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it has been for years but I have to say it's getting tighter. I'm not seeing what I used to in volume or cheap prices. maybe the good 'ol days are over. as far as cutting your bed down I've seen guys do that and it works out pretty nice. chevy guys do it all the time.
I have an engine and tranny to put in it. if it wasn't the same rig in the same color I already own I would have done something already. rust free roller high boy for $3500 ?
I know the 90's obs 8ft beds can be reskinned for the dents. Could you do a obs shortbed and cut down some aftermarket dent quarters to fit? Seems like if you gotta do a bunch of custom work it'd be better to do it to a more available bed than cut up a good original, just in case it doesn't work out.
I know the 90's obs 8ft beds can be reskinned for the dents. Could you do a obs shortbed and cut down some aftermarket dent quarters to fit? Seems like if you gotta do a bunch of custom work it'd be better to do it to a more available bed than cut up a good original, just in case it doesn't work out.
Yes, you can use a bed up to 1996. LMC will sell you every part. There was an episode on Stacy David's "Gearz" show that purported to show that being done.
There's actually a place n 8 found online the sells southern obs short beds skinned with 78/79 panels and an aftermarket tailgate BUT they are $4500 I think it said.
Found this picture. OK, I get that 89" minus 73" is 16" difference. I even understand that behind the fenders is 22-1/4" on both, that wheel openings are 40-1/2" on both the LB and SB, Add those figures gets 62-3/4" But the SB front portion 22-1/4" plus the 16" difference in bed length of LB front section is 38-1/4" ... not the 36" shown. If I add the SB numbers, I get 84" If I add the LB numbers, I get 98-3/4". Subtracting one from the other gets me to 14-3/4", and not 16". Just mildly curious. I have no doubt but that they do differ by 16" ... or do they?
The 89" and 73" figures are correct for what they show, a 16" difference ahead of the fender opening. SB has 117" WB, LB has 133" WB. Like a picture hanging not straight on yonder wall, it just struck me. I once long ago took a 1/25 scale model (AMT I think) of a F-150 and shortened the bed by the same 16" but in scale (0.64" actual) ... it looked pretty good. I was helping a then young nephew build it. No question though, 16" is the actual difference (I only bolded that so as to not further confuse anyone) ... so just remove the 16".
Take 16" out of the frame to obtain the factory SB wheelbase of 116.8. Now, take a look at the relevant dimensions of the bed. Unlike a bump side, we only have to make one incision and that is in the area forward of the wheel well. The pictures posted above are a bit tricky in that they are in different directions.
The long bed is shown as 36" wheel well to front of bed. The short bed is shown as 21.25" for the equivalent area. Subtracting 21.25 from 36 we get 14.75" which is 1.25" different. We need to dig a little deeper.
The definitive info source for this kind of stuff is the 1976 Ford Truck Body Builder's Layout Book which can be consulted here. Both long and short beds are described.
The figure to look at is L6 (rear axle to cab) which is 56.2 for LB and 40.0 for SB. The difference there is 16.2" which is what needs to be removed from the front part of the bed sheet metal. Where to make that cut should consider cross members and mounting bolt holes. Thus, I would cut and weld the frame first and then decide where to remove that 16" from the bed. The fractional differences give us a little slop which is a good thing to be aware of.
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