Are the 1984 f 150 frames the same as the 1988 frame?

 

They are not. The front frame horns in front of the rad support mounts are different.

 

Which means your bumper will not mount up, but that's about it. Also 4x4 and 2x4 frames have different rear spring mounts for the different width springs, but the rivets are easily drilled out and the brackets swapped.

 

The frame horns aren't that different, the '87-'91 just has extra bumper mounting holes on the sides since the bumper uses brackets instead of directly bolting on. The '80-'86 bumper will bolt right up. I know this from experience - I'm in the middle of swapping my '82 Flareside body onto a '90 frame. The '92+ frame horns are drastically different however, with added crumple zones.

The radiator support in fact changed in '85 for the aluminum radiator. But that's not the frame, that's the radiator support. I swapped to an '85 radiator support with my project to keep the '82 body but use the '90 radiator.

 

80-91 the frames are functionally interchangeable. It is only the 92+ stuff that is not 100% bolt on, and its only really bumper related.

 

I was going to post this. I have been in search of a frame myself, and every single 87-91 truck has had the same front horns as 80-86, with the fore-mentioned brackets.

 

Thanks to you all for your replies, I'm in the middle of a project on a 1981 f100 . I was planning on lowering it, however I have found out that it's not as easy as I thought it was going to be. Dream beams were in my plans, however they do not make beams for the 81. To get as low as I would like it will be impossable to bend that much camber into the short right side beam. I have been able to locate a rolling chassis out of an 1988. Was wanting to make sure that it would work before spending.

Thanks

 

All you have to do is keep your frame/truck and swap out the beams from a later truck. That way the dream beams will fit. If you have the car pattern wheels, you will need new wheels and getting the rearend out of the later truck will get you the bolt pattern to match the later front beams. Or you could possibly get the axles re-drilled with the 5 on 5.5 pattern or maybe a wheel adapter would work. The rearend swap would be the best though.

Some f100's had the 5 on 4.5 lug pattern and some had the larger 5 on 5.5 pattern. The dream beams are going to fit the later 5 on 5.5 pattern.

 

How will they fit later beams are longer on the right side.

 

Later beams are the same dimensions, they just use balljoints rather than the kingpins yours has. 80-96 all of the F150 beams 2wd and 4wd use the same mounting points on the frame.

 

so you are saying that dream beams for an 83-86 fill fit on my 81 ford f100?

 

Yes, you just need to get a set of steering knuckles to match the year of dream beams you order.

 

Gary Lewis has a bare frame from an 83 F 150 sitting behind his shop. I am sure it could be had for cheap plus shipping. It doesnt have the knuckles anymore, but does have the axle tubes and housing for a 9". It does still have the twin I beams and coils.

 

Yep, a deal could be made.