Whats Differance?

[firemedicmonkey]

I got a 1993 F-250 4x4 and I found a super clean southern bed off of a 1989...

Car-part.com says they don't interchange, so whats the difference(s)?

Thanks

 

[Fordsandguns]

I thought they were the same. I've seen a 97 on an 89 or 90 so I think it will fit.

 

[The Warden]

Should bolt right on not sure why they said it won't interchange...

 

[The Warden]

i know beds from 80-97 will for sure

FWIW I don't know if they bolt up or not, but I saw an '87-'91 bed on a '70's pickup frame, and I also saw a SuperDuty bed on an '80-'86 truck

No pics of the '70's truck, but I snapped a couple pictures of the other one...

 

[LCAM-01XA]

I got a 1993 F-250 4x4 and I found a super clean southern bed off of a 1989...

Car-part.com says they don't interchange, so whats the difference(s)?

Thanks

No difference, it will bolt right up to your truck. This is the case with all '87-'97 beds. An '80-'86s will also work, but the wheel well lines will be off as the '80-'86 trucks have slightly more squared arch over the wheels, while the '87-'97 are more rounded. When you get the '89 bed, you can use its own tail lights, or you can swap your current ones in, either way will work so it's just a matter of personal preference.

 

[The Warden]

They will bolt up. My 86 (the one in the picture) had a 97 bed on it. Molly has a 97 bed also. IT WORKS

Sorry if my earlier post was worded a bit strangely. I was simply pointing out that people have swapped pre-'80 or post-'97 beds onto '80-'97 trucks. Maybe I didn't go about it correctly, but I was trying to support your statement that any '80-'97 bed will fit.

For that matter, any cab from '80 to '97 will fit any frame from the same time period (with the exception of the '97 F-150), and other than some issues with the '92-'97 bumper, same with any front clip.

More information that the OP was asking for, but it might be valuable to someone who finds this thread in a future search...

 

[towcat]

here's a guy who grafted a chebby dually bed onto his ford......

 

[Sycostang67]

The only other difference I have noticed is that at some point they went from using 8 bolts for a long bed to only 6. I swapped a 1990 bed on my 1985 truck. The 85 used 8 bolts, but the 90 only used 6.

 

[The Warden]

here's a guy who grafted a chebby dually bed onto his ford......

THAT'S a new one but to each his own...

The only other difference I have noticed is that at some point they went from using 8 bolts for a long bed to only 6. I swapped a 1990 bed on my 1985 truck. The 85 used 8 bolts, but the 90 only used 6.

Just wondering, which two bolts did they eliminate?

 

[Sycostang67]

Two of the middle ones.

 

[Slade]

My '94 only had 6 bolts in the bed but when I got some camper tie downs they came with two more carriage bolts and the measurements to drill the bed, the frame already had the holes. I wonder how much Ford thinks they saved by eliminating 2 bolts?