1978-1979 Crew Cab build thread
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 776
Likes: 30
From: Zeeland, MI
that weekend...
Did not go as planned. Lol. To say the least.
Last weekend purchased metal, pulled out hand held bottle torch and 8 pound short hammer, and pulled out my trusty, but failing, drill press
1. Mocked up a small frame
2. hand bent all the metal (not as fun as it sounds, but still cool)
3. measured again, to cut excess....wait, what was that rule
4. DAMNIT!
5. Placed the seat on the frame...DAMNIT!!!
6. less than 2" short on each side
7. ****...close the door to the truck
8. Go drink beer and play Call of Duty
Last weekend purchased metal, pulled out hand held bottle torch and 8 pound short hammer, and pulled out my trusty, but failing, drill press
1. Mocked up a small frame
2. hand bent all the metal (not as fun as it sounds, but still cool)
3. measured again, to cut excess....wait, what was that rule
4. DAMNIT!
5. Placed the seat on the frame...DAMNIT!!!
6. less than 2" short on each side
7. ****...close the door to the truck
8. Go drink beer and play Call of Duty
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 776
Likes: 30
From: Zeeland, MI
spring...
is in the air. Well technically, UPS ground.
Ordered my springs and corresponding bushings.
Interesting tech talk in regards to my springs. After discussing the amount of weight I added to the front end, they (skyjacker and super lift techs) recommended a 5-6" leaf spring lift from Skyjacker. If its off a little, I have other options on the rear to bring to level (or close to level) ride height.
Now they may be here in time for christmas...but if not, back to the seat frame and the steering column.
Ordered my springs and corresponding bushings.
Interesting tech talk in regards to my springs. After discussing the amount of weight I added to the front end, they (skyjacker and super lift techs) recommended a 5-6" leaf spring lift from Skyjacker. If its off a little, I have other options on the rear to bring to level (or close to level) ride height.
Now they may be here in time for christmas...but if not, back to the seat frame and the steering column.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 776
Likes: 30
From: Zeeland, MI
That yellow/grey '79 with the rack is a guy I know. I originally put the pic up here a couple years back. It is a cool setup but does take more bed space than it should I think.
For my truck I was hoping to stand the tire vertically against the inside of the bed on the driver side, in front of the wheel well. Having a short bed and 35's the tire won't fit well here, so I'm looking at putting it behind the wheel well. I've thought about a mount that swings up & down so as to lay the tire flat in the bed when the bed is empty, but then swings up vertically & latches when the bed is being used. Not sure if I'll take the time to make this or not, but I like the idea.
I also really dig the idea of those in bed tool boxes on the dodges. That would be a LOT of work to make something like that.
On the same lines I have a pic somewhere of a utility bed that looks almost like a normal bed on a superdoodie. There are cabinets & panels, etc. in the bedside like a normal utility bed, but the bed itself isn't a big box like most utility beds. Kind of cool.
If you will stick with the vertical mount that swings off the bumper & holds the tire behind the tail gate be careful, depending on what you will do with the truck. I know a bunch of guys with broncos & even with 35's those racks tear themself off of the truck in the desert. 37's or 39's compound the problem. Most guys who run that type of rack on a desert rig have the cage running all the way to the back of the bronco & tie in an upper part of the mount through the body to the cage to keep the thing from shaking itself to death & cracking. If you won't be going fast much then the tire may not shake itself to death like we see in the desert.
For my truck I was hoping to stand the tire vertically against the inside of the bed on the driver side, in front of the wheel well. Having a short bed and 35's the tire won't fit well here, so I'm looking at putting it behind the wheel well. I've thought about a mount that swings up & down so as to lay the tire flat in the bed when the bed is empty, but then swings up vertically & latches when the bed is being used. Not sure if I'll take the time to make this or not, but I like the idea.
I also really dig the idea of those in bed tool boxes on the dodges. That would be a LOT of work to make something like that.
On the same lines I have a pic somewhere of a utility bed that looks almost like a normal bed on a superdoodie. There are cabinets & panels, etc. in the bedside like a normal utility bed, but the bed itself isn't a big box like most utility beds. Kind of cool.
If you will stick with the vertical mount that swings off the bumper & holds the tire behind the tail gate be careful, depending on what you will do with the truck. I know a bunch of guys with broncos & even with 35's those racks tear themself off of the truck in the desert. 37's or 39's compound the problem. Most guys who run that type of rack on a desert rig have the cage running all the way to the back of the bronco & tie in an upper part of the mount through the body to the cage to keep the thing from shaking itself to death & cracking. If you won't be going fast much then the tire may not shake itself to death like we see in the desert.
I worried about the girth of the tires riding on a bumper like that. Will take a little time to figure out. Not a final design by any means, just trying to find a way to still have some bed space (if such a thing in a short box with a baja rack
)
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
Does the rack extend down into the bed? Most chase racks I've seen don't. Some do, but most just land on top of the bed rails & stop there. Some have a tire rack across the back, but have room under them for stuff in the bed still. The one I had picked up to run on my crew was this way. I was going to drop the tubes that hold the tire in the second pic to a bit lower but ended up selling the rack and thinking I'll make one to the specs I want if I ever get this thing done & running...
