to net was 14 to 16 percent.
I know them very well indeed. The big difference over the years is if the axle was stamped or cast. The cast ones could be bent to adjust camber but not the stamped.
All of them, up to 1979. There are some small differences in the 65, such as the pinch bolt location. The additional J hooks holding the coil springs in.. lots of guys use the 73-79 front ends to get disc brakes
@@tomdavis7635 it’s a fairly easy swap, and worth every drop of sweat and blood. My 66 was so much better with disc brake swap. Don’t piece it together, buy a complete front end with the power steering box, and all of the steering column stuff also, inner outer brackets, and the column itself. Best thing you can do for a better driver
Not sure but you mentioned styling and said ‘58-67? Not sure but the body was the same ‘57-60. Front fenders marker lights changed in ‘59 from round to square, front valances changed along with grill and hood. Front sheetmetal minus grill interchanges ‘57-‘58. Hood was the same on ‘57-‘58 but was different in ‘59 and ‘60 so ‘59 - ‘60 fenders and front balance are the same. Sorry I know it is confusing but thought you may not know.
I had a 65 F250 and a 66 F100 and both had over 200k miles on them, and neither ever gave any hint of a wobble or shimmy. Someone must have greased the front end regularly.
That twin I beam is the worst ever. I had an 87 f150 4x4 I used for plowing snow could not hold an alignment or keep tires on the thing. So I took matters in my own hands and got axles from a 79 f150. They went in with little modification drove that truck for 393000 before the frame rotted out. The most trouble free vehicle I ever owned.
Hey Steve I've got an all original 68 dodge 3/4 ton camper special it was my first truck it's got the 318 auto Maricopa shifter on the dash it not in bad shape I'd love to know what you know and think about it
That has to ride pretty harsh, unless you have a camper of equivalent weight on the back. I like them for looks but I think the cabs are too short if you have even slightly long legs.
And the local repair shop will send you away if you asked for a front end alignment. Luckily for me there was a truck repair shop in the next town who knew how to bend an axle.
Gemini 10? Star trek? Camaro introduced? Communist party of China? Vietnam? Race riots? Black panther party? Kwanzaa invented? Confused as to your comment.
Drove many late 60’s thru 70’s Fords. If they sat any length of time the king pins would dry up and seize. Always fun to drive: never able to keep it centered in the lane. Drift left, drift right, repeat over and over. 😁
Personally I didn't like the feel of the steering on the twin I beam models. They felt like the tow adjustment would change a lot when hitting a dip in the road or anytime the wheels traveled up or down very much. It's like you always had to drive them, you just couldn't relax. Did this model still have the ignition switch on the left side of the steering column? My Dad bought a new (left over) 64 model, s/b stepside, 6 cyl, 3 on the tree for only $1625.00 a couple months after the 65's came out. He bought another new one in 70, 75 and 79. He didn't buy anymore since I had gotten into the bodyshop business he had me redo it twice, the second time it got an aluminum flatbed since the original was beyond repair. It looked good, 2 tone blue with a lot of chrome and he didn't sell it till 2004 or 2005 for $3500.00. I remember it being a gas hog whether it was loaded or empty.
If Automobiles were around a couple hundred years ago I can see Steve sifting through an ancient junkyard telling us about the lugnuts of a 1750s horseless Dodge Brothers chariot
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
My first truck was the 1966 F250 with a 352 engine and 4-speed transmission. I've always loved that year truck
My first vehicle was a '64 Ford F100 at 14 years old. 292 Y block V8, 3 speed column, manual steer and brakes. Last year for the straight axle with kingpins. White spoke wheels, 70's in front, 60's in rear. 2 tone custom paint and interior and of course, an 8 track from Radio Shack. Hauling ass around the corners in the mountains I could place the inside front tire on the double yellow or the white stripes and with that straight axle the inside tire would SCREAM for mercy.
It’s a pleasure attending your lectures. You are a top notch teacher. Thank you very much.
"Twenty years ago today, the kids had the Beaver Fever, but it twasn't what you have here today. This is madness!" - Bet nobody will get that movie quote.
