99-04 vs newer frame and body

93F350 · Sep 28, 2022

How was the frame and cab on the 99-04 trucks compared to the 05-07 and 08-10 trucks. Do the cabs have any better sound proofing, better AC design, more comfortable design. Im wanting to do a cummins swap so looking at which generation truck i should start with. Looking to get a manual truck to start with as ill be using a manual trans in the swap. Trucks newer that 04 are really hard to find in a manual trans is the extra frame reinforcement worth waiting for to find a good deal on. I can always swap the newer suspention on the older truck if the cabs arnt much different.

J98 · Sep 28, 2022

In 2002 they began to add insulation to the firewall, it made the trucks noticeably
quieter than the 99 to '01.

In '05 they went to a vastly superior front end design.

I would personally look for an '05+ frame and body.

Anything from '99-'10 I believe can be tuned to "think" it has a manual transmission as the zf6 was an option in those year ranges.

dsberman94 · Sep 28, 2022

Definitely 05 plus. Coil spring, bigger brakes, better 4wd, better front end.

93F350 · Sep 29, 2022

Alright ill look for at least an 05. Is there much of a difference between the 05-07 and the 08-10

ncollins64 · Sep 29, 2022

Not much difference besides the front horn for the front ends. Cabs are all pretty much the same, and if you wanted you can go in and reinsulate everything and it’ll be better than new. Personally I have a soft spot for the 6.4 trucks and there interiors, some even say it’s the best style ford ever had but the 05-07 Harley trucks will always be my favorite style of all time. And someone correct me if I’m wrong but the 08-10 had even larger brakes that the 05-07 trucks?

Strokersace · Sep 29, 2022

ncollins64 said:
Not much difference besides the front horn for the front ends. Cabs are all pretty much the same, and if you wanted you can go in and reinsulate everything and it’ll be better than new. Personally I have a soft spot for the 6.4 trucks and there interiors, some even say it’s the best style ford ever had but the 05-07 Harley trucks will always be my favorite style of all time. And someone correct me if I’m wrong but the 08-10 had even larger brakes that the 05-07 trucks?

Although I’m not a huge fan of the 08-10 front end, with some styling changes, I really like them. Some just hate them no matter what. IMO, they have the best interiors of anything 99-16. I think the 11-16 have better clusters, but the 08-10 seats are so much more comfortable!

No difference in brakes from 05-10. The only difference was the front sway bar attachment because the different in frame horns I think. 08-10 offered a 3.55 gear ratio where the 05-07 didn’t.

ncollins64 · Sep 29, 2022

Good info, I wasn’t positive on a couple things. I’m with you on the interiors and cluster too.

93F350 · Sep 29, 2022

Looks like ill have to start with an auto truck as the manual trans trucks are really rare from 05 and up. Ill be using an eaton fuller fso-8406 so a little bit of massaging and cutting may be required anyway.

6.0 Tech · Sep 29, 2022

93F350 said:
Looks like ill have to start with an auto truck as the manual trans trucks are really rare from 05 and up. Ill be using an eaton fuller fso-8406 so a little bit of massaging and cutting may be required anyway.

I know with hp tuners, you can tell the computer it’s a manual truck. Possibly with others as well, we use hp on our race truck, and I’m using it on my truck, so I know that much for a fact. May be able to do it with sct, and possibly with ez as well.

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93F350 · Sep 29, 2022

Tuning wont be much of a problem considering the engine ill be using is a 12v cummins

6.0 Tech · Sep 29, 2022

93F350 said:
Tuning wont be much of a problem considering the engine ill be using is a 12v cummins

True, but you’re still gonna need to tune the truck to ignore everything it needs to be able to start and whatnot. Not really a problem if you start with a 6.0 or 7.3, but a 6.4 needs to be told to ignore some stuff to enable cranking.

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Strokersace · Sep 30, 2022

I’ll also note that if it’s a dually, the rear axle/brakes in the Dana 80 are the same from 05-12. In 2013 they changed to a different rotor and caliper setup.

93F350 · Oct 1, 2022

Heres my next question. I already have a 1993 F350 cc lb should putting some good aftermarket sound insulation and better seats make it as quiet and comfortable as the newer trucks. Of course ill also have to put the 05 up axle in it and swap to hydroboost brakes. Is it worth trying to restore this older truck or should i just get a newer one that already has everything i want.

Strokersace · Oct 2, 2022

93F350 said:
Heres my next question. I already have a 1993 F350 cc lb should putting some good aftermarket sound insulation and better seats make it as quiet and comfortable as the newer trucks. Of course ill also have to put the 05 up axle in it and swap to hydroboost brakes. Is it worth trying to restore this older truck or should i just get a newer one that already has everything i want.

Having gone that route in the past... unless you have a deep connection to the ‘93 and it has sentimental value, then just get a newer one. There’s an extreme cool factor with an updated obs, but it’ll take a great deal of blood, sweat, and tears to make it what the 05-10 trucks already are.

You can get the older trucks quiet and comfortable for their standards, but I my case anyway, it still didn’t compare to a newer one.

Powerstroke Cowboy · Oct 2, 2022

Strokersace said:
Having gone that route in the past... unless you have a deep connection to the ‘93 and it has sentimental value, then just get a newer one. There’s an extreme cool factor with an updated obs, but it’ll take a great deal of blood, sweat, and tears to make it what the 05-10 trucks already are.

You can get the older trucks quiet and comfortable for their standards, but I my case anyway, it still didn’t compare to a newer one.

Not to mention the newer ones have more room inside. That to is a plus.

93F350 · Oct 2, 2022

Alright looks like ill definetly be selling my old truck. I did find a 2007 F-350 crew cab long bed 6.0 king ranch for only 7000 in good shape so ill take a look at something like that

Powerstroke Cowboy · Oct 2, 2022

That should be a nice pickup.

tomlin · Oct 10, 2022

93F350 said:
How was the frame and cab on the 99-04 trucks compared to the 05-07 and 08-10 trucks. Do the cabs have any better sound proofing, better AC design, more comfortable design. Im wanting to do a cummins swap so looking at which generation truck i should start with. Looking to get a manual truck to start with as ill be using a manual trans in the swap. Trucks newer that 04 are really hard to find in a manual trans is the extra frame reinforcement worth waiting for to find a good deal on. I can always swap the newer suspention on the older truck if the cabs arnt much different.

The 99-04 trucks are like gold and hard to get reasonably, especially in a diesel. The 08-10 are the most common to be swapped due to the prevalence of dead 6.4's and 3V 5.4's. The newer cabs are definitely quieter. The 05+ steering being 'better' is arguable. There is no doubt that the turning radius and overall ride is better. Some of this is due to the added cab insulation and different cab mounts. That said, there are drawbacks to the 05+design. If the suspension is not 100%, you will likely experience death wobble. Simply put, death wobble sucks, bad. This is primarily due to insufficient caster and or worn parts. The caster issue has been, and continues to be, an issue to this day. Also, if you are a Yankee in the rust belt, the 05+upper coil brackets rot away after a few years along with the coil springs. The 99-04 leaf spring suspension didn't have these issues as there was not a place for the salty brine to pool and cause corrosion.