I kinda figured it was a cab and chassis, Im assuming the regular f350s didnt come with a pto, or did they?.

I built the bed to haul crushed rock of various sizes, dirt, manure, flat rock limestone (we have a lot of that around here), and hay (I was able to remount the hay forks on the back) though we have a bobcat to move the hay once its delivered it mat be handy to have that if we have to go get hay. Id have to look back at my quarry recipts to see what my max load was but off the top of my head the heavest load Ive hauled with it was 3.6 or 3.8 tons of crushed rock. I think my tare weight was about 7k and I think my total was like 12.5K. She didnt do to bad, just grunted her way through it.

To be honest I really overbuilt the bed because I didnt know how much we would be hauling and I kinda had to change my design halfway through. This was my first truck bed so I guess it was my learning experience. If I was gonna build it over again I wouldnt build it as heavy duty to save weight and $, I would make the sides alittle shorter and I would make the bed alittle shorter. It drives me crazy how its centered over the axle its probably better that way cause it keeps the weight off the front but Im the kind of fabricator that likes things to look and perform well.

 

Actually you want as much weight on the front axle as you can get.

Gets a little squirrely when more weight is behind the axle than in front of the axle.

I have about 1/2 that much metal under mine, C channels that are 1.5 x 3 inch if I remember right, with 1/8" diamond plate steel skin on it.
Just shy of 5 tons and a gross of close to 18,000 is as much as I want to haul on my 250.

 

That makes sence, like when a tailer is back heavy, with my gearing though I fell like I got my engine maxed out at 55.

I don't really like working with C channel harder to cut with my saw and I felt like tubing would be more robust, my bottom frame work is 2"x3" tubing, 1/4" or 3/16" wall Id have to measure. Then the sides are 2"x5" tubing 1/8" wall, sides are 1/8" plate and bottom is 3/16" plate, so when we dump rocks in we dont ding up the bottom as much. Dang 5 tons on a f250, I kinda figured I was maxing out my truck at 3.5-4 tons.

 

your babying that cab & chassis.
stack 10 mains and 10 overloads and put that heavy duty dually to work would ya.
just be sure to toss in hydroboost brakes first.those stock brakes wont stop what that monster can carry.

 

Yes a hydraboost conversion is a very good idea when you get that heavy.

Stock brakes just don't have what it takes here in the mountains.

When you nose over a 30% grade hill with a load on, you want to be able to stop the wheels, now if needed.

 

haha I guess so, I need to step it up! after we bought it we had the brakes gone through, id say the hydroboost brakes are out though considering how much money we have already but in this truck. I need to check my tire psi, that may be why I felt like the back end was squatting. How much should I be able to carry?

 

Thats about 4 tons of concrete.

You should not have any trouble if you have enough springs, and the brakes will stop it.

My lite weight is 8260 pounds, so 4 tons on the bed puts me a little over 16,000.

With a SRW I don't haul very far or go real fast, but I don't mind piling the load on.
Do notice how it is loaded though, above the cab in front of the axle, taper down to around a foot deep at the back of the bed.
My springs are 7 leaf mains, 5 leaf overloads, and they are 3" wide, not the 2.5" you have on a cab and chassis.

With the regular vacuum assist brakes, with the hills we have here 4 tons was my max comfort zone, and I had to leave a lot of extra room going down every hill.

Since the hydraboost upgrade, 4+ tons is rather comfortable as far as stopping goes.

 

Just curious Dave what kind of body work are you needing to do to the beast, it looks pretty good.

 

Heh yeah, looks damn good!

 

That picture is several years old.

Passenger side front fender, cancer at the bottom behind the wheel.
Also a hole at the top of the bumper where one of the local highly skilled drivers backed into the bumper corner and knocked it into the fender, and then left.

Doors are getting cancer across the bottom, both sides.
Door hinges, well thay are in the garage waiting to go on, but if I am tearing the doors off they can wait.

Drivers side fender, has a few dents from a highly skilled Va driver that decided we could both fit in one lane.

Radiator suppport also needs some repair from the Va driver incident.

She was driving one of those Transport minivan things with the molded lower side panels, hers looked worse than mine after my bumper hooked the molded stuff and tore it all off.
At the time, I saw some paint transfer that would buff off.

I did not see the radiator support damage at the time.
Broke it where the frame mount bushing attaches.

After a couple days driving, I wondered why the front looked like it was leaning to the drivers side, investigation found the broken mount.

And the drivers side floor pan needs some work, to much snow tracked in and my big boot is starting a hole where my right foot rests.

I like it to much to get rid of it, but if I don't do some work it will start downhill fast now.

My plan is as soon as snow season is over, cab off, sand blast and fix everything, the Rust Bullet the cab and frame.
Nice coat of black over that, the rewire everything.

Also the bed floor is starting to need replaced and the hoist frame could use some fresh paint.

Actually for the mileage and the amount of salt it has seen, it does still look good.
But it could look better.

 

Dave do you have a recent pic of your truck in the condition you just discribed?

Also, you'll defenentlly need to start a thread when time comes of your restoration!

 

Dave not considering making the swap to the 8th or 9th gen truck?
see some really nice deals these days.
a nice cab & chassis would be a nice platform to swap in all your goods into and start with a fresher more solid truck?
just grown attached to the old girl hey?
all you need is a good solid platform with a motor/trans missing.

that,and we'd all love to see your progress pics of the transformation.

 

I think Dave likes better that model of truck. Personnally I do! I wouldn't go newer, infact I'd go older lol

 

Rebuilt front 60 axle with LS.
Rebuilt T 19.
Rebuilt 1345 transfer case
Rebuilt rear axle LS.
Rebuilt motor, turbo with extras
Hydraboost conversion.
New springs built and all related hardware replaced in the last three years.
New clutch three years ago.
New brakes, drums, rotors, lines, shoes and pads.
LED conversion of all the lights.
Rear of the truck is already rewired.

Snow plow bracket also modified, only fits up to 86 frame.
Snow plow, just rebuilt two weeks ago.

The only thing left is the cab and fenders, plus the bumper the talented driver backed into and some paint.

I like that body style and I have way to much work in it, way to many miles inside it and way to many tons of materials moved with it to think about parting ways over some rusty fenders.

But it is very hard to do body work on something you drive every day.....
No, given what I need to tackle, it is impossible to do body work on a vehicle you drive every day.

I am just going to suffer and go pick this up in the morning.



Should get me back and forth to work this summer.

 

yeah i know it.i love the 7th gens as well.
problem is location.these trucks around here have been off the road for years.
they all just rotted away.
all depends where you are i guess.i haven't seen a 7th gen on the road,since i can't even remember.man i loved mine,and my dad did his as well.
it would cost so much around here,it would have to be for a hobby,otherwise just stay 10-20 yrs old.
only way to do it really would be to head down to fl or somewhere where rust doesn't eat them away.

for example.i scored my 93 on ebay for 3300 bucks.
if i went out and tried to fix anything older around here,it would cost way,way over that,just to get to the same starting point.(and realistically,it never would be as good,unless it was complete frame off resto of course.but then how could you work it? lol i wouldn't want too.)
you could travel for a rust free one.but that takes $ too.