Sorry if this is answered somewhere else, but i don't post much...
i have a 05 f150 supercab 6 1/2' bed... I have access to a 8 foot bed, so i wanted to make it into a trailer!! Thought it might be a great little project... Anyone have idea's on how i might want to secure this bed? or make a frame for it?? Anyone do this yet? pics?

 

I've done it twice, once with a early '60s short bed that had been hit in front and then the cab was sold off of .... and a second time with a '79 F-150 2wd that had a blown motor and a fellow wanted the cab for his 4x4 and just wanted to be rid of the frame and bed, etc.

The first one I notched the frame at the front edge of the cross member where the rear of that cab set, brought the stubs together to meet and welded a hitch there.

The second one, I made the tounge a drop type deal with a winch and a tower so I could pull a pin and crank it up and "dump" it, or use the same winch to pull loads in.

In both cases, I had no use for the axles, so I removed the hogshead, pulled the ring and pinions out, made a plate to fit the front and sealed it and bolted the hogshead back in and filled with 85W140 for the wheel bearings. Just let the carrier spin.

On the early '60s short bed, I also closed the vent hole and flipped the axle upside down as well and mounted it on top of the leaves, and added the top two leaves from an old pair of Dodge car spring packs .... I cut the eyes off the main leafe of the old Dodge spring packs and used that longest leafe directly under my trailer's main leaf. If adding leaves, check width, the old '60 Ford had 2-1/2" wide springs. I redrilled and tapped a new vent hole on the new top side.

In both cases, I removed all of the brake hardware and drums ... but left the backing plate on as it affects the outer bearing retainer stacking against axle housing.

Later on, I sold the bed off the '79 and made me a new steel frame wood floor bed and extended it to a total of 10 feet, adding a foot on each end. My drop tongue was plenty long enough. I also had some jeep or IH wheels that had been widened to 15x8 and used old tires on them.

I don't have any pics of the early'60s based trailer but the guy I sold it to still has it all these years later (I sold it to him about 1986) and the later trailer, I only have one picture with it in the pic and it was after I sold the bed and made my new one for it.

The cropped picture was taken very late summer 1989, I was mowing at my old house and also my new 3 acre lot where I later built my log home. Wish I had some more.

 

wooow! that looks awesome... thanks man.. you gave it exactly what i wanted to know... I am looking to have the same "height" and lug set up so that i am able to put the same wheels on. My problem now is trying to find a junked frame and axle!

 

Great ....

The '60s Ford SB trailer was real light and I even used it behind my WheelHorse to move leaves and grass a few times. Easy to handle, very light on tongue. It was also really low after the axle flip. When I built it, I needed a trailer as I had no truck, just the wife's car (Toyota Celica) and my '67 Chevelle SS. I painted it the same '76 Mack Truck Blue to match the Chevelle. Bill still has it and hauls his mower in it. He keeps it parked tongue up in the air, bed floor is not rusted out.

Find a 04-up that's been hit in front, cut the frame up under the cab. These new frames are pretty deep, you could notch back from the front next to bottom of each rail a "V" out of each side of each rail starting at 2" or 3" at front edge and going back a couple feet to the point (all 4 sides of frame rails where it was under cab) and then bring the bottom up at front and reweld it to the sides. Then notch rails on inside enough to bring ends together and mount your hitch where they come together.

Would look very tidy.

You don't have to gut the rear axle, If I were doing it now and knowing I don't use it alot, I probably wouldn't bother. Local only hauls, low speed, I'ld still maybe leave it alone.
If I was going to maybe pull it on the Interstate at 65-70 very far, I'ld get rid of the ring and pinion.

If It was a 8.8 I'ld be quixcker to gut it of ring & pinion gear. You can weld the pionion opening shut .... OR leave the pinion in place (it won't turn with no ring gear) .... OR use a proper sized plug and plug it .... OR maybe use a long bolt and some big washers and place washers inside and out front and seal it?

You'll have to keep the carrier and spider gears with C-clips.

Haven't looked at new spindles much, but I once was looking at getting two F-150 Dana 44 front spindles and bearings and hubs and cutting / drilling some 1/2 steel plate to match the spindles and welding to ends of some 3" or larger 1/4" wall steel tubing for my axle and having matching Ford pattern for my '77 F-150, I just never did it. The old 9" housings were likely stronger due to shape.

Lots of possibilities .... just keep your eyes open and ask around at wreckers, etc.

 

Just thinking ......

You have a 8' bed!

You actually could use an older frame, .... likely even be less work, .... easier to notch or taper the frame as no inside wall, .... and make a lighter trailer .... and for less $$$ .... and be easier to find.

May have to set your bed in place and fab some mount points from under neath, ad shims under cross braces in ares. Use earlier springs too, just get you a later rear axle with the 6 lug pattern? Ratio wouldn't matter.

I also recall seeing one such trailer made up using a 99-03 style 8 foot truck and in front of the bed across the frame is a shiney aluminum tapered style diamond plate tool box. Looked pretty good, better than just a naked front bed wall.

 

I would go with 4x2 1/8" wall tube or 4" channel before ever using a truck frame. Same with the axle. A 3500# trailer axle can be had for cheap. Using truck parts adds a lot of unnessary weight. Heck, even using the truck bed adds weight. Your typical truck axle only has one bearing on each side carrying the weight while a trailer axle has two bearings per side. Just something to think about.

 

But a truck frame saves a lot of work for the man who doesn't have the time for buiding a frame and it's going to be stronger .... though maybe a few pounds heavier.

Also, he's after the same lug pattern .... and the trailer axle's hubs you speak of have to have two bearings to keep the wheel standing up in turns where as a truck axle only needs the one out at the wheel end as it's second bearing is the carrier bearing itself. The truck rear's bearing is also beefier .... and less likely to be "made in China". The truck's single outer wheel bearing has a much easier life as cornering / hillside loads are shared with that carrier bearing and all it has to do is let the axle turn.

An ax head is easier to control with a 3 foot handle than it is with a 3 inch handle! That axle shaft acts just like the ax handle.

I have a trailer now with a 3500 pound trailer axle, those wheel bearings are close to each other.