Took my driver's test in my dad's 1966 f 100 , no power steering,bias ply tires, it was a struggle, but the state cop, that's who gave tests way back then, was sympathetic, gave me a couple of hints, and passed me the first time. My dad was sure I wasn't going to pass. It was the most nervous I've ever been.
I took my drivers test in a 57 Mercury with no power steering/brakes or AC!!
My Father said that stuff was just something to break!! I too had some slack from the tester!! Later when radial tires came out I put them on my 56 Ford and it became a BEAST to steer-especially in a slow curve although they did improve handling.
Don’t get in a tight place!!😦😬🙈
@@ludicrous7044 yep you are right putting radials on a car not set up for them could be dangerous. Also, I had a 67 gtx with radials and I wanted red lines on it, but at that time they only came in bias, did it anyway ,looked great, drove like crap. Expensive lesson learned. But they did help sell the car.
Twin Traction Beam (TTB) debuted in 1980 with the introduction of the new seventh generation truck, now referred to as the Bullnose. The previous 4x4 trucks and Broncos were all live front axle designs.
I had a 80 with it and had a few late 70's 4x4 to.
I like the 400 and c6 in all of them. But man I couldn't not keep the 80 front-end aligned . I even went to one of the places that said there alignement would work or they would redo it. I think they did it like 15 times before they refused.
It might have been the 38 ground hoggs.
But the sold axle ones handled 35-40 in with no problems.
Twin I beam isn't ttb all 100 and 150 series trucks from 65-80 had split I beams if they were 2wd, 4wd had a solid axle all 250 up trucks 2wd or 4wd had solid / live axles front and rear. Solid beam for 2wd live solid for 4wd.
The TTB set-up with 4wd for all 150 and light duty 250 trucks was a pita to keep aligned as the guy above mentioned, especially if you increased tire size above 255/70r16 or 30/31" 10.50 r15 or r16 you could squeeze 33 10.50 r15/16 inside the fenders but your ttb would be out of camber/caster and once fixed would walk it's way out even with mild a/t M/t tires. The more you know
The TTB, the answer to the question nobody ever asked.
I've driven twin I beams for 34 years on the farm. Absolutely nothing wrong with them. Nearly indescribable, ride is reasonable, handling is acceptable, and load capacity is great.
Hi Steve, Thanks for all the hard work and research that You put in to all these videos. Also thanks to You and Shane for all the filming out in the wrecking Yard. You must have a Giant Magazine collection, You always seem to find out some stories and info in a magazine, even if it was not a Photo car on the cover or even the main stories. I thank You a lot for showing them to us. Please don't keep drawing on the pages with a pen or Sharpie, just so it makes it a littlie easier for us to see the story. They are Your magazines that have taken You a lifetime to collect and I can not believe You actually draw on them. Your little yellow Post-It notes are enough for us to see. Cheers Mark.
Hi Mark, the "desecration" of the pages is to make certain I can zero in on the exact info I'm hoping to share. It also helps Super Shane to zero in as well. I know we were told "never write in books" as kids in school but that went out the window when we were issued Hi-Liters to apply translucent ink shading to important passages. Also, i have multiple copies of most of my "props" so if I want a pristine example, I have it (I've been collecting / hoarding for 45 years...I don't know why). Also, there may come a time when I RAFFLE / AWARD these paper items to viewers. In that situation, it'll VERIFY that the item received is THE ONE used in the video. So I don't see the writing as a loss. Plus I never throw them out, the ink merely adds personalization to items I cherish and refer to regularly. I say all of this to explain that I understand your reaction, but rest assured there are un-marked extras in my stash if I need to have one. THANKS for writing, Steve Magnante
@Steve Magnante , Thanks for the reply, Steve. Loving the content. Thanks again. Cheers, Mark.
@@SteveMagnante I used to buy old national geographic books just to look at the car ads, so you know i love this channel!
@@MicroSoftner You DID NOT! You read them to have a look at some native boobies like the rest of us as kids... 😂🤦🤣
No, plenty of online resources to determine the production sequence and how it falls into the model year. It's more likely you'd find that in the parts catalog versus the service/shop manual. Most Ford parts catalogs have a VIN and trim tag decoder in them and that's where most online resources got their information.
