First apologies for spelling, etc. I am new to the whole forums thing but I need some advice and I believe this is the place to get it. I have started a project (I know... thats new) and am stuck on one aspect. I am building a 73-79 f250 Supercab short bed 4wd with 5.9 cummins. I have located a highboy frame and a 2wd supercab with a Styleside shortbed. Both I plan on picking up this week. I have the Cummins in operation in a 4wd Dodge truck but I may get another because I believe with a highboy it would be easier to just get a 2wd Cummins w/auto tranny and build a driveshaft to the existing transfer case. In any case, my problem. Its the bed. The frame is reg cab/long bed so it is about 5 inchs shorter wheel base than a Supercab shortbed. I can have the shortbed cut down but I really like Flaresides. Plus i think I could build one. This way I would just buy and move the fenders forward, centering the axle. Has anyone built one? I don't want a show truck but from across a parking lot I would like someone to think maybe it is. You know smooth and clean. My thought are to find a early Ranger bed, they are the most square sided, and purchase fenders for it. Maybe too far and I should just by some sheets of metal and break the tops over for bed rails? But then the tailgate.... Any help would be great! Thanks and glad to be here!
Oh and I did a search on this topic but could not find anything, I actually found a lot of stuff. none of it pertaining to this as far as I could tell.

 

Welcome to thr site. Have thought about buying new? And then cutting to match your truck, NPD, LMC and other parts suppliers sell the parts to replace all the pieces for these beds.

 

Thanks. I have looked at buying new but I have not seen the mostly flat bed sides, , only the fenders for sale new. I plan on buying the fenders new if I build one cause I am sure I couldn't find used ones. Even if I could find the bed sides, I think it will be predrilled for the fenders in the wrong place (5" back) and expensive. Besides, if I build one i can somewhat control the overall bed length and center the axle instead of it looking to far forward on the bed. I sure hope I am making sense.

 

Yes, making good sense. I have seen a few old trailers around made out of the flareside beds, some of the beds going back into thr 60's, that you may utilize

 

I would get a 94 f150 flareside box and try to put the wheel wells from a 73-79 on it so it matches. I think this would be much easier than building it from a step side box.

 

I would think shortening a flareside bed would be fairly easy, it's single wall after all. If you are going to take the time to shorten or build the box of the bed then welding the original holes closed wouldn't be a big deal at all to set the fenders where you need them.
I have the truck you are trying to build, supercab on reg cab long bed. I shortened a normal bed to fit and that was a pain but it looks pretty good and not out of scale at all (wheel well location wise). You might just be able to cut 5" out of the front of the flareside bed and reattach the front bed panel and be good to go.

 

Also you might be able to use a chevy flareside bed from the 90's which has square fender wells instead of the round like the ford ones.

 

I will have a SS bed with the f100 Supercab I am getting in the morning. I have already checked with my brother in law (the paint and body guy) about shortening it. If I could find a good FS bed, thats not to far away, I would go the route of cutting it down. For sure the easiest path. But no luck so far. PlanB} Finish a running cab and chassis... while looking for a bed.

 

That's a thought but I am just not sure I can go so far as running a chevy part, especially the whole bed. I may not be able to sleep at night. They put the engine I am using in it in Ford Factory large trucks so I can live with that one but a bed...maybe a flat bed first. Thanks for thinking outside the box though (no pun intended)

 

Wasn't sure what kind of guy you were, I'm with you I would never use it but it was I thought I had.

 

Here is the frame, axles, transfer case I found. I hope that really is just surface rust. I guess I will find out later this week when I make the trip to look at it.
https://picasaweb.google.com/1148843...December192011
Any opinions or comments?

 

My project is pretty much a Frankenstein truck. But I'm going to build my stepside box from scratch. I tend to over build my crap so I'm going to make the sides out of 12 Gauge steel sheet. For the roll at the top of the box sides I'm going to use some 1/8" wall DOM steel tube. I'm going to make a subframe for the box floor out of 2"x2" steel tube. And I'm going with 1/8" steel floor plate ( diamond plate ) for the floor. Since I'm going heavier on all materials then stock the material for mine is going to run anywhere from $800-$1500 ( not including fenders ) .

Have you considered using a new repop'd box kit or parts for a 53-56 Ford truck? They sell them from complete kits on down to individual parts/pieces. You could buy the sides and just cut them down to the length you want. You can check out the repop stuff at Mid Fifty's F100 parts.

Mid Fifty F-100 Parts - Home


Here's A couple pics that list the specs for the boxes on a F100 and a F250 ( F250 has a taller, wider, longer box then the F100 ) . I'm using the F250 box specs on mine I'm just going to build a 6' version of it.

 

Your gunna want disc front brakes... Drums are horrible

 

I called and asked and he said it has disc breaks. How can I tell if it is a D60 front axle? Also, he said it is a '78 but I thought all 78/79's had the attached transfer case.

 

If the diff cover bolts are 9/16 then it's a 60 if it's 1/2 then it's a 44. Then transfer case should be married if its a 77 1/2 to 79.