Wheelbase and crew cab questions

[chico_mustangs]

I just picked up a cab & chassis and am thinking of maybe putting a crew cab onto it. Does anyone know the wheel base of the crew cab long and short beds? My cab/chassis has an amazing 176in wheel base so I've got a lot to work with. Its got an 11ft flatbed on it now and I am hoping maybe it will all work out with a long bed and a crew cab.

Thanks!

[BobS]

I just picked up a cab & chassis and am thinking of maybe putting a crew cab onto it. Does anyone know the wheel base of the crew cab long and short beds? My cab/chassis has an amazing 176in wheel base so I've got a lot to work with. Its got an 11ft flatbed on it now and I am hoping maybe it will all work out with a long bed and a crew cab.

Thanks!

Your wheelbase is in excess of the length of a crew cab's. Chances are good that your frame has already been stretched. Most cab & chassis that I am familiar with, Ford, GM,& Chrysler, measured 60" from the rear of the cab to the rear axle centerline. This was established to facilitate a standard aftermarket utility or flat bed of either 9 or 10 feet. Your stretch will most likely be in the frame area under the bed. The crew cabs frames are longer under the cab and