Yes, the trim tag and VIN tell it all, so as we always say, "When we get the VIN, we win".
F10 for F100 2WD, B for 300 CID straight six with one barrel, L for Michigan Truck assembly, and the rest is the production sequence lining up with June 1966 production, making it a 1966 model year truck. The Michigan Truck plant still operates today and is known as Michigan Assembly and is located in Wayne, MI next to the Wayne stamping plant.
When you get the tag, you can brag: 129 is the truck's wheelbase in inches (something still on door jamb tags on Ford trucks even today), J for Rangoon Red exterior paint, N for Red Crush Vinyl and Red Cody plastic interior trim, 81 for conventional cab, C for three speed manual light duty transmission, Ford produced, 08 for rear axle which is a 3.50:1 non-locking unit, Ford produced, 5000 is the maximum Gross Vehicle Weight Rating in pounds, 150 is the rated horsepower at 3600 RPM, and 11 is the Boston, MA sales district.
Another great video professor Steve get well soon we miss you out here
Fords were and always will be the best trucks on the road !!!
Twin I-beam lives on to this day in current 2wd super duty trucks. Didn't know it dated back that far, 60 year old suspension tech. Pretty cool.
Yea I was pretty shocked to learn they still use it. I still see lots of Econoline vans running around with it. It's to funny to see the completly awful camber curve when they hit bumps. Turns out it was a great design for dessert pre runners but awful for a street driven vehicle.
@@geoffmooregm Not awful, just different. But most importantly way more durable than control arms and on 4x4s, CV axles up front. And that is why they still use it 60 years later. And on a bigger scale same goes for the old Straight I beam. Big trucks still use it because you really just have to try incredibly hard to break one.
@@geoffmooregm I was shocked at the 2016 f250 4wd we got new.
A real 4wd lever on the floor ,rubber floor ,and you actually have to get out and lock the manual hubs.
Sort of a real work truck, but I don't trust it now that recently it killed an ecm at 135k.
Steve, This is a reminder that cars used to be large and pickups used to be sanely sized. This F100 looks like a lightweight compared to today's Ranger let alone the F150.
Yeah, today's Ranger looks the same size as full size pick ups did 20-25 years ago, I don't know if styling is playing an optical illusion on me and certainly the raised suspension, but that's what I always thought.
@@bobhill3941 Your right the styling does trick your eyes into thinking things are smaller. For example in the early 2000's my cousin had a 63 Mercury Monterey 4 door and a 91 Pontiac Bonneville 4 door keep in mind the Bonneville isn't a full size car but if you park them next to each the Mercury was only a foot or two longer
@@purpurahaze9179 Yes, the styling was well executed to trick the eye!
The fact some of large old cars are lighter than some of the smaller modern cars. For example, the 1968 Chevy Malibu sedan with V-8 roughly the size of a 2012 Ford Crown Victoria, but weight lighter than 2010 Honda accord V-6 Sedan.
Cool seeing that old truck's suspension setup. That suspension is the father of the twin traction beam that is on my 1988 Ford F250 diesel..
We're all pulling for you Steve. Hope to see you soon
In those days pickups normally came without rear bumpers. Dealers installed them routinely. My hometown had a welder/blacksmith who made a lot of the bumpers in that area. They were sturdy enough to serve as dozer blades for a small tractor.
The Ranger I had was a leftover from a fleet sale . It had a bumper on it but normally wouldn’t. At the end of ‘86 Lakewood (CO) Fordland had two white with 2.3 and 5speed OD. I got the one with blue interior, the other had red inside. Both went for $6688 and N/C for the bumpers
My second and third gen "E" series vans had the twin I beam. Other than king pin replacement on the second gens, they all held up very well and had good road manners.
I like these videos so much. Very informative stuff for car and truck nerds as myself. I hope you get well soon.
My dad had a 1965 F100 1/2 ton that was a service vehicle from a garage with all the company's name written on it. It was in mint condition, chrome everywhere. I remember the frame had rot thru.
My dad said that they never could be aligned properly.
Depending on the area, might have been used as a plow truck and that caused the rust in the frame.
@@googleusergp No, it was a 2wd and it's in Massachusetts, Salt covered roads.
