ok guys, i have a 79 short bed and its 2x2 drive. it was my first truck and i always planned on lowerin it and goin for the whole slammed look. but recently ive had a change of heart and really want a big, mean lookin truck and what better than the 78/79 body style fords. the body is in nearly perfect condition with very few rust spots and a couple small dings. I was wonderin what year model 4x4 frames my truck will bolt onto, i know the 73-79, but are there any other bodystyles. and am i gettin in over my head? i know all the work involved cause me and my dad swapped bodies on his 85.

thanks guys

 

try getting a 75-77 frame, these are the best yr,s as they have disc brake frt. diff. and is the stronger frt. axel than the 78/79's. you also don't want the 80 and newer as they have the ttb set up, which isn't as strong as a strait axel, and is much more expensive to lift

 

I would say the perfect one to get is a 77. Putting it on a frame is the easiest way. The 77 has 1 piece front axle tubes, whereas the 78-79s had some collar on it. The steering is not as good as the 78-79s, though. Other than that, most of the years are very similar. Dana 44, 9", 203 or 205 Tcases...

 

The 79 and earlier 4x2 trucks can not be switched to a 4x4 with out modifing the front of the frame. All the 4x4 truck frames are different for the model truck in question. Just get a parts truck and swap your body over. Thats the easiest thing to do.

The 80 and up trucks share the same frame both 4x2 and 4x4 trucks so one can swap a 4x2 to a 4x4 by bolting parts on. Now the F150, F250 TTb axle parts can not be swapped between each other. They both have different mounting points on the frames.

 

yeah thats my plan, find a good chassis and swap my body over. one more thing, when lookin for a good frame, what areas should i really check. for example, are there any problems areas that i need to look for


thanks for the help guys

 

Most of the rust will show up on the rear of the frame first. Most of the time the engine leaks oil and ends up keeping the front frame in good shape. the next question will be is a short bed 4x4 and the frame you need the same size?

 

look around the steering box and other high stress areas for cracks. How common is it for a frame to rust enough to cause damage to it? just wondering.

 

i know how to go about checking the frame and all, im more worried about things such as the transfer case and front axle. one more thing, slash said somethin about the sterring components, if i find a a good chassis will the sterring from 79 be interchangable with the the new 4x4 chassis?

 

my 4x4 frame that I started with was rusted through above the rear shock mounts.