1948-52 Ford Truck Frame Swap

Mounting a 48-52 F-2/F-3 body
onto a 74-79 F-250 Supercab Frame

By: Nathan Sampson- AKA 51dueller

Every once in a while we get a post in the 48-60 forum about putting their truck body onto a newer frame. There are several people that have but they are mainly the 53-56 series truck and are pretty much undocumented. That is an easier swap since the frame is 34" front to back while our 48-52 goes from 32" to 34". A lot of people use a frame from a 65-72 since it has a 34" width and is easily upgraded to disc brakes and power steering. The problem with that frame is the bed will sit 3" higher if you mount the cab the same way I did but you can make it work by raising the cab. Now here comes why I used a '78 F-250 Supercab frame, it comes with factory disc brakes, power steering and has the same frame shape as the 67-72 but since it's a extended cab truck the frame is long enough to cut out the 3" raised portion. The main difference is the 73-79 frames widened out to 37.5" in the rear which I will show you how to fix later on. When this article is done you will have a good riding truck that will sit about stock height. If you want to have your truck sitting 2" off the ground you are better off with IFS from one of the many aftermarket suppliers. The difficulty of this project is 8.5 on a scale of 10. It will take about 150 to 250 hours depending on your skill level.

Tools Required:
3/8 and 1/2 socket sets up to 1 1/4"
Wrenches to 1 1/4"
Reciprocating saw with blades rated for metal over 1/4"
4-5" angle grinder with lots of cutting and grinding discs
24oz hammer
7/8 cold chisel and 1/2 punch
750 rpm 1/2 drill (anything faster you will go through a lot of drill bits)
1/16 to 3/4 drill bit set
Hole Saw set
Welder capable of welding over 1/4" plate
7' - 2" x 3" x 3/16" Angle Iron
3' - 3" x 1" C Channel
5' - 2" x 6" x 3/16" Rectangular tubing
Now lets get started.

For a complete Word .doc file of this article click here.
This is a large file and takes a little time to load.

First step would to find a suitable donor like mine. It doesn't have to look very pretty as long as the chassis is sound. Make sure there isn't any frame damage and the front suspension isn't bent out of shape.

Next strip the truck down to nothing but the frame. We won't be using much from the body so you can sell the parts to recoup some of the purchase price. Save all the brake line fittings as you will need them later. Remove the gas tanks and the crossmembers except the main support between the front spring hangers. To remove the rivets I like to cut two slots in the head the hit it with the chisel. This removes the head so you can use the punch to remove the rest of the rivet

Here you can see the 3" rise that will be cut out.

On to page 2

Last updated on April 22, 2010