Now, hear me out on this idea...
I have a 1988 Ford Bronco with a good body, but the frame's finished.
I can pick up a pre-96 Ford F-series for incredibly cheap up here with a running engine and good frame. I want to swap the Bronco's body onto the F-series frame.
Why not just find another bronco? Because I can pick up an F-250 or F-350 and end up with a diesel, alot easier than putting it on a Broncos frame and beefing up the front suspension, not to mention a solid front axle. Check out the towing capacity of an F350 vs. a Bronco, would be a much better work horse at the end.
I need to know, how different are the frames on a pickup? Id guess the front half would be near identical, but would I just have to shorten the rear of the frame and weld in new body mounts, and drop 'er on?
I'll appriciate any imput you guys can give me

 

Here, hava read. This guy did exactly what you want to do Delox's Powerstroke Bronco Build - PowerStrokeNation : Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum

 

A friend of mine did this in the late 90's - plopped an 88 Bronco body on a 90 4x4 F350 PSD frame. The bronco was a front hit and while the body/interior was good, the nose and frame were toast. The F350 had the opposite issue - the frame/nose was good but the body was destroyed in a roll over. He owned both trucks, and combined them.

As you suspect there aren't any cuts/mods to be made from the front body mounts forward, as they're the same across the full size truck line. You will have to trim the back of the frame a bit, as the distance from the back of the wheel well is a bit different between the bronco and the pickups, and you'll also need to trim a little where the cab used to be. The cuts should be behind the front body mounts and in front leaf spring pivot in front of the axle.

The only real issue he had was registration/inspection, as CT wouldn't allow him to change the engine designation (gas to diesel) on the Bronco title/registration, so he just paid to reinstate the F350 registration and left it as that. I don't know where you live so that may not be an issue unless you sell the vehicle to someone in another state that has this issue.

While my friend's truck was really cool in a lot of ways, it was miserable to ride in because the F350 suspension is very, very stiff and shortening the wheelbase made it more uncomfortable. It didn't bother my friend at all but it was something I noticed. It used it for hauling his family to the shore, with his boat on a trailer just behind. That and snow plowing.

It really worked out well for him because both trucks were of the same year range and had the same interior color, so there was more than enough parts to make one really nice one that looked new when it was done.

 

Hmm, thanks for the replies guys. After reading that thread Im wondering how much more of a pain it'd be to use a cab and chasis truck. Around here theres literally dozens of 80s to early 90s F-350 and F-Super Dutys with old dump beds and stuff on them, for $2000 or less, but the frames are 3" narrower. 16' long beds, but considering I'll have to cut a frame no matter what it starts with that doesnt matter much. (Image how beastly an F-450 Bronco would be, lol) Keep in mind mine WILL be a dually, and considering how the cab and chasis axle is narrower it wont stick out past the fenders much,
Heres a truck for example i can get for $800


Ive often wondered if it wouldnt be easier to cut the back of the cab off the pickup, and MIG weld the bronco's back half of the body onto the truck cab.. Both trucks are the same from the B pillars forward. Advantage would be youd only have to pull the trucks box, not the whole body off the frame.

EDIT: here's what I mean about the c&c axles. This buy dropped a bed onto a c&c truck. Looks alot better than full fiberglass dually fenders. Doesnt looks like a chick with a fat a$$

 

The biggest difference is that the Bronco frame is bent into a vertical S-shape to accommodate the "shelf" that the rear seat sits on. I think it's about a 5" drop right there. If you look into the back seat of a Bronco at the floor you'll see what I'm talking about. The frame is bent in a corresponding area and the pickup frame doesn't do that.

 

Yeah thats what worries me a little.. Especially on a cab and chasis where the frame rails are perfectly flat the whole way down. Should I just fab up some new, taller, body mounts in these places?

 

That's what I would do... a semi-intentional "body lift" kit.

 

Could be as easy as welding some boxed steel on to the frame rails to support the bronco body, I wouldnt worry about that part too much, body mounts are pretty basic. Swapping the whole bronco body would be easier than splicing two trucks together, unless you pick up a crew cab to work with!

Scott

 

Yeah, I might end up with a supercrew if i can find one in my price range, thatd be awesome

 

I've seen at least 3 broncos with powerstrokes swapped into them using the bronco frame

 

Id rather meld the bronco back half onto a pick up truck. Body work is much easier than frame work imho considering how much fab you would have to do..

 

Could be.... But how's your truck going to look with a 5" body lift in the rear only?

 

What your saying doesnt make sense. The body will still sit level whether the frame kicks up or not. The box of the black truck winslow33 posted doesent appear to sit 5" higher does it?

Scott

 

If anyone would of read the link I posted you would of seen the most lift needed was a 3"

Here is a SMALL piece of that thread...........

Starting from the raditor support (#1), to the rear most mount by the rear bumper (#5), I needed the following spacers (body lift):


#1 = 3"
#2 = 3"
#3 = 0" (I was able to place this at the correct height on the frame side to avoid spacers)
#4 = 2"
#5 = 0" (landed on the downward sloped rear side of the original axle "hump")

Frame:

REAR...................................Front

______/-----\___
.........5.........4..\-3--2--1

The red part was what I removed (chopped).

 

Here is a site for you to check out.

Fourdoorbronco forums

Apparently Centurian made a 4 door bronco that seated 8 or 9 (three rows) and was based on a F350 CC frame and was available with the PSD, 7.5, 5.8, etc. They called it the C350. Check out the site here. I am sure that there would be quite a few people that would be more than willing to help you out with your conversion if you decided to go that route. It was pretty much an OBS equivalent of the Excursion.