I have the opportunity to pick up a unrestored '55 f-100 for a very good price. Here's the catch, the owner says it's a long box. There's no box on the truck so I can't tell for sure. I was not aware that they made a long box in '55.

Here's the question. If it really is a long box, how difficult is it to shorten the frame to the length of a short box? Any advice would be appreciated. These things are very hard to come by in my neck of the woods so I would be willing to do a fair amount of work to get it the way I want. Thanks

 

Only the F-250's had a long box. The longbox option on the halftons started in 61.

 

You can look at my user Gallery to see how I shortened my frame.

 

Which brings up an interesting question. Why did you weld only the top and bottom of the outside scab plate? Why not weld it solid?

 

kciv00,
how did you know how much frame to cut out and where to cut it from?

To make a long box into a short box, do you take one big section out between the front and rear wheels or do you need to take a small section out between the wheels and another one behing the rear wheels?

Thanks

 

I took a little from the front and back, this makes it look better and more proportional.

Clayton

 

what does the wheel base on the serial tag in the glove box say?

 

With a tape measure it looked to be about 118" from wheel center to wheel center. I believe that a short box is 110"?

 

short bed is 110

 

<b>With a tape measure it looked to be about 118" from wheel center to wheel center. I believe that a short box is 110"?</b>

Sounds like someone has a F-250 and is trying to pass it off as a F-100.

The ONLY wb for a F100 is 110", the ONLY wb for a F250 is 118".
The only true Long Box is the 9' on the F350

So besides the side emblems being changed what does the glovebox plate say?

 

Basically, there are two ways to rejoin the chassis. One is to weld it up so that the joint does not show and trust your weld (expert welders do this). The second (brute force method) is bolt plates on and weld them on the edges. If the weld fails I still have the bolts.

I cut the channel with a friction blade. I used a builders lever (transit) with blocks and shims to align it. Welded the frame together (using stick rods). Then added scab plates. Note: The holes in the plates and frame are matched drilled. I drilled small holes with the plates sandwiched together and them put one plate against the frame and drilled through the holes on the plate into the frame. I then bolted the plates and frame together and opened the holes up to the final size, replacing the small bolts with a big bolts. I then welded the plates to the frame (only on the top and bottom).

Second part of question --- Where do you cut the frame? I cut the frame in the worst possible place structurally, right in the middle between the front and rear axles. However, the section that I removed had the same cross section on both end so that the frame matched back up where I joined it back together. The frame to the rear of this section tapered. Also the cross supports were left where I wanted them and I had room for the under the bed spare tire.

I have heard of people moving the spring mounts forward and just cutting off the rear end. This would have been very difficult with my frame.

I have seen in a truck magazine where they took a little out of the middle and a little off the back end.

 

Make -real- sure the frame VIN matches the title. The VIN should be in the glove box door and on the right frame rail, in front of the firewall.

 

Here's part of a table from the 1956 (not 1955) Ford catalog. I'm not sure if the long bed was available in 1955 but it was in 1956 with the 118" wheelbase F-100.

 

<b>Here's part of a table from the 1956 (not 1955) Ford catalog. I'm not sure if the long bed was available in 1955 but it was in 1956 with the 118" wheelbase F-100.</b>

Repeat slowly after me:

The question was about a 55, not a 56. ONLY 110" in 55.

OK?

 

Carl,

I'm not trying to give you any grief - just trying to help out somebody who needs information. The previous post was from a 1956 Ford brochure, as I said. The picture below is from the Parts and Accessories Catalog. Again, Carl, this is not an attempt to put you down at all. The Catalog sometimes has misprints as Barry and others can confirm. I just felt it would be good for svoom to have this info.

svoom,

Model "C" is the F-100, "D" is the F-250, "Y" is the F-350. Part number B6C-5006-B is the optional 118" wheelbase frame for the 1953-1956 F-100 according to the 1948-1960 Ford Parts and Accessories Catalog, Volume II. Again, there have been errors in the catalog before. Hope this helps clear things up for you.