So basically I'm looking at getting my self a new work truck as my current one is no longer heavy duty enough for how much I've expanded my business. I really want a crew cab long bed 7.3 power stroke SRW 4x4 as I already have one I've been doing a frame off restoration on so I'm very familiar with the motor and truck all together. However my problem is that a cleanER, lowER miles crew cab long bed 7.3 power stroke SRW 4x4 fetches quite a pretty penny. So I decided that instead of buying my ideal truck of a "crew cab long bed 7.3 power stroke SRW 4x4" I would just build it instead for a fraction of the price. I plan to take a crew cab long bed 2wd dually and just swap over a Sterling 10.25 and single wheel 8' bed to convert the back half and then I was going to do the 05' 06' 07' Dana 60 front axle swap so the truck will sit on coil springs up front to help with my turning radius and ride quality then throw a zf5 or zf6 4x4 transmission so I have functioning 4x4.

That is the plan in my head but the main question I have about the swap is.....

Is the crew cab long bed dually frame different than the crew cab long bed SRW frames? In length, width, mounts for leaf springs/shocks/other stuff?

Has anyone done this before and or does anyone have any input? I've done a fail amount of searching but it all pertained to the 99+ SD's trying to do the swap and no one seamed to have any real results or knowledge that I could find at least.

Thank you anyone for any input!


Below is an example of a truck I would be converting to SRW 4x4.

 

^ Thats exactly what my truck was when I bought it new.

 

Gorgeous truck, I'm really not a fan of lifted duallies at all, but yours is one of maybe 3 I'd actually love to own one day! Any idea if the frames are the same? I'm assuming since you converted it to 4x4 with what looks to be on leafs that the front frame is the same as a SRW?

 

Thanks. Yes, converted to 4x4 on leafs, just as would be stock, except for the lift. I just dropped it down about 6" with suspension and tire changes. Was getting tired of climbing!
Yes, frames are the same as far as I know.

 

Hey I don't blame ya especially if that's your daily. My daily sits about as high as a stock OBS F350 4x4 and somtimes at the end of a long hot summer day of work even that is too high! Just can't wait to see what kind of pole vaulting I'll have to do in a few years once my project truck is finally finished and lifted about 10" and on 40's!

 

Here it is at 10" on 38s. And fortunately it's never been my daily! No way I could take driving it every day and it'd have way more than 59,000 miles on it. Good luck with your build!

 

I do like that truck Brian.

 

Wow! 59,000! That's just unheard of, thank you! You as well with your build, they're never done, there's always something you find yourself wanting to do to them at some point!

 

Frames ARE different from 2wd to 4wd.

The difference lies at the front frame horns. The 4wd is boxed for the front shackle. The 2wd is not boxed so you would need to do that if going leaf springs. SKY Manufacturing sells the pieces to work with their RSK.

Next. You do NOT want a sterling 10.25 if you plan on going to 05 front axle, you would also want a 05+ corresponding rear axle with the matching bolt pattern. Dont forget, you will need to MAKE a front track bar bracket for the 05+ front axle as well.

Then there is the functioning part of the 4wd. You will need a 4wd trans, T-case, driveshafts and correct linkage as well.

Dont forget a CLEAN SRW bed. They are over a grand(then the paint to match)

have you seen what decent crewcab dually are selling for these days, I would almost have to have the 4wd parts for free to even consider doing the conversion
I am doing this almost exact conversion on a 97 F250 supercab short bed. But I only paid 2,000 for a clean rust free georgia truck and have the matching dana 60, rebuilt E4OD, 4407 t-case for free

 

I didn't think the front not being boxed on the 2wd frame as that big of a deal. Figure anyone planning on a diy 4x conversion would figure how to handle that. The track bar is an option, mine hasn't had one for 40,000 miles. It would be necessary with the shackles in the front of the spring like the stock set up.

 

I think the track bar comment was pointed toward the 05 coil conversion in which it would be needed

 

^ Yeah good point

 

boxing the frame to accept the spring mount is not necessary with the 05 front axle, since the 05 uses coil springs.

 

as others have said you will need front and rear axle from the 05 up to make wheels fit the same
and on rear the frame is the same as long as its a pickup truck not a C&C truck

 

I know the whole leaf spring 4x4 conversion would be a heck of a lot easier but I really want to gain the turning radius the coil springs will provide me.

Where I'm located I've sourced a few bone stock lower millage dually's that are rust free and straight with no major body issues except the beds are all smacked up/rear fenders broken up, but that's not an issue for me as I plan on swapping it to SRW anyways, and their interiors are less then pristine, which is also not a problem is i have a set of nice leather lariat seats already fitted for an OBS to go in the truck along with every interior trim pieces imaginable to replace the ones that aren't good on whatever truck I purchase. I can get a truck like that around me for just as much as I could spend to get a 348k rusted out S*** box with the only selling point for the truck is "Well don't you know it's a 7.3!! This thing is the best darn motor in the world she'll run a MILLION MILES and then some plus its 4x4 and everyone knows 4x4=GET LAID *PUTS IN A DIP AND WINKS AT COUSIN*"

The only thing I don't already have is the 4x4 transmission and transfercase and drive shafts. Figured when that time came I could just find a guy parting a crew cab long bed out and scoop them up as I don't need the 4x4 to actually work till next winter now. I already have a rust free SRW bed I fixed up for a total of $250 with patch panels (if it lasts a few years then I'll talk about spending the coin on an actual rust free one that isn't patched up) and the 05' front axle and a Sterling 10.25 with matching gear ratios. I'm sure I can get the 05' rear axle from the guy I got the front axle from for free as well or an extremely good price at that but just curious why you suggest going with a 10.5 like what the Superduty's had instead of a 10.25? I know the 10.5 has the disc's but then to compensate for that I'd need to swap out proportioning valves and if I'm going that far I may as well swap to hydro boost the truck, which don't get me wrong is on the list of to do's for this truck but was just out of my budget for right now.

Aside from the disc brakes why would you swap the 10.5 instead of 10.25? I was told it is actually a less strong axle then the 10.25.

Edit: I see what you ment by that with the different lug patterns. I had planned on getting some new rims and tires once its 4x4 converted so was just going to order two set of rims for front and 2 for rear. Is this a dumb Idea? I know it's probably not ideal as I can no longer rotate tires front to rear and it poses an issue if I get a flat needing two spares but aside from just being dumb and not matching the lug patterns is there any real issue with running two different lug patterns that I'm over looking?

As far as the track bar bracket I've seen a few online for the coil spring axle swap for our obs's but If it came down to it I can just fabricate and weld one up. I may even make my own link bars for the 4 link as well as practice as I'm doing the same axle swap on my other truck but that one is getting 10ish inches of lift.