79 F350 No shocks in back

Yup for a nice tidy savings of about 7 to15K depending on the style of Utility Body. A Reading will usually out last about 3 trucks if it gets any kind of care.

Whitelightning

As OP let me say I came by the truck as 2/3 party buying it from a private person who had it on a lot for display near a county hi-way.

I see now that it probably came from the factory without shocks, so now the question I have is if it really makes lots of difference.

That is, do I need to rush out and buy all the necessary parts and install some to be sure I'm good to pull a (14,000 lb rated) fifth wheel utility trailer with a 20 ft shipping container strapped on it?

The shipping container weighs in at 5000 lb empty and will have about another 3000 in it. I'm guessing the trailer will weigh around

2500/3000 lb, so we're talking a total towed weight of approx. 11,000 lb.

It would be good to hear from someone with experience in this and not just comments that are based on caution and no experience.

I'm guessing it could be fairly expensive to get all the required parts and a fairly big pain in the butt to install it all.

Drive it and see, I think you will be surprised how little difference the shocks actually make in your application. Shocks dampen the up and down movement between your unsprung weight (everything under the springs) and all the "sprung" weight (everything riding on the springs), In this application the springs are so stiff, that there is little or no up and down movement, hence little or no function for the shocks.

The truck is a 1979, that's 28 years of towing and hauling without shocks, it seems to have managed OK so far, think about it.

My experience, I have over a million miles driven CDL Class A, started back when it was just called a Chauffeur's license, and before that Military license for just about every wheeled vehicle the Army had as well as about half the tracks they had and heavy equipment at that time Some of the early stuff I drove, like an old white day cab single screw didn't have shocks. Duece and a halfs and the 5 tonners didnt ether. Nor did the early Mack B-62's I drove. With a good load on they weren't bad.Light loaded or empty they skittered all over the place if you weren't careful. Contrary to what has been posted, a shock absorbers job is to dampen the springs natural tendency to oscillate. Originally shocks were called suspension dampeners, a name more in line with their job. By damening the oscilations the tire stays in contact with the road. As to adding them to your rig, not so hard. You say you can see where the upper mounts are ie that they are there. Hit the junk yards find a 350 pick up truck and pull the lower spring perch plates off, the lower shock mount is part of them, four nuts each side. You maybe able to use them off a 250.

Whitelightning

My experience is the exact opposite, I see new trucks with new beds all of the time, and I can't ever remember seeing a new truck with a used bed, or a used truck with a new bed. I have seen used trucks with a used bed that was a different color, an obvious kluge of parts.

I've actually been looking for a used utility truck, but haven't hit on the mother lode yet. I don't have the cash flow to justify a new truck with the payments that go along with it, so I am looking for a used truck. I can make a camper and ladder rack get the job done, but the Hot Setup would be a utility bed and ladder rack ...

We usually take the old bed off, trade in the cab chassis, in the

But, back to the OP's question, why would you take the shocks off, or not put them on?

The OP reports buying a used F350, or whatever, and there are no shocks. It could not have gotten so far in life without shocks, so somebody put them on, then took them off when they sold the truck to the OP. Why go through that effort? It seems like it ought to be an illegal practice to remove parts as vital to the safety of the vehicle operation as shocks.

I think your question is best directed to the state highway partol, or at least the local cop at the doughnut shop. I can't imagine it is even legal to have taht vehicle on the highway with vital safety equipment missing.

I have to wonder if the seller could even sell the truck in the condition you bought it in. I can look up the vehicle code for my state to give a reference if anybody cares, but I can't shake the feeling that you have been sold a load of goods (that's a term that used to mean sack of shit when people spoke with discretion and dignity).

I could be wrong, but it would surprise me. Good luck, and see the cops before you hit the highway.

Shock absorbers ARE NOT SAFETY EQUIPMENT, anymore than a sway bar is. If you looked or asked yourself before offering your silly suggestion, you would know that the "cops" don't give a hoot if you have shock absorbers or not.

Please do, I can't wait to hear how you explain being so misguided on this issue.

You are, so provide some links to back up your position or give it a rest.

Correct, but that was due to the stiff springs not moving (not unlike a tractor with no springs at all) not because they were oscillating and there was no shock absorber to dampen it.

Contrary to what has been posted, a shock absorbers

Correct and if your spring is not oscillating, then a shock absorber (suspension dampener) is of no use.

Originally shocks were called

Evidently you have not been following along, IT NEVER HAD ANY REAR SHOCKS TO START WITH, they were not taken off..

Again, the truck has towed and hauled for 28 years without ever having rear shock absorbers.

Shock absorbers are NOT safety equipment.

It's gone nearly 30 years without them. You don't need them.

You're probably in an area where they don't really work the trucks. If they need one at all. For some people it's all about the show and nothing about function.

You don't seem to understand the fact that this truck came from the factory WITHOUT shocks and HAS NEVER had any. They're totally optional in all applications. They are not necessary for operation of a vehicle.

Shocks are not safety equipment. And there are no legalities about having them.

Thanks. I looked it up, and it turns out my gut instinct is indeed wrong. I can't imagine how shocks are not a vital piece of safety equipment. That runs counter to everything I know. Oh well ...

Yeah, we have lots of "show and no go," but this doesn't usually apply to the commerical trucks that have utility beds/flat beds, and the like.

Not at all. I get that it came without shocks. What I missed was that it never had them. I assumed that it was delivered sans shocks, somebody installed the utility bed and shocks, and operated the vehicle for whatever time period they had it, then took the modifications off before selling the truck on the open market where the OP selected it out of a line-up.

So do you get it now? It came without shocks, and never had them. In that application shocks really don't make any difference. If the springs won't oscillate, shocks are of NO USE. Christ, what is so hard about that?

It would depend on the application. If the springs are inherently stiff and tend to resist oscillation, I would agree. But softer springs would require external damping in order to maintain control of the vehicle. I wouldn't call shocks safety equipment in the sense that seat belts are safety equipment, but if you drive a vehicle that is designed to be equipped with shocks without them, it can be very unsafe. I once drove a Jeep Cherokee without rear shocks about 10 miles, it was difficult to keep control with the rear end bouncing excessively. I was changing the shocks and the upper shock mounts broke off so I took it to a shop to be repaired. Note: Do not try this yourself.

It's difficult to control a Jeep regardless.