I've had a project going on for a couple of months.
I have a 97 F350 SRW CC 4x4 that has a standard 8 foot bed on it. To be able to take our quads with us as well as our trailer I thought I'd put a flatbed on it.

I found a 94 F350 with a decent flatbed. Bought just the flatbed, Had to cut it from the frame and the extension but other then that no issues. Took all the wiring connections as well.

Got it home, pulled all of the bad wood off off it and started the clean it up. Blasted it, wire brushed it, painted it with primer and then painted it. It was all done in my drive way!!!

Pulled the stock bed off of the truck today and was cleaning up the frame when I noticed there were 5 cross members on the truck we took the FB off of and only 4 on mine. I measured the length and it was fine. The 5th was under the cab.

Now here is the glitch. My frame, outside to outside is 38 inches in the rear. The Flatbed rails are 34!!! What the heck. It was my understanding that the 94 and 97 frames were the same. The only difference between the two truck is the 94 was a standard cab and a dually. My 97 is a 4x4 CC and single rear wheels.

I've looked and looked and can't find anything saying the 94 is different.

Has anyone done this swap?? Or have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

 

The truck you must have took it off of was a cab and chassis

 

What he said^^^^^ The frames on cab and chassis are narrower. This is why vendors for new flatbeds ask if yours had a pickup bed.

 

Thanks guys. I just discovered the difference myself.
Went online looking for frame mounted trail hitches.
Found the ones for Cab and chassis were 34 inch.

Now what were going to mount it is install 3 x 3 x 5/16 angle iron to the bed. This will widen it to match the 38 inch frame. I can attach it to the flatbed at different heights to to level the bed to the frame and still put in wooden shims where needed to keep the bed in contact with the fame. Hopefully!!!

Again, thanks for the quick replies.

As my best friend says, It's only metal. Think about it long enough and you can make it all work.

 

When you mount it you'll do good if you use hardwood 1X2's across the top of the frame rails. Look at any straight truck and you'll see what I mean.

 

Why Wood??

 

^^yeah? Sounds like you have a welder, so use it. Measure twice cut once.

 

Straight trucks (F600 and such) have a long level frame. Beds are usually installed with u-bolts so they need the wood not only for flex, but also to give some grip so the bed doesn't wiggle back and forth on the frame. And to keep that terrible squeak to a minimum.

 

No wood for a regular length pickup. Just bolt it down solid. DO NOT weld it to the frame.

 

This is how I just did mine. Welded angle iron to the 3 inch C channel and bolted it to the frame then sit the bed on

 

I like the set up, but is that going to cause the bed to be too high up?

 

No You have to come up about an inch 1.5 inches from the highest place in the middle to get the filler necks under it. I had the plate broke over 3 inches on the sides and it leaves it with about 7 inches of up travel before it would hit the bed. I made a bed and welded it to the channel

Most flatbeds are made with 4 inch C channel for the frame runners and 4 inch C for the cross bars to which puts the bed way above the stock height. Mine is maybe 2-3 inches over stock height. Built kind of light duty but plenty strong enough for anything I will need to put up there.

 

Have any estimate on the weight of that setup? I'm looking to build a lighter steel 90"x90" flat bed for my truck in the coming months, and yours is one of the only ones I've seen even remotely in line with what I want to do. Thinking 14ga diamond plate and 14ga square tube.

 

That's a good looking bed!

 

Thanks, Mine is 14g floor plate and 11g square tubing and 3 inch C channel. 4 of us picked it up easily so I would say it weighs 250 lbs maybe. I could pick one side up by myself before I welded it down.

Sorry for jumping in on your post