@@stephenyoutubin4476 That will do it.
Steve, I really appreciate what you do, it brings me a smile every morning, thanks for doing it.
Back in the 70’s I drove a 1970 Ford cargo van for my job. After driving it for a while I told my new boss that the truck pulled to the right. They sent it into the shop and believe it or not one of the beams was bent. The mechanic said he had never seen one do that before. This was in 1973.
Nice vid with loads of info/history!!!
Gotta' love the "Fever" 👍 🙂 🤜🤛
A cousin of mine (rancher) owned a new ‘65 F-100 with Twin-I-Beam. A few years later a tree fell on it. A had a ‘95 F-150 with it, and in 17 years I never had any weird alignment or tire wear issues - just had to replace the driver’s side bushing, twice. Later trucks switched from forged radius arms, to stamped ones, with a shaft welded to it, that went through the bushing.
I had a 1985 F 150 with the twin I beam. Suspension was great but what i preferred was the great turning radius the combination of beams and steering linkage provided.
Definitely one of my favorite trucks I actually own 3 of them two are tow trucks ones a pickup all drivers the TTB in the 4wheel drive stuff gets a lot of hate but if set up correctly they ride and work very well . I actually doing to up grades to one now and sharing on my channel
I like em too, got two of em as well the thing is they tend to be wobbly steering, other than that solid trucks. The only thing I hate is trying to lift them for tire changes
Great Video Steve The Twin Beam front suspension was an alignment shop nightmare. A customer would bring one in empty, you set the alignment,they load the crap out oft it Then the nose goes up the alignment goes out and the customer is mad as hell at the alignment shop! We always thought they were designed by Firestone since they were hell on front tires! They also did a great boat imitation! Put a load in the rear,front end comes up, tire contact goes to 1é2 inch and you loose all feel for the steering! Great in the winter Keep up the great work
Great video’s and information Steve I really enjoy your knowledge
Video starts 00:57
Great content Steve! Thank you for the great work!
TIB was in compact Ford trucks as well. I bought a new 87 Ranger with twin I beams and drove it every day and all over the country for almost 34 years. The ECM finally went bad so I sold it to a former co worker cheap and got my 73 C30
Every video is a learning experience!! Thanks for all you do Steve!! I/we appreciate all the time and resources you put into each one of these!!
Never could figure out why most trucks came with an open differential.
Thanks 👍
Me neither
It’s less to manufacture!!
I had a 56 Ford I wanted to drag race it would spin one tire and I would lose!!
A friend at HS said to weld up the spider gear but about once a week I would need to jack it up and let the axle “unwind!”😦😬
The axle would break from twisting in a turn because of uneven speed!! It also made the front tires work harder. I would beat a stock differential every time!! It was illegal but nobody seemed to notice!😁
My Uncle was working on a military 6x on a lift. When he raised it off the floor it jumped over the rack and smacked the back wall!
The owner did not disengage the differential and the axles unwound and push the truck!!
It says caution on the dash and to forget to pull the brake lever!! It fortunate no no body was hurt!!⛑The owner fixed the damage!
I remember seeing those adapted to the 80s 4x4 Ford full size Bronco and Bronco sport. Great video!😎👍
Hey Steve! I had a 1977 and a 79 F-150 both with the twin I beam axle. I remember a few times when I had stone in the 77 the front tires were kinda doing their own thing but empty or a normal load they rode like big cars, very smooth.
That's because you can't put all the stone on the tailgate. Keep it to the front of the box so you have weight on the front axle. Also if you overload the truck that will happen, even semi trucks have a load limit and the same thing will happen with them if overloaded or loaded incorrectly. Think Ford was bad, chevrolet would have left you sitting.
@@coolbreeze5561 It was definitely overloaded.....I was treating it like a FORD.
Twin I beam was an attempt at independent front suspension.
The early 80’s 4x4 Broncos and trucks had a twin I beam set up. It was kinda flimsy.
Ihave a ‘75 F-350 2wheel drive dump truck that my late uncle left me. I was my grandfather’s he bought new.
Truck only has 29K miles on it.
