Hello. I am new to this site and to the '53-'56 Ford pickups. I recently aqquired a '56 F250 Longbed. The truck is in pretty good shape for it's age. I would like to basically convert it to a shortbed F100. Do the IFS swaps, kits etc work on the F250s or just the f100s? Should I have the frame shortened or just get an F100 frame and bed and put the IFS on that frame? Any help or advice would be appreciated.

 

There should be F-100 short box fraames around. It would be a lot easier to move your cab, etc. to the frame that fits what you want.

 

Most definately get an F-100 frame and box.. You can probably sell the F-250 frame and bed to someone else as they are very rare... Like me for instance... I'll take it! Please tell me you're in Florida.

 

I'm in Kansas. In Kansas when the frame is changed you have to go to the highway patrol and get it inspected and get a new Kansas VIN plate.

 

yep, frame swap time, from the back of the cab forward is the same as the f100 (except emblems and springs), however its a lot different out back, good luck, the mod wouldn't be to hard so probably depends on budget and skill

on a very selfish note, any chance your getting rid of those hood emblems?

sorry, good luck, keep us posted

 

Even so, it'd be easier/cheaper to just do a frame swap.. People have done it but its a lot of work to shorten the frame.. plus you'd have to find a short-bed, widen it and tub it on both sides.. If you were going to swap in an IFS with 5 lug, you might want to change the rearend to a 5-lug also.. I may be wrong but I don't think there is a 5-lug rearend that is the width of a 56 F-250 rearend... more fabricating..
Long-beds are coming back into style though... Especially slammed ones.

 

I already have a rear axle that will work. The one in the truck now is a Dana 60 with 4.56 gears. I have a 9" I pulled out of a '69 F100 that will fit. My brother is an excellent welder and fabricator so I have that covered. Jeff what do you mean by saying I'd have to find a shortbed and widen and tub it on both sides?

 

hell yeah, long and low

 

The long beds are not only longer, but they are wider also... I haven't done all the measuring and math, but I would only assume that you would need to have the short bed the same width as the long bed... The long beds have tubs for the wheel wells, and short beds don't.. If you have to widen the short bed, you'd have to tub it as well. Again, I haven't measured it, and I'm not really sure why the longbed is wider and what else that affects.. you might be able to get along with a standard shortbed if you get a standard width rear-end as well...

 

fiftysixfordF250,

Here are some measurements from John Niolon's page that will help you compare the overall frame dimensions. Hope this helps.

6 1/2' bed

8' bed

Frame dimensions

Good Luck!

 

The long bed box is approx 1" wider from what I've been told. I measured my 9" rearend a few months back and it was the same as my F250s Dana 60. The cabs are the same, and from I've been told the frame widths are the same. I need to look at an F100 in person and do some checking.

 

Fatfords: that was very helpful.

 

Ya looks like if you throw a F-100 rearend in there you can get away with a short bed. of coarse you'll have to get some f-100 running boards... but you could probably sell the F-250 running boards for the same price as new short boards, if they are in good shape

 

Jeff: yeah they are fixable. They have a few holes but are still sound. If I go through with this plan I will sell all of the leftovers on EBAY. The bed is actually in pretty good shape, I just prefer the look of the shortbed. From the pictures that Fatfords sent it looks like the 250 bed sticks out a bit and the 100 bed sits inward slightly.

 

Yea the fenders stick out much farther on a longbed... I like that!.. You can actually buy 3" wider fenders to have them stick out like an F-250 on a short box.

The long beds are growing on me... but what I don't like is the ugly stake pocket right over the fender.. I think I'm going to remove those..