ok well i found a guy on this web site that convered a 1980 model into the 1996 front end on a f-150 and a tail gate also i was just tryin to find it i did alot of searches to find it no luck because i am doin the same to my truck and i need to ask him a few questions about my tailgate thanks trevor

 

Been there, just completed both swaps, what do you want to know?

 

I have a 1984 Ford F350 2wd cab chassis with twin I-beam suspension. My upcoming engine swap requires more engine bay clearance and so I would like to convert to a one-piece dropped axle. And still retain the 8 on 6.5 lug pattern. Does anyone have some suggestions / part #s to work with? Thanks.

 

sycostang67 you were just the guy i was lookin for so i just got a 95 tailgate just like yours and you said in your pics it was harder to put on than you though so what do i need to do before i paint it and im still tryin to find a donor truck for the front end thanks trevor

 

Do you still have access to the donor truck for the new tailgate? Along with the TG, you will need both pivot brackets, and the latch striker bolts with the nuts that retain them. The pivot brackets are different, the newer ones have smaller cups and the mounting holes on the newer brackets are closer together. Make sure you remove the old brackets and hoop latches from your truck, as you wont need them. I used one orginal bolt on the bottom hole of each bracket, and a 1/4" bolt and nut on the top holes. You will also need to add washers underneath the brackets to get them close enough to hold the TG. I believe I used about 3-4 washers per bolt to get them close enough. Now adjust the height of the TG so it is level with the bed sides. Climb into the truck and hold the tailgate where you want it to close. I used a permanent marker to kind of eyeball and mark where the striker bolts would go. I drilled a hole that was just shy of 1/2" so I would have room to adjust the strikers. The surface where the strikers mount is kind of angled, but it still works. Mount the strikers, and adjust them so the tailgate closes properly. I wrote a tech article on this after I did my swap, it's still in the approval process though. If you need more detail or some pics, PM me with your e-mail addy and I will send you a copy.

 

no i do not i bought it at a salvage yard and the front was hit pretty good still lookin for the donor truck for the front and thanks for the help i plan on tryin this weekend

 

Well Found A Donar Front End For My Ford Is 250 High For A Entire Front End That Encludes Wiring Harness And All? And Well Have A New Question My Bed On My 81 Is Starting To Rust Out At The Finder Wheels And I Have A Plastic Bed Cover So Their Is No Telling How Much Rust Is Under Their, So I Went To The Salvage Yard And Started Talkin To The Owner And He Said That He Would Sell Me A Perfect 95 Bed For 300 Bucks Will A 95 Bed Fit On My Truck And Do You Guys Think It Will Look Good Thanks For All The Help Trevor

 

That sounds like a decent price. I managed to sell my old front end for $100, you may be able to do the same. Make sure you get the core support and the cowl panel. You wont need the inner fenders(plastic), but you will have to trim your old ones a bit to get a clean look. The only wiring you will really need is the headlight plugs to splice into your old harness(wires are the same color), and the extra marker light plugs. Your turn signal sockets and existing marker lights will plug right into the new clip. The bed will fit your truck and will ensure all your fender lines match. I probably wont get my fenders matched until next year. I'm running out of warm weather.

 

just curious sycostang67 since you had a whole donar truck why did you not put the newer bed on your truck also do you know if the 95 door panels will work the doors look the same and the windows look the same to i say this cuz my 81 door panels are junk and i am not spending that much on new ones form lmc and my side windows are a scratched up so i might just buy some used ones from the donar truck thanks trevor

 

I would have swapped beds, but my truck has an 8' bed and my donor truck has a 6' bed. Since my fenders are rusted out, I am going to weld the wheels arches from the donor bed onto mine, unless I find an 8' bed real cheap before I get that far. The doors will swap. If you want to use the 95 door panels, you will need to modify the part towards the front that will contact the dash when you try to shut the door. If you want to use the 80-86 panels on the newer doors, you have to relocate the armrest mounting bracket. All the pushtab mounting holes are in the same places though.