I sold my 1965 Ford 100 long bed, fleet side truck when I moved to Texas. It had a 3 in the tree like this truck and a 6 cylinder with a one bbl carb. No radio, no cigarette lighter, no power steering and no power brakes. It was not the Custom Cab. Just a solid old truck and the doors closed so easily, you would not believe it. Wish I still had that truck.
61-66. 61 came as a uni body or with the wrong bed shared with 57-60 and also used up to 66 on factory 4x4 and f350. 64 -66 for the style side bed maybe a handful of 63 most 63 f100-f250 came uni or step side.
It's too bad that truck is so far gone, frame looked compromised with rust even but that was a great old truck
Our neighbors had a 66 twin ibeam When I was a kid in the 60s . I don't remember the transmission. But I do remember the rear axle shaft coming out of it while they were driving it . Although they drove it for years before that
That style was 61-66, not 58-66.
57-60 was the previous body style. 57-64 shared the the same chassis.
My neighbors dad bought a new 3/4 ton with a 390, 4 speed.1974, Man we beat the hell out of that thing! Rebuilt and replaced those beams 4 or 5 times in just a few years. His dad traded it off because he thought ibeams were crap. He just didnt know what they went through between farming, hunting and partying!
Great work Steve 👍
That TIB suspension a engineering monstrosity!
Nice the about Ford truck door tags is they give the wheel base. Important on newer trucks with so many frame lengths.
Twin traction beam was first seen in 1980 model year 4x4s
Thanks Steve. Excellent content as usual !
The Ford 300 c.i. straight 6 was the best engine ever made by Ford. Could not kill them. I had an old 79 f-100 ranger step side 4x4 with that 300 engine and I beat the snot outta that truck. Best vehicle I have ever owned.
One of my cousins had an F150 as a company vehicle that he managed to kill before it was a year old. He was a salesman for a company that rented construction equipment at the time. He and his boss ordered the truck with the 300 c.i. six, 5 speed manual transmission, (5th gear was overdrive) and the lowest rear axle ratio available. I thinK it was 2.54:1. He was delivering a good sized air compressor to a customer. The frame and suspension might have been okay for towing that much weight but the drive train certainly wasn’t.
One thing that I've always found interesting about the Twin Traction Beam design for F-250 and F-350 pickups is that they still used leaf springs up front. F-100 and F-150 pickups used coil springs up front on the 4x4s.
Also, no matter what Ford pickup you're working on, if it has either the Twin I-beam or Twin Traction Beam suspension, those axle pivot bushings can be a major PITA to replace, especially in the rust belt!
Small detail. Twin I-Beam pickups had the engine offset to the right. Not much, about an inch give or take.
The rear diff was centered so the driveshaft was slightly diagonal.
I always thought it had something to do with one I-beam ahead of the other (although I THINK the wheelbase was the same on both sides)
Maybe you know or can find out why… (I hope it’s not just for steering box clearance)
I had a 66 who's floor and cab mounts were rusted out. I cut a floor out of a 79, and welded right in.
Same basic floor until 79…. Exact same floor until 65-72 73-79, Fords used the inside of the bed skins until 96 !
@@WildBillFlysRC There were changes in frame width, so there can be differences in the bed-mounting holes, especially if you're dealing with a High Boy ('67-'77 F250 4WD) And you can see how a Bumpside '67-'72 uses the older Slickside backlite. Then the Dentside '73-'79 uses a new backlite, but the same windshield as the Bumpsides. Then the Bullnose '80-'96 got a new windshield, but carried on with the Dentside's backlite - along with the floor and back wall of the bed.
Grandpa had a white 65 stepside with a 352 3 on the tree. Chrome grill and bumpers. He promised me he would give it to me when i got my license in 1979. But a neighbor made him an offer he couldn't refuse and he sold it. And about 2 weeks later he got drunk and rolled it. Kept driving it with the roof all smashed in. And i had to watch him come by every day driving it. Broke my heart. I'm still mad.
Steve, I had one of these pickups, it was a short box with a 352 V8....
You said that from 1961 to 1980, the VIN didn't ID the year model. Wasn't aware, but that could explain why I've seen several ads for mid-1960s F-100 that clearly misidentified the year model. Sometimes the seller would insist that the (incorrect) year was on the title.
