Looking at streching my 05 cc swb 4x4 to a lwb. Im wanting to put a service body/ mechanic bed how ever you describe it. How hard will it be? Seems easy enough legenthen the drive shaft legenthen the frame a bit. Any imput?

 

I think it would be better to find a different truck. Then if you like your drivetrain and cab and stuff then transfer it over. Also you could find a dually.

 

Trying to keep the sunroof, zf6, lariat and leather well optioned interior of my crewcab.

 

you BETTER look at something very Important

regular pickup trucks have a different frame width then Service truck frames.. so your service Body will/may not FIT...

measure, measure, measure.

 

If you have the service bed and can double check the measurements, it shouldn't be bad. A frame jig will certainly help keep everything aligned. You'll need to study how to correctly cut and fish plate the frame sections. Boxing would help while you're down there. You'll need longer brake lines, lengthen electrical and exhaust components, probably fuel lines and tank brackets need to be moved, etc.

In my opinion lengthening the driveshaft would be harder and more time consuming considering the cost of a new one. It needs to be balanced. I'd probably buy a correct length driveshaft vs. lengthening the one you have. Depending on what your new wheel base is, you may need to arrange a pillow block setup.

Finally, check your end usage concerning weight. We had a lot of F350 crew cabs at work that had utility beds installed. Once on there, the trucks were at or above max capacity when fitted with tools and supplies. Now we're running F450 and 550s.

 

Imo, you are deliberately walking up to a live hornet's nest and giving it a swift kick. What you are seeking to do can definitely be done, but without the proper tools, equipment and knowledge, you could very well end up with a mess that took a perfectly good (assumption here) truck and turned it into a totaled out pile of scrap iron.

Frames can be lengthened sure, but do you have a frame jig at your disposal? Are you a professional grade welder? Do you have a high quality heavy duty welding rig to make these kind of welds with? Have you ever done this kind of work before (I mean cutting, lengthening, boxing, squaring and welding vehicle frames)? If not done correctly the problems can go from "only" alignment/crabbing issues all the way to having broken/cracked frame leading to vehicle accident/total loss, injury accident lawsuit (like when the ambulance chasing lawyer of the guy you hit-or hits you-finds out you "rebuilt" the truck yourself).

You will end up surprised at how much fabricating you'll end up having to do, brackets for exhaust (moving and lengthening exhaust too), fuel lines, electrical lines, moving fuel tank, tank inlet, fuel vent lines, brake lines. If you get the finished wheel base length exactly right, you can go with a replacement driveline pulled from a wrecking yard, if not, you're fabbing one up custom (read $$).

I would also weigh the total of the parts you plan to install, to make sure the service body bed, and all total installed parts don't put you over your vehicles legal weight limit (the door sticker on your truck's door jamb is the final rule on that).

And you better talk to your insurance company about what their policy is on insuring vehicles that have been modded in this manner, and when it's been done by a hobbyist (read amateur), instead of a licensed shop (may or may not matter to them, better find out first).

If it was me, I'd either sell the short bed and buy a long bed, or put the service body on a trailer frame and tow it with the short bed truck.

 

I'm sure they make service bodies for LWB trucks, but I would think the best route would start with a cab & chassis.

 

All good points. And supprisingly enought most the trucks i see are not chassis cab trucks or 1 ton or larger. Looking to to hvac and plumbing. I need secure, locking tools and part storage. I need to be able to organize it to some degree. A 7ft flat bed is going to make that difficult at this point. I may hang a tag in the window list it locally and see if it moves. If it does ill probably get a newer gas truck.

 

Find a truck with a longer wheelbase that has a blown engine or otherwise totaled out. Swap in the good things from your current ride.

 

05 is kinda old for stretchin
Is there no "box" that would fit your needs at the current wheel base ?
Frame stretching is easy when you have all the gear and knowledge.
If your determined its still very doable. Just do you research
MorRyde Ind is common stretcher in Indiana but they may not always talk to the public ?

 

Beat me to it. Shouldn't be too hard to find one, always an opition to keep in mind