Supercab swap
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Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: The Great Plains
Supercab swap
What kind of a pain would it be to swap a supercab cab to a hiboy chassis, stretching the frame, ect, I want a stock appearing supercab hiboy. I have the facilties, tools, desire and know-how, as well as parts. Just want a little bit of insight before starting this project.
New User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 14
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From: UPSTATE SC
No easy way to do it.
I converted a 78 short-bed super cab (2wd, AT) to 3/4 ton, 4x4, 4-speed. After finding that the wheelbase is 139" on supercabs and 133" on longbeds, it's either a lot of mechanical work ... or a lot of body work. I guess it depends on what you can find to work with.
I got lucky and found a cherry super cab short bed real cheap.
Then I found the F-250 organ-donor.
I love my truck and drive it every day (40,000 miles in 3.5 years) but I don't know if I would do it again. It took a year of my life.
If you get any specific questions I'm sure you'll get the answer from somebody in these forums. I wish I had know about them sooner. Good luck guys. Oh, I just put a picture gallery together if you wonder what it looks like.
I got lucky and found a cherry super cab short bed real cheap.
Then I found the F-250 organ-donor.
I love my truck and drive it every day (40,000 miles in 3.5 years) but I don't know if I would do it again. It took a year of my life.
If you get any specific questions I'm sure you'll get the answer from somebody in these forums. I wish I had know about them sooner. Good luck guys. Oh, I just put a picture gallery together if you wonder what it looks like.
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Joined: Feb 2003
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From: The Great Plains
Yeah, that is an awesome pickup that you converted. I have a really clean 2wd cab off of an earlier f-250. Lengthening the frame shouldnt be that horribly hard, just Basicaly swapping the cabs, and the mounts. I dont think it should be anything terribly hard. Anyone else have something to say about it??
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 504
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From: west central florida
in the works
I am doing that swap too, 77' f-150 supercab 4x2 shortbox, onto my early 77' highboy reg cab.......only problem i see so far is do i add a few inches to the rear of the highboy frame, or shorten the front of the bed a little to keep my wheelbase and turning radius intact......i am leaning toward shortening the bed only because it will be very unique
Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 869
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From: Apple Valley CA USA
a super cab onto a highboy ishould be about as easy as it gets. due to the frame design i believe you can simply move the reaend back a few inches by relocating the spring mounts on the rails. the front cab mounts are the same so you bolt up the cab and set the bed on and then make a mount for the rear of the cab where it needs to sit to look right. you will need to extend the rear of the frame a little and redrill bed mounting holes but it should go right together with no worries about frame strength (i am assuming a shortbed supercab swap). i do not have a highboy to double check right now but i am sure the springs can be moved back and if you can't move them the full 6 inches you can also move the rear axle on the spring pack. instead of having the centering bolt come through teh axle mount you can clamp the axle behind the bolt (we used to do that with racecars but moving the axle forward). after you drill all of the spring mount rivits out be sure to use grade 8 or better bolts to put it back together. hawkrod
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From: The Great Plains
Hiboy supercab longbox swap. I don't think having a frame shop strectch the frame should be that big of a deal with the hiboys from being like it is. The main part that I was worried about was just getting the cab up there. Does it matter if it is a later supercab, or earlier with the frame widths being different??
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 504
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From: west central florida
I wouldnt have them stretch the frame, i would just add the 5 or 6 inches on the back to hold the rear of the bed i was gonna just hit a boneyard and hack off a foot or so and then bolt/weld/fishplate it on to the rear of mine
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 869
Likes: 1
From: Apple Valley CA USA
as i noted earlier and buzzbait65 pointed out again, add the extra material to the back of the frame as it will be much stronger and will not affect the frame twist that makes these trucks such great offroaders. the frame width difference is not an issue as it only applies to beds not cabs. the front cab mounts are the same no matter what year or model truck (2X4, 4X4, F100, F250, F350, F600, etc...). hawkrod
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 954
Likes: 2
From: 15 miles west of Venus
I talked to a guy on EBAY several years ago that did a crewcab highboy. The frame is a straight ladder design. He cut the frame at a 45* angle and added the needed material. It was then fish plated. Looked pretty straight forward.
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