My father had 1980 and it wore through tires and many death wobbles. But the 300 six had so much torque.
Had a 61 and replacing the plastic king pin bushings was a real pain.
I do recall a Ford van built with twin front differentials, it was definitely different. Believe Petersen 4Wheel and Offroad had one at one point
Another great vid Steve. Any chance there's a Ford unibody truck there? Would enjoy hearing your take on one of those.
Front end “shimmy” was something that would pop up with the Twin I Beam from time to time. My dad bought a new 1974 Custom, and not long after, someone decided to disconnect the radius rods after dark. It had a bad shimmy problem afterward and the shops never could manage to diagnose and fix the problem. I had a new 1989 that never had any issues, however. I also operated 1986-95 Broncos for my job. The factory rims that came standard with the XLT package on the 94-95s seemed to have recesses especially made to trap mud, thus inducing shimmy when getting back on the road and requiring a spray nozzle daily to prevent the shimmy. Usually slowing down and yanking the wheel right and left would get things back in balance, but in retrospect I can see how that tactic might cause a loss of control. Otherwise, the front ends were pretty durable. Nevertheless, for replaced them with a more conventional front suspension on the half tons and Rangers for the 97 model year.
Hoping to see you at Collector car Live at The Big E later this month.
Steve didn't the Blinker lens have a date code, That's how I use to tell, If the truck or car wasn't wrecked, And a original.
Great video thumbs up 👍
Twin I beam was considered a good setup for 2wd racing. It was nearly as tough as a solid axle and tougher than an A arm independent suspension. And it gave a better ride at high speeds on rough dirt road than a solid axle. The system is considered undesireble for other types of driving because of alignment and durability problems.
Haltenberger steering is also something to avoid vs parallelogram steering. I believe people convert the former to the latter when restoring older vehicles.
Ive driven millions of miles in the past 40 years in Twin I beam truck .....never once had an alignment issue......unless the frames are bent from an accident ect.
I'm a huge fan of solid axles and leaf springs. It's by far the toughest type of suspension ever developed, and IMO what all trucks should have, front and rear. However, I still strongly prefer the Twin-I-Beam design to the short/long control arm car style suspension, which is way too weak for a truck. It also has alignment issues. With both solid axles/leaf springs and the Twin-I-Beam designs, caster and camber were never an issue. Yes, the Twin-I-Beam design, like the old VW Bug swing axle and IRS systems, did have some camber change as it moved, it was never really a problem. At normal ride height the camber was always spot on. I have over 300,000 miles on Ford trucks with the Twin-I-Beam setup, and currently own a 1975 F-250 2 wheel drive with that setup, and have never had any issues with it. As with all suspension systems, there are bushings that need to be replaced occasionally, but you don't have to get a front end alignment every 6 months.
Hi Steve another great video. I'm not sure what you meant at the end of the video you stated that the "styling was from 58-66..." The 57-60 had the same style cab and 61-66 were the same. Although I've heard some 66 parts are a 1 year only deal. A friend had a 66 and needed a radiator support and a 65 didn't bolt up or something similar. I personally don't know that as facts. I've owned 2 of the unibody trucks offered in 61 & 62 they were of course front I-beam. I would have liked for you to have mentioned the padded dash offered on this 66 also. Not sure if it was an industry 1st as standard equipment. I know the 67 chevy truck had them standard but not sure if the 66 chevy offered them. I think you could get the padded dash in the 56 chevy cameo. Dodge I assume did the same along the same time. Namaste Steve 🙏🏼
Padded dash became standard on '66 ford's yes, seatbelts too I believe. But no padded dashes on Chevy trucks until '67. Compared to the '61-66 Fords the 60-66 Chevy trucks were kind of spartan. No padded dashes, the interior was always the same color, no headliner ever, little chrome or stainless on the inside even on a Custom Cab. Whereas on the Ford you had color keyed interiors, padded dash, headliner, and stainless trim all over the interior on a Custom Cab. And hell in '65 and '66 you could get carpet and bucket seats in the Ranger trim. Both a first for trucks at the time, and now both those things are standard on all trucks. 61-66 Ford's don't get near enough credit for how far they changed the image of a truck and what it could be into what we see today.