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 776
Likes: 30
From: Zeeland, MI
Does the rack extend down into the bed? Most chase racks I've seen don't. Some do, but most just land on top of the bed rails & stop there. Some have a tire rack across the back, but have room under them for stuff in the bed still. The one I had picked up to run on my crew was this way. I was going to drop the tubes that hold the tire in the second pic to a bit lower but ended up selling the rack and thinking I'll make one to the specs I want if I ever get this thing done & running...
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,993
Likes: 15
From: Costa Mesa, CA
Got it. I don't think I'd seen a pic of it from that angle yet, so wasn't sure how far down it came.
Unfortunately that layout does eat more bed space for sure, but you can still build boxes into some of the space between the rack tubes & the sides of the bed if you want. They can make for good, lockable storage.
Unfortunately that layout does eat more bed space for sure, but you can still build boxes into some of the space between the rack tubes & the sides of the bed if you want. They can make for good, lockable storage.
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Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 776
Likes: 30
From: Zeeland, MI
Got it. I don't think I'd seen a pic of it from that angle yet, so wasn't sure how far down it came.
Unfortunately that layout does eat more bed space for sure, but you can still build boxes into some of the space between the rack tubes & the sides of the bed if you want. They can make for good, lockable storage.
Unfortunately that layout does eat more bed space for sure, but you can still build boxes into some of the space between the rack tubes & the sides of the bed if you want. They can make for good, lockable storage.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 776
Likes: 30
From: Zeeland, MI
updates
Updates:
Found a new fabricator dude here locally. He is doing the following:
1. Tied in the Baja rack to mount to the frame, through the bed, as required. Pictures to come once I get the truck back.
2. Is re-doing the massive front bumper so it attaches properly. This bumper was on a f-150 frame, which is why it fit sooo nice on my 1978 Bronco, and why it won't fit so nice and snug on my f250 frame. Once the fab man is done, it will fit as snug as it once did on my Bronco.
3. The fab man is making a piece to hold my shifting cable properly so it can be used with my stock 1978 shifting column. This will allow me to use the 1996 shifter cable as designed on 1996 trans.
4. I bought another crew. I sold my Denali to a local friend who's been eyeballing it since I bought it 3-4 years ago. Couldn't go without some kind of truck. I ended up buying a 1996 f350 crew cab, long box 4x4 powerstroke. This will also help serve as a great reference point as I finish up Eleanor.
The not so update----
The 2008 king ranch seats don't seem to fit. Way too tall. Fab man says we would need to modify the floor pan to make these work. SOOOOOO bummed about that. Wonder if they will fit in my 1996....:
Also, headed to Hudsonville, MI Fairgrounds this Saturday for The Ford Truck and Bronco swap meet. Anyone else going?
Found a new fabricator dude here locally. He is doing the following:
1. Tied in the Baja rack to mount to the frame, through the bed, as required. Pictures to come once I get the truck back.
2. Is re-doing the massive front bumper so it attaches properly. This bumper was on a f-150 frame, which is why it fit sooo nice on my 1978 Bronco, and why it won't fit so nice and snug on my f250 frame. Once the fab man is done, it will fit as snug as it once did on my Bronco.
3. The fab man is making a piece to hold my shifting cable properly so it can be used with my stock 1978 shifting column. This will allow me to use the 1996 shifter cable as designed on 1996 trans.
4. I bought another crew. I sold my Denali to a local friend who's been eyeballing it since I bought it 3-4 years ago. Couldn't go without some kind of truck. I ended up buying a 1996 f350 crew cab, long box 4x4 powerstroke. This will also help serve as a great reference point as I finish up Eleanor.
The not so update----
The 2008 king ranch seats don't seem to fit. Way too tall. Fab man says we would need to modify the floor pan to make these work. SOOOOOO bummed about that. Wonder if they will fit in my 1996....:
Also, headed to Hudsonville, MI Fairgrounds this Saturday for The Ford Truck and Bronco swap meet. Anyone else going?
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,210
Likes: 7
From: Minnesota
The 2008 king ranch seats don't seem to fit. Way too tall. Fab man says we would need to modify the floor pan to make these work. SOOOOOO bummed about that. Wonder if they will fit in my 1996....:
Also, headed to Hudsonville, MI Fairgrounds this Saturday for The Ford Truck and Bronco swap meet. Anyone else going?
Also, headed to Hudsonville, MI Fairgrounds this Saturday for The Ford Truck and Bronco swap meet. Anyone else going?
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,210
Likes: 7
From: Minnesota
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 3,076
Likes: 21
From: Aransas Pass, Tx
Hey man I just finished your thread. This is awesome information, considering I am planning on dropping my extra powerstroke mill into my 76 F250. I will definitely keep this page bookmarked as a reference for when I get my project rolling. Thanks for the pictures and real world experience!