Chassis Swap using Ford products?

bronco77

Gear Grinder
Aug 22, 2013
7
Louisville, Ky
First Name
chris
Willys Model
  1. Pickup
Willys Year:
  1. 1955
Hello all. I've read what seems like 1000's of posts about folks who have swapped their willys onto either an s-10 or blazer frame. i'm wondering, has no tried this with an f-150 or bronco chassis? I guess I'm just partial to the ford engine selection, or maybe its the availabilty of great ford donors in my area ( you can buy a good running and driving f-150 here for $1,500 all day long). I've completed 3 frame off restorations in my time, and all of them ended up taking way longer and costing way more than I had planned. I feel like starting with a running/driving vehicle should put me miles ahead in terms of cost and time. Just think of how much time you'll save figuring out clutch linkage, brake and fuel lines, etc. Anyhow, I also am leaning towards a full size f-150 so I can utilize the finished truck to pull my trailer (something I would'nt feel comfortable pulling with an S-10 or Ranger for that matter). So, any thouhgts or build threads you can share would be appreciated. I'm set on a chassis swap b/c I bought my 55 willys as a basket case. I have no frame or running gear to start with.
 
What's the tread width, front and rear, on the Ford?
 
Welcome Chris.

You can give Jerry at Willys Truck Warehouse a call:http://www.willystruckwarehouse.com/ Tell him Dan from San Francisco sent you. Jerry's done this with a 90s Ford F250. Click here and scroll down to "Willys Xtreme Makeover:" http://www.willystruckwarehouse.com/Photo-Gallery.html I've seen this in person, and it's awesome for a custom truck. Jerry is also a forum sponsor and a very nice guy.

Here's a pic: http://www.willystruckwarehouse.com/DSCF7768.JPG
DSCF7768.JPG

Cheers,


Scramboleer AKA Dan
 
All full size pickup trucks are about the same tread width. Can't be too narrow because the pickup bed needs to be 49" wide between the wheel wells for load considerations (4x8 plywood). The full sized front axle will stick way out of the fenders because every truck manufacturer except Willys discovered that pickups did everything better when the axles were about the same width, front and rear. Some states may not allow that wide a front axle on a Jeep truck. diggerG
 
diggerG said:
All full size pickup trucks are about the same tread width. Can't be too narrow because the pickup bed needs to be 49" wide between the wheel wells for load considerations (4x8 plywood). The full sized front axle will stick way out of the fenders because every truck manufacturer except Willys discovered that pickups did everything better when the axles were about the same width, front and rear. Some states may not allow that wide a front axle on a Jeep truck. diggerG
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I'm not too concerned with the width questions. I plan on running a 35" tire - so they will stick out past the fender no matter what. I can try to adjust inward if need be with some shallow backspacing rims. In Kentucky there are no restrictions on the tire hanging out past the fender. Thanks for replying to all of you - I'll check out the thread Scramboleer provided.
 
Just checked out the link to Willys truck warehoue. that gives me great hope and is exactly what I'm looking for. He even went so far as to swap his onto a long bed Ford. I've been considering the shortbed simply becasue I have a brand new bed built to the stock length, and I'm hesitant about extending it.
 
bronco77 said:
I'm not too concerned with the width questions. I plan on running a 35" tire - so they will stick out past the fender no matter what. I can try to adjust inward if need be with some shallow backspacing rims. In Kentucky there are no restrictions on the tire hanging out past the fender. Thanks for replying to all of you - I'll check out the thread Scramboleer provided.
Click to expand...

As indicated by digger, check local laws - in some states it is ILLEGAL for the tires to extend outside of the fenders. Kentucky probably isn't in that group of states but would be better to confirm that before spending the time/money only to find out later (and get to spend more time/money to pay the fine and re-do it). [I won't go into the aesthetics of having them extend past the fenders... ;) ]
 
mathman said:
As indicated by digger, check local laws - in some states it is ILLEGAL for the tires to extend outside of the fenders. Kentucky probably isn't in that group of states but would be better to confirm that before spending the time/money only to find out later (and get to spend more time/money to pay the fine and re-do it). [I won't go into the aesthetics of having them extend past the fenders... ;) ]
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Here's a pic of my CJ with 35's and no fender flares. this vehicle got a sheriff's inspection when I finished the build, and no issues. Every high school kid around here takes a sawzall to the front end of their jeeps (looks awful) and tries to get the widest tire they can find. I guess we are just lucky in regards to tires and fender coverage.
 

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Its an 85 CJ-7 with the 4.2 - pretty standard stuff. I did have an HEI conversion, headers, yada yada yada. I say did, b/c I sold it this summer - thus the renewed interest in my Willys project!
 
There are some decent frame swaps out there. But there are many more attempted swaps that became too much work for a hobbyist builder and wind up unfinished.Think about your skills,tools and time to do a frame swap.
 
HI Chris

I know you said you were not too keen on a Ford Ranger but there is a kid on the Pirate website and he is building a Willys truck on top of a Ranger pickup chassis complete with the use of some of the Ranger cab floor and all of the running gear. I am going to try to give you the link.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/jeep-willys/1379730-mutt-54-willys-pickup-build.html

I also have an empty Willys cab at home and I am also trying to figure out something to put under mine also.

Good luck with your search....and please bring us along for the ride...

MikeC
 
hi all, I've seen a bunch of stuff out there on frame swaps for 47-53 chevy pickups, but not too much on frame swaps for ford pickups. I'm thinking of picking up a 53-56 f1 and wanted to try to get some info on possible frames swaps. can anybody help like vehicletreat? thanks a million, I appreciate it.
 
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Anyone considered an explorer, ranger or sport trac, then bolt in a wider rear axle?
 
mainey... said:
hi all, I've seen a bunch of stuff out there on frame swaps for 47-53 chevy pickups, but not too much on frame swaps for ford pickups. I'm thinking of picking up a 53-56 f1 and wanted to try to get some info on possible frames swaps. can anybody help? thanks a million, I appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Google ford explorer frame swap and a ton of stuff comes up for the f1 pickups on those frames

1953 F-100 on Explorer Chassis - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

1948 - 1956 F1, F100 & Larger F-Series Trucks - 1953 F-100 on Explorer Chassis - Ive been waiting a long time to start posting anything about my truck. I wanted to get pretty far along so that people see this is real and will be a completed running truck. So many of these rigs never get...
www.ford-trucks.com
 
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