@@josephg41 glad you said it...I knew that info but a lot of folks on here will jump on you about anything miss quoted or 1 yr off on your info. Love Ford trucks but I'm not prejudice at all they all made junk on Mondays and Fridays...lol. But I've owned a few Fords and Chevys in my time both took the beaten I dished out and can't say either one let me down. I've always loved the Ford models they just looked better. If you're a Steve Magnante fan, I've commented almost on every vid. I'm a big fan of Steve's. I've owned 61 and 62 unibody that had a 292 and in school I needed a project to work on. So with a wrecked 70 GS I stuffed that Rocket Olds V8 in my Ford unibody. It was a custom cab with all the chrome jewelry and the big wrap around back window. Called her "Stubby". Thanks for commenting on my comment lol...you have a great day and a better tomorrow. Namaste 🙏🏼
I been daily driving a 1966 f250 for 3 years
I had a 1965 250 custom cab with the 352 2 barrel and heavy duty 4 speed I bought in 1982 with a broken pressure plate. After putting in a new disc and pressure plate driving it i noticed the steering was hard and would bind and also found chunks of 2x4's between the frame and the cab. what had happened was the cab front mount boxes had rusted off an the front of the cab dropped down and was putting a bind on the steering column so i fabricated new ones to correct the problem. That was a common problem with that era of trucks because sand & dirt would get trapped in the mount box and hold moisture and rot it out.
That's true. My '66 F100 had those boxes full to the brim with dirt when I bought it. However it was not rusted out at all. It has 4 drain areas so as long as water can still get out you should be ok as evidenced by my truck.
I see that 1st gen barracuda behind you. It would be nice if you featured that car.
Twin i beams still make my 2014 e250 comfy to drive long distances.
The Big Six 240, 300 and 352 VI for that year had ratings of 129, 150 and 172 net respectively. When the 5 th gen came around, they re-gigged it to 145, 170 gross for the 240 and 300. By 1972, the game was up...Net ratings of like 105 and 118 respectively. It's nothing to lose 30% in a gross to net change, but 14-16% is the typical drop if the peak power rpm hasn't been Misquoted. That year, 1966, the West German TUV quoted Net verses gross ratings on all imported US Ford's, and each rating drop gross to net was 14 to 16 percent.
And that truck appeared to have had the Big Six, as evidenced by the single exhaust pipe on the passenger side.
Steve, Almost positive that 1980 was the first year for "traction Beam" suspension on 1/2 ton pickups and Broncos. 1979 = Dana 44 live axles.
Those column shifts had a loooong throw.
Ah the "ditch to ditch wonder"
I know them very well indeed. The big difference over the years is if the axle was stamped or cast. The cast ones could be bent to adjust camber but not the stamped.
Do you know what year they made that change?
My 1990 Ranger had the twin I beam too, found it to be too harsh a ride for a 2WD
I had a 1991 2wd Ranger to me it was the most plush ride of a truck ive ever driven i love and miss that truck
I wonder if manufacturers still have the year of the vehicle etched into the taillights?
Just a question. What years of the twin I beam front end will interchange with the 65 front ends?
All of them, up to 1979. There are some small differences in the 65, such as the pinch bolt location. The additional J hooks holding the coil springs in.. lots of guys use the 73-79 front ends to get disc brakes
@@WildBillFlysRC Thanks so much for the information. Disc brakes are exactly what I was wanting to do on my 65
@@tomdavis7635 it’s a fairly easy swap, and worth every drop of sweat and blood. My 66 was so much better with disc brake swap. Don’t piece it together, buy a complete front end with the power steering box, and all of the steering column stuff also, inner outer brackets, and the column itself. Best thing you can do for a better driver
Thanks. I’m a first time builder so all information I can get is greatly appreciated
Charles Bronson and Mr Majestic commericials is what i remember!!!!
Would that be a '64-'65 Barracuda fastback in the background at 2:00?
Great video.....learned alot.....as usual
Not sure but you mentioned styling and said ‘58-67? Not sure but the body was the same ‘57-60. Front fenders marker lights changed in ‘59 from round to square, front valances changed along with grill and hood. Front sheetmetal minus grill interchanges ‘57-‘58. Hood was the same on ‘57-‘58 but was different in ‘59 and ‘60 so ‘59 - ‘60 fenders and front balance are the same. Sorry I know it is confusing but thought you may not know.
Steve , that's some urology you give them thar old wrecks every day in the automotive BONE YARD .
Like that gas tank inside the cab behind the seat?
These could develop an amazing wobble at about 45 mph.
Radius arms...right?
I had a 65 F250 and a 66 F100 and both had over 200k miles on them, and neither ever gave any hint of a wobble or shimmy. Someone must have greased the front end regularly.
If you wobble a twin I beam suspension, you're doing something wrong.
@@coolbreeze5561 we’ll, I was only 17 last time I experienced it, so you are probably right.
I had one of these trucks!
That twin I beam is the worst ever. I had an 87 f150 4x4 I used for plowing snow could not hold an alignment or keep tires on the thing. So I took matters in my own hands and got axles from a 79 f150. They went in with little modification drove that truck for 393000 before the frame rotted out. The most trouble free vehicle I ever owned.
I didn’t think the Twin I beam suspension was available on 4x4 till the early 80s?
Hey Steve I've got an all original 68 dodge 3/4 ton camper special it was my first truck it's got the 318 auto Maricopa shifter on the dash it not in bad shape I'd love to know what you know and think about it
That has to ride pretty harsh, unless you have a camper of equivalent weight on the back. I like them for looks but I think the cabs are too short if you have even slightly long legs.
I’m wondering if the panel truck your sitting in is worth saving
how about that uni body ford pickup? any setting around
And the local repair shop will send you away if you asked for a front end alignment. Luckily for me there was a truck repair shop in the next town who knew how to bend an axle.
Ahhh, Twin I Beam… So that’s what all the rage has been about. 👍
A few mechanics killed from placing jack stands under twin I beams. Theye'd slide right off the jack stands.
I was looking at the Valiant/Baracuda next to it and missed the whole thing. 😅
Love my FoMoCo
1966 a good year for other things
Gemini 10? Star trek? Camaro introduced?
Communist party of China? Vietnam? Race riots? Black panther party? Kwanzaa invented?
Confused as to your comment.
@@thefordmaniac His bar mitzvah .
Love your videos! Ever think of calling yourself a junkyard archeologist?
Fords always had a hard kean on the tire when they turned sharp. King pins were also a pain.
Drove many late 60’s thru 70’s Fords. If they sat any length of time the king pins would dry up and seize. Always fun to drive: never able to keep it centered in the lane. Drift left, drift right, repeat over and over. 😁
Personally I didn't like the feel of the steering on the twin I beam models. They felt like the tow adjustment would change a lot when hitting a dip in the road or anytime the wheels traveled up or down very much. It's like you always had to drive them, you just couldn't relax. Did this model still have the ignition switch on the left side of the steering column? My Dad bought a new (left over) 64 model, s/b stepside, 6 cyl, 3 on the tree for only $1625.00 a couple months after the 65's came out. He bought another new one in 70, 75 and 79. He didn't buy anymore since I had gotten into the bodyshop business he had me redo it twice, the second time it got an aluminum flatbed since the original was beyond repair. It looked good, 2 tone blue with a lot of chrome and he didn't sell it till 2004 or 2005 for $3500.00. I remember it being a gas hog whether it was loaded or empty.
Hey what if you live here in MA and want to meet Steve? 😄
If Automobiles were around a couple hundred years ago I can see Steve sifting through an ancient junkyard telling us about the lugnuts of a 1750s horseless Dodge Brothers chariot
That bumper could have been made by Fisher. The same co that made Fisher snow plows. They made more than plows in the 60's and early 70's
The twin bean would camber the tires with a heavy load but it will never break unlike Dodge or Chevy trucks suspension style
The GM control arm suspension is EXTREMELY strong 😂😂. You absolutely never seen them fail. Very heavy stuff
@@brandonbell3089 yes i have, smooth ride and all that but not as strong as a twin I beam. Ask an old farmer. 😉