I have an idea.... will this work???

[that stinky ford]

Look at my sig. It is a reg. cab long box, and it is pretty rusty. The cab has a long history of shady body work, and its second (atleast) set of rockers and cab corners are going to $hit. No passenger side floor. A new cab would be easier. How ridiculous of an idea is it to go from SCLB to ECSB (ext.cab short box)??? In other words, how much longer is an ext cab than a standard cab, and how much shorter is a short bed? Is ford short bed 6' or 6.5'?

 

[NO_SPRK]

Short beds are 6.5 feet usually.. problem with your idea is the frame...

Ext cab frames don't kick up till after the cab. A single cab truck kicks up sooner so it would hit the bed.

Ive always wanted a 2wd ext cab shortbed idi zf5

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

 

[franklin2]

I have never done it before, but have heard you can retro fit a longer cab on a regular cab frame if you use a body lift on the longer cab that lifts the cab high enough to clear the kick-up in the regular cab frame. But then your bed options will be mostly a custom length flatbed.

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

Go extended cab and then just go with a flatbed, or if you really like your rig for sentimental reasons and you have more time than money, look around and find yourself a nice single cab to start with and keep it original. I've done lots of rust repair from my days back in Cleveburg, and all I can say is the cleaner a cab you start with, the happier you'll be in the long run.

Good luck, whether you end up with a single or super cab

 

[asmith]

people have done it, just takes work.like was said the frames a little different so it can interfere. some memeber on here went to a crew cab with a super short bed. forget his name though. i will go look for it.

edit: found it. his name is gingrass179

here is his thread. http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?56310-got-a-lil-start-this-last-week&highlight=

 

[Iowa 73]

Part it out and get an extended cab. You'll be time and money ahead.

 

[that stinky ford]

I was thinking of using body lift to help the ext cab meet the kick in the frame. The problem is, I have more time than money. A flatbed would be OK. It will be left alone for now. The cab isn't too bad, but it will need to be scrapped after a few more MN winters.

 

[lindstromjd]

I was thinking of using body lift to help the ext cab meet the kick in the frame. The problem is, I have more time than money. A flatbed would be OK. It will be left alone for now. The cab isn't too bad, but it will need to be scrapped after a few more MN winters.

3 words: Southern Body Panels (i.e. trucks from the South). Just get a good, REAL rust free truck and prep it properly to handle the northern winters. Keep the body clean and the undercarriage well-oiled and your truck will outlast you.

 

[laserjock]

If I were going to do this (and actually am thinking about making my ext. cab a crew cab) I would do it at stock height and cut the cab floor to accept the channels. I think that's been pretty much the consensus on doing the ext. cab to crew cab swap. Should be the same idea I think. They stretch the frame between the front cab mount and the rear cab mount for the longer cab trucks I believe.

Edit: You will probably have to remove the crossmember the cab bolts to and mod it or fab one entirely. It just a.) wont be in the right spot and b.) will not be shaped right.


I know from reg to ext. cab that's where it's at. I've got one of each right now.

 

[riotwarrior]

Reg cab to SC cab can be done tricky but DOABLE...lots depends on body lift laws in your state. Different here for me.

I'm embarking on this some time...when..no one knows, I've measured and remeasured and done that at least a dozen times and as far as I can tell, without actually setting the Super cab onto the reg cab frame, a body lift of the FRONT cab and rad support mounts is required.

Then make OUTBOARD frame mounts like the forward cab mount for the rear cab mount and use a stock height rubber pad there. Drill the holes in the body and bolt through to the mount...level and square up cab then...set that mounts position on frame, by drilling holes and bolting that outside frame body mount platform to the frame...

This has been my plan and bypasses the cross member in the factory location.

This should be adequate to provide decent clearance over fuel tank and frame Z section where it kicks up at rear of cab...

Hope this suggestion helps...got questions on my theory, I've got a reg cab on frame here now and a super cab off frame and frame sitting under it completely able to measure them both.

BTW super cab is bout 17" longer than reg cab IIRC..

JM2CW

Al

 

[that stinky ford]

Thanks for the input, and I aint sure about the laws here in MN, but my #1 concern would be safety and structural integrity. I MAY just be a stupid kid, but I am NOT the kind of person to goober-weld a cab to a frame, because its "easier". Hey linstrom, good to see you on here, I'm Ham Laker on PSN. This website is obviously better for us IDI nuts.

 

[lindstromjd]

Thanks for the input, and I aint sure about the laws here in MN, but my #1 concern would be safety and structural integrity. I MAY just be a stupid kid, but I am NOT the kind of person to goober-weld a cab to a frame, because its "easier". Hey linstrom, good to see you on here, I'm Ham Laker on PSN. This website is obviously better for us IDI nuts.

Oh, hey. Both sites have their advantages. Definitely more IDI traffic here. But no PSD traffic, so that's why I'm on PSN and FTE.

As far as MOST states, you can take your truck in to the DMV and tell them you used a different truck to repair the rust on yours, and they should just give it an inspection and give you their blessing. You shouldn't NEED a title for another truck, but it doesn't hurt.

 

[gingrass179]

Oh, hey. Both sites have their advantages. Definitely more IDI traffic here. But no PSD traffic, so that's why I'm on PSN and FTE.

As far as MOST states, you can take your truck in to the DMV and tell them you used a different truck to repair the rust on yours, and they should just give it an inspection and give you their blessing. You shouldn't NEED a title for another truck, but it doesn't hurt.

To go from regular to extended or extended to crew you have to re title. Or vice versa...notching the cab around the frame is the harder way I believe. That's what I did the first time. Now I took a 4 door long and cut down the frame and re did my driveshaft electrical brake and fuel lines and bed of course...my opinion the better way to go. But if you have to cut the cab and make new mounts just in rivet the old body mount crossmember move it back to desired new position weld in place

 

[93blklightning]

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

I built mine. I took a 1992 F-150 extended cab short bed and fit it to a 1992 F-250 7.3 regular cab longbed chassis. I installed an extra crossmember, fabricated from a 4" stick of channel steel, dropped the front fuel tank 2",cut 5" out of the overall lenght of the bed from the front, installed a 3" body lift so the cab would clear contour in the frame for the reg cab(had to trim up rear mounts to match body lines with the bed), installed poly cab mounts, trimmed up the fan shroud to fit, and fabbed a new 4wd shifter from a piece of 1/2" bar stock