72 body swaped on 78 frame any input

[youngone]

Hello I have a 72 f100 and I think I would like to put the body on a 78 f150. That way I get all the options like duel gas tanks cab tank delete and disk brakes and the 31 spline rear end. I know the cab forward is a direct bolt on and the box is a little tougher but I was thinking of welding tabs on the frame to bolt the box on with. I was thinking of moving the box forward 1 inch and getting new leaf springs for the rear with the center hole drilled 1 inch forward. That way the rear tire is in the centre of the opening still. I don't know about the driveshaft needing to be shortened or not.
So I am looking for any info, tips or tricks anyone is willing to share good or bad.
PS the 78 has a 400 with a c6 in it that will stay for now.

Thanks in advance. Pat.

[youngone]

No one has any input positive or negative. So this is a good swap to do?
Does the master cylinder stay with the 78? And does it bolt up to the 72 or do you need anything else?

[sargentrs]

Haven't seen many done here but here's something that might help you make a decision. http://www.fordification.com/tech/chass ... arison.htm

[70 ranger]

I put my body on a 95 chassis. I think the frame width at the back is the same as what you are trying to do. Not sure though. I ran two by two square stock across the frame rails. I could then bolt the box to the square stock using the boxes original holes. One of the things that I encountered with my tanks was the height of them. They sat a little higher than the frame, not flush with it. To tackle this I got some plastic blocks from a body lift kit and ran them through a table saw to lift the box up a bit. The other challenge I had was the routing of the tank filler necks and vent lines. The front tank could use the auxiliary tanks cut out in the box side from the 70, but with the rear tank I had to get creative. I ended up putting a 95 gas door on the inside of the box in the rear of the wheel well. They are both flat and where easy to install. This gives the truck a fairly stock look from the outside and a bit of a custom touch when you look in the box. The newer tanks had internal vent tubes (inside the filler hose) so I got a rad shop to solder some new spigots in my tanks.
I am not sure if these are problems you will encounter or not, but thought I would mention it as it's easier to check out those potential problems now rather than later. Good luck!

[youngone]

Thanks Sargentrs, I have looked at that.

Thanks 70 Ranger I was thinking of the 95 to 96 frames as well but I have a 78 sitting here. So I might as well use it. Did the front end and cab bolt right on or was there modifications to make it fit? Do you have a link to your project or some pictures?

Thanks.. Pat.

[70 ranger]

I got it that you are using the 78. Just pointing out a few things to check before you dive into it. Just wasn't sure about how the tanks where compared to the older box. The front end of my truck was more work to swap than what you are doing I think, but not to complicated. I didn't take too many pictures of my project, I think I was too busy doing the work! I did have a photobucket link here but it doesn't seem to be working now. If you want some specific pictures I can take some for you.

[youngone]

70 Ranger,
I had thought about getting a 96 to swap the 72 onto but have the 78 sitting here. I had a 96 a few years back and liked the ride so thought of going that way. May do one down the road after this one is done.
Thanks for the pointers I really appreciate it.

[mrtleavitt]

I had a '69 F100 swb that I swapped onto a '74 F100 swb. Everything was pretty straight forward. The cab was a direct bolt on. As for the extra length of the frame on the '74, I drilled out the rivets for all of the leaf spring perches/hangers and then moved them forward the difference (I think it was just an inch if I remember correctly). The rear wheels now sit directly in the middle of the wheel wells. The rear bumper mounts also needed a bit of customization to get to fit right. Other than that everything else fit fine. Let me know if you got any questions.