1999-2007 General QuestionsGeneral questions related to 1999-2007 Super Duty trucks. If it doesn't fit the other categories, post it here. Gas engine discussion that pertains to all models is allowed. Specific gas engine questions should use the Gas Engines forum.
I've been tossing around the idea of pulling the flatbed off my 450 and going to a standard dually bed, but i'm still up in the air. I kind of like the new dodge dually beds with the small fenders. what do you guys think of using a standard bed and building a set of fenders in the same style?
There are pro outfits that will mount a pickup bed on a chassis cab frame, but it's a huge task and therefore not cheap. For example, if you order a new F-450 chassis cab from a Ford dealer, and drop-ship the new truck to one of those upfitters to have the pickup bed added, the conversion will cost you about $5,000 to $6,000. Before Ford came out with the F-450 pickup in 2008 model year, that was a popular conversion, so there are lots of pre-2008 F-450 pickups on the road.
The problem is the frame for a chassis cab and for a pickup are much different. Your F-450 has a straight frame that is narrower than a pickup frame, and it sticks out further past the rear axle. A pickup frame has a hump over the rear axle that the chassis cab frame doesn't have. The result is the mounting hardware is completely different. Trying to fabricate all the hardware you'll need to mount the pickup bed on your chassis cab frame is a real chore. And you'll probably need to chop off a foot or so of frame from the rear end of the chassis.
Another problem is the cab-to-axle (CA) measurement. When you mount a pickup bed on a chassis cab frame so the rear fenders are in the right position, there will be about a 3.8" gap betwen the cab and the front of the bed. That's because the CA of a longbed pickup is 56.2" while the CA of most chassis cabs is 60". Some converters have a fiberglass filler to fill the gap, but they don't like to sell those except with the full conversion project. One way to fill that gap is to fabricate a big "headache rack" to mount to the frame between the cab and bed.
One of our members, WeWeld in SoCal, fixed the CA problem on his F-450 chassis cab the hard way. He chopped 3.8" out of the middle of his frame to result in the right CA for a pickup bed. Plus he chopped some off the tail end of the frame. He drove his F-450 pickup conversion to a truck rally at Lake Texoma a few years ago, so I got to see the results of his handiwork. But he's a pro welder, so you probably shouldn't try that at home.
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My Sierra Blanca in the sig pic was a great pickup for 11.5 years. I sold it last year. Replacement is a 2012 F-150 EcoBoost SuperCrew Lariat.
Last edited by SmokeyWren; 10-10-2008 at 08:59 AM.
The idea of an expanded headache rack that goes all the way to the bottom of the bedside sounds appealing. You wouldn't need a toolbox, you could store all your stuff in there...
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02 SWB CC 4x4 auto, AIS, DPTunerF5, FTVB, 4" Banks Monster SS Exhaust, HPOXover, AirDog, Amsoil ByPass, Centramatics
Last edited by blackout; 10-10-2008 at 09:04 AM.
Reason: typo >>bed box to toolbox
well, the fabrication isn't such an issue (after gettig a new body style F150 to lay frame on 22's) it's more of the aesthetic value. I've seen the 99 450's with the bed conversions, and they look like the run of the mill duallys, minus the bigger rims. the extended length of the bed i wouldn't mind, roll some sheet metal and move the bulkhead, possibly end up with close to a 10' box like the other dodge
One of our members, WeWeld in SoCal, fixed the CA problem on his F-450 chassis cab the hard way. He chopped 3.8" out of the middle of his frame to result in the right CA for a pickup bed. Plus he chopped some off the tail end of the frame. He drove his F-450 pickup conversion to a truck rally at Lake Texoma a few years ago, so I got to see the results of his handiwork. But he's a pro welder, so you probably shouldn't try that at home.
I've been a welder for 14 years now. i think i can handle it
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