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Yes, there is a difference in the proportion valves. One on the truck is off of a 1976 highboy that I got my first disk brake axle from. The other one I am holding is the factory one off of my 73 highboy that had a drum front axle. You will also need the mounting bracket and the piece on top to hold the tube to the master cylinder.
Build looks great! Thanks for the detailed instruction and pictures for the 2wd to 4wd bed swap. I'm just starting mine. I never knew there were different brackets (under the tailgate) for a highboy. I bought my truck without a bed, but was lucky to find a 2wd in decent shape. Thanks again.
Just been painting odds and ends here lately. About to finish up the radiator support assembly. Latch works better now than anytime I can remember. Just a little file work and lube. Finishing the headlight buckets up so I can mount them to the support. I was trying to decide what color to paint these and the inner fenders. I really like this color. Will be doing the inner fenders in it also. Rustoleum hammered silver. Going to KBS Diamond coat it also.
Guess who gets to figure out the highboy bed vs. 2wd....this guy. Just like you did I will bet. I will try to document the differences in detail in the event it helps anyone. My buddy/body shop guy let it sit for over a year and half untouched. So I went and repo'd it this weekend.
Original bed has the tie downs pulled out of the metal, floor is gone, and found mucho bondo work on it. The donor 4x2 bed is fair, but a major dent in one side and floor has some cancer. Either way it goes it is going to be a ton of work it looks like. Again, not needing a fully restored look but does not need to be shotty either. Likely will be doing what you did but I will see once I get the O.E. bed flipped and measured out to compare. Would be much easier if there was not a 4x8 1/8" steel plate welded in it. My temporary long ago repair when I never planned on re-doing the truck. How plans change. I can say I see NO indication of where to drill....seen a lot of post mention Ford has it marked for the narrow frames, not that I can tell, at least on this bed. Almost to the point I am willing to flat bed it.
How may spot welds drills did you burn up? HAHA.
At least at this point the truck moves under it's own power. Nice to hear the lope of the 445.
Is there a good source for a complete weld in bed side "with" the rivets for trim?
Dustin,
The only place on the 2WD bed marked per say is under the very rear mounts. After you cut the rear mounts off you can see the square holes where the new holes need to be. All the rest require an tape measure to figure out. Do you have the pieces for a Highboy be to make the swap? Again the rear frame mounts, spacer on crossmember and one of the cross members is different. Hope it all goes fairly smooth for you!
Yes, I have the O.E. bed. That bed has a shot floor(x-members are good) and the P.O. rolled it or something. It had the tie downs on the bed and all were ripped out and now I found some bondo work on the bed rail. So at a minimum it needs floor replaced, and lot of work on where the tie downs went. The new bed 4x2 is fair on the floor, but one bedside is caved in a good 4". So it will need a new skin, not to mention the swapping x-members if I use it. Either way it is going to be a lot of work. Really leaning toward just reworking the old bed and selling the other one. It it were not for the tie down issue it would be an easy decision. Really wish my buddy would have fixed the 4x2 bed and all I had to do was the x-members. Likely about the same amount of work either way I go but at least the old bed saves the task of relocating x-members. Kind of one of those darned if ya do or darned if ya don't scenarios. Only reason I bought the 4x2 bed was a 3 hour drive and the tail gate was in excellent shape. Worth about what I paid for the bed. Never would have made the trip if the dent had been disclosed.
Curious as to how yours is coming along, which is why I posted. Mine is running and moving. Down to the exterior body work as you can tell. It won't be a show stopper for me, but it will be one of the nicer ones around my area minus a full frame off.
Well have a little over 8,000 miles on it now and can’t wipe the smile of my face. It is one of the best feeling to drive it again and all the attention it gets. Lots of Chevy guys telling me they don’t like Fords BUT this one sure is clean and they kind of like it but will not admit it in a crowd. lOL!
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