I started typing a book here, and once I got to chapter 3 I realized all the background info means nothing. I can keep it simple. I promise.

1982 Ford F-150 2WD, non original (1983) 300/6, granny low 4 speed, 1987 bed. I've owned it 26 years. Not on the road in 5 years mostly because of a rotted frame.

I will retire soon and I am willing to spend a couple years putting this back on the road. Not restored, just functional and solid. The truck is worth about $4.00 and once back on the road will be worth $104. I'm fine with that.

The back half of the frame is completely rotten. This includes the crossmember directly under the back of the cab. The rubber mounts have sunk into the crossmember and the cab has been held up with a maple board wedged in there about 2006.

Junking this truck is not an option. I'm not rich but I'm also not counting pennies or watching the clock.

Option 1: cut the frame at the crossmember and graft on a donor section. I do have a stripped donor 'rear half' that is in better condition but will need ALL of the leaf spring and shock hardware replaced (mine is all either broken or rotted). Plus I will need that crossmember, which shows up on ebay once in a while for around $300 shipped.

Option #2 replace the frame entirely. I have never gone so deep as to removing a cab before. There is a frame available that could cost me upwards of $1000 by the time it gets here.

Over the past few months I have gotten myslef talked right into cutting and grafting but a little voice tells me to go the extra measure and do the whole thing.

Anxious to hear what you have to say. Thanks for your time.

 

Have you looked in junkyards, www.car-parts.com may be you can find something close to you that may be a good donor

 

Yep, that's what will happen. The seller I found on ebay this morning sang a different song when I called his bluff about shipping. I found several on car-part and I may just pay my son in law to go fetch me one. He thinks nothing of driving 600-800 miles one way at the drop of a hat or on a dare.

 

That's why I'm not a big fan of ebay...

I like to talk with someone that has a brick and mortar building and a real investment in business. Or buy from a trusted member of one of the forums.

Good Luck there has got to be a lot of junkyards around with parts for these.

 

Is there anything wrong with the main beams on your original frame? I did this several years ago with a old 1980 4x4 I had. I looked around for another truck, but everyone wanted too much money for junk. Mine was mechanically sound, but the frame was getting bad.

What I did was go to the junkyard and they cut the back half off a little bit later frame and sold it to me for $50. My main frame members were good enough to use, except it was getting very thin at the back pass side around the rear leaf spring hanger/bracket. All my cross members were shot.

So what I did was pull my bed, and drilled and chiseled all the rivets out and took all my cross members out except there was one that was not too bad and I left it in place to hold things together. I then did the same to the $50 frame section, and then bolted all the $50 frame better cross members into my old frame.

At the rear section that was thin, I took a section of the $50 frame main rail in the same area and cut it off. I then cut the top of the "C" off and made this new good section into a "L". I then slipped it in on the inside of the original frame "C" to double it up. There are so many bolts back there (used to be the rivets) that hold the cross members and the spring mounts in that section, along with the trailer hitch, I didn't even weld it in place. I just inserted the modified "L" piece and then reamed the original mounting holes and when I bolted everything back in place the new doubled up section wasn't going anywhere.

Of course I cleaned and painted everything up. I used to have several pictures of this operation on this site, but the site did an update and I lost them.

 

Might check CL parts, when I checked my area a week or so ago I found 2 short bed frames, 1 a stripped frame the other a roller.
I got crazy for a day or 2 for another project but have dropped that as I like my wife LOL

You might get lucky and find someone on here that has a frame willing to give it away, just pay shipping, yes I gave a long bed frame away I was not going to use.
Also don't limit the look to just 150 4x2 trucks the 250 frames are a little thicker but will work, not sure on the 350 other than thicker yet.
The 250 4x4 trucks have different front suspensions, leaf springs, so you cant bolt yours in. The rear spring hangers may be wider than the 150 and would need to be swapped out for 150 ones.
I think the 350 4x4 is leaf spring also and don't think would work also?
Now you could bolt your body on the 250 / 350 truck frames / running gear and have a 250/350 truck but the door sticker for weight would still be for the 150 truck.
A body swap is not that big a deal, well to me as I did a frame off rebuild on my truck.

On the thin rear cab cross member if the cab is lifted up / off you could plate it, weld a plate across the cross member, and put the cab back down on it.
Most of the time they go bad where the mounts are so a big washer type plate would work. Think others have done it this way.

There is a member on another Ford truck site that had the same issue as you on a 4x4 frame and finding a good one was out of reach.
Projects - 1980 F150 4x4 Flareside Project
He came across a later truck with a good frame but bad body, he also did not like the later body style. The only thing that is different on the later frames and ours is the vary front where the bumper bolts to.
What he did was cut the front "horns" off both trucks and graft the 80-86 horns on the later frame so the 80-86 bumper would bolt on.
He also had to replace some of the spring hangers, you can get them new. I think he also had to do a cross member or 2.

So you have more options for looking for a frame that you may not of had before.
Good luck and keep us posted and ask questions if need you have them.
Dave ----

ps might want to fill out your profile for your location as it will help us help you on finding parts for you.

 

Hey Dave, I know that guy!!

How I describe the 1995 donor frame truck is not that it had a "good frame", but it had a better rusty frame...lol.

The whole point is this though...if you can weld, it really opens up the options for finding a replacement frame. 1980-1996 is 17 model years, so it gives you an extra decade of frames that can be used on the Bullnose trucks. It also means that you can have more options for replacement crossmembers.

Everything is rusted to pieces around here...

Anyway, I removed the cab and fuel tank crossmembers and patched them up. I welded plates over the rust holes and added some extra plating and bracing where I could. At this point, my rebuilt crossmembers are as good as new, if not slightly stronger again.

The 1987-1991 frames are almost a direct swap for the 1980-1986 frames. They have the same front frame horns, just without bolt holes for the Bullnose bumper. All you have to do is drill holes for the bumper, and you're done. Everything else is the same.

The 1992-1996 frames are also almost the same. In 1992 they boxed in the front ends of the frame rails to add crumple zones. Others have done this before me, and in different ways, but I cut the ends of the 1995 frame off, and welded on a set of Bullnose frame horns (that I cut off a 1986 F150) at the junkyard. It looks a little goofy with no bumper, but once the bumper is installed nobody will know the difference.

 

Thanks Cory for adding to this as it is always best to hear from one that has done the work
Dave ----

 

I say replace it, trying to graft piece it together is going to be a LOT of work