Ford F-Series (eighth generation)

The eighth generation of the Ford F-Series is a line of pickup trucks and light- to medium-duty commercial trucks produced by Ford from 1987 to 1991. While the 1980 cab and chassis was carried over to the new model, the 1987 model was more streamlined, and maintenance items were made simpler. The exterior was facelifted with new composite headlamps, a more aerodynamic front end, and circular fenders. Inside, the interior was given a complete redesign. Rear antilock brakes were now standard, the first pickup truck to boast this. For the first time, all models were produced with straight-sided Styleside beds; the Flareside bed was discontinued except for a small number of early 1987 models using leftover 1986 beds with new circular fenders. In 1991 Ford premiered the 9th gen tail lights (the white reverse light was decreased in size) on the last year of the 8th generation.

Eighth generation
Overview
Manufacturer	Ford
Production	(1987–1991) USA, Mexico, Canada and Venezuela[1] (1987-1992) Australia[2] (1988-1992) Argentina (1993-1995) Brazil (1993-1995) Argentina (Brazilian trim model)
Assembly	Cuautitlan, Mexico Kansas City, Missouri, USA Norfolk, Virginia, USA St. Paul, Minnesota, USA General Pacheco, Argentina São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil Louisville, Kentucky, USA Wayne, Michigan, USA Oakville, Ontario, Canada Melbourne, Australia (Broadmeadows Assembly, Ford Australia) [2]
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door pickup 2-door extended cab chassis 4-door chassis cab 2-door chassis cab
Powertrain
Engine	Gasoline: 3.8 L (232 cu in) Essex V6 (F-150, MX) 4.9 L (300 cu in) 300 I6 4.9 L (302 cu in) 5.0 Windsor V8 5.8 L (351 cu in) Windsor V8 7.5 L (460 cu in) 385 V8 Diesel: 4.1 L MWM X10 I6 (BR/RA) 4.1 L MWM X10 TD I6 (BR/RA) 6.9 L (420 cu in) International IDI V8 7.3 L (444 cu in) International IDI V8
Transmission	Automatic 3-Speed Ford C6 4-Speed Ford AOD 4-Speed Ford E4OD (1989-91) Manual 4-Speed Borg-Warner T18 4-Speed Borg-Warner T19 (1987) 5-Speed Mazda M5OD (1988-91) 5-Speed ZF S5-42 (1988-91)
Chronology
Predecessor	Ford F-Series seventh generation (1979–1986)
Successor	Ford F-Series ninth generation (1992–1996)

Trims

Ford F-250 Utility service truck

• Custom - Included: Vinyl upholstery, black steering wheel, chrome front bumper, black grille, hubcaps, foldaway mirrors, and an electronic AM radio with digital clock and two speakers.
• XL - Added: Cloth and vinyl upholstery, swingaway mirrors, front bumper rub strip, color-keyed floor mat, a door trim panel with map pocket, and a color-keyed headliner.
• XLT Lariat - Added: Cloth upholstery, chrome grille, sport wheel covers, tinted glass, carpeting, and leather wrapped steering wheel.
• Nite (1991)

For 1991, a "Nite" trim package was introduced. It included all blacked-out exterior trim, either a pink or blue/purple stripe, and a "Nite" decal on the sides of the cargo box.

Models

Ford F-350 U-Haul truck in Hampton, VA.

Eighth-generation Ford F-Series models are:

• F-150: 1/2 ton (6,250 lb GVWR max)
• F-250: light-duty 3/4 ton (7,700 lb GVWR max)
• F-250HD: 3/4 ton (8,800 lb GVWR max)
• F-350: 1 ton Class 2 or Class 3 truck (10,000 lb GVWR max)
• F-Super Duty: Class 4 truck (14,500 lb GVWR max)[3]

The new-for-1987 F-Super Duty was essentially a Class 4 truck built as a chassis cab, with an aftermarket bed (specific to its future use) added after the truck was built. The F-Super Duty came with dual fuel tanks with a dash-mounted toggle switch to switch between each tank, while using only a single fuel gauge. It came with a PTO used to power attachments, such as winches or a dump bed, directly from the transmission. F-Super Duty models were rated at about 14,500 lb (6,600 kg) GVWR and came with either the standard 7.5 L (460 CID) gas V8 or the optional 7.3 L (444 CID) diesel V8. All wheels were 10-lug with dual wheels in the rear. The transmission was a three-speed automatic, with the four-speed electronically controlled E4OD as an option beginning in 1990.[3]

There was also a stripped chassis available, offering a 16,000 lb (7,300 kg) GVWR on two wheelbases of 158 or 178 in (4,000 or 4,500 mm) and the 7.3 litre diesel engine as the sole option.[3] This model should not be confused with the later Super Duty commercial line of trucks starting with the 1999 model year.

Powertrain and chassis

In a move to further update the F-Series engine lineup, the 4.9 L inline-6 was converted to fuel injection for 1987. A year later, Ford became the first pickup truck manufacturer to sell a fully non-carbureted engine lineup as the 5.8 L V8 and 7.5 L V8 also gained fuel injection (the 5.0 L V8 had gained fuel injection as an option for 1985 and this was made standard in 1986). For 1988, the diesel V8 from International (Navistar) was enlarged to from 420 to 444 cubic inches (6.9 to 7.3 L); this allowed for an increase to 180 hp (130 kW) and 365 ft⋅lbf (495 N⋅m) of torque.

While the dated 3-speed column-mounted manual transmission was discontinued, much of the rest of the transmission lineup carried over from the 1980-1986 trucks. In 1988, the five-speed ZF S5-42 replaced the Borg-Warner T19 in F-250 and F-350 models. For the F-150 and light-duty F-250, the heavier-duty Borg-Warner T18 4-speed manual remained available, while the Mazda-built M5OD 5-speed manual was added to the model lineup for 4.9 L inline-6 and 5.0 L V8-equipped models.

Four-wheel-drive improvements included the addition of automatic locking hubs for the F-150 in 1989. Models with the 5.0L V8 also had an option of a "Touch Drive" electronic transfer case.

From 1980 through 1996, Ford offered a four-wheel-drive swing arm independent front suspension called Twin Traction Beam (TTB). Based on its two-wheel-drive twin I-beam suspension from 1965, Ford mounted a Dana 44 or Dana 50 differential in the driver-side front axle beam and transmitted torque to the passenger-side wheel with a U-jointed axleshaft. TTB coil springs were still used on the F-150, while the four-wheel-drive F-250 and F-350 got leaf springs. The F-250 received TTB Dana 50 axles, and the F-350 a solid Dana 60 axle.

Engines:

Name	Production	Engine type/Displacement	Power	Torque	Fuel Delivery
300 Six	1987-1991	300 cu in (4,916 cc) I6	145 hp (108 kW)	265 lb⋅ft (359 N⋅m)	EFI
5.0 Windsor	1987-1991	302 cu in (4,949 cc) V8	185 hp (138 kW)	270 lb⋅ft (366 N⋅m)	EFI
5.8 Windsor	1987	351 cu in (5,752 cc) V8	210 hp (157 kW)	305 lb⋅ft (414 N⋅m)	4-bbl carburetor
5.8 Windsor	1988-1991	351 cu in (5,752 cc) V8	210 hp (157 kW)	315 lb⋅ft (427 N⋅m)	EFI
460 V8	1987	460 cu in (7,538 cc) V8	225 hp (168 kW)	362 lb⋅ft (491 N⋅m)	4-bbl carburetor
460 V8	1988-1991	460 cu in (7,538 cc) V8	225 hp (168 kW)	390 lb⋅ft (529 N⋅m)	EFI
International 6.9L IDI V8	1987	420 cu in (6,883 cc) Diesel V8	170 hp (127 kW)	315 lb⋅ft (427 N⋅m)	Indirect fuel injection
International 7.3L IDI V8	1988-1991	444 cu in (7,276 cc) Diesel V8	180 hp (134 kW)	345 lb⋅ft (468 N⋅m)	Indirect fuel injection

References

1. Parker, Steve (August 1986). "Pickup Trucks Buyers' Guide". Popular Mechanics. Hearst Magazines. p. 97.
2. Kenwright, Joe (2006-09-29). "Used Car Advice: Ford F-series (1985-92)". Motoring. carsales.com Limited. Archived from the original on 2020-08-30.
3. Mele, Jim (July 1990). "The New Models for 1991: Mid-Range Trucks". Fleet Owner. Vol. 85 no. 7. FM Business Publications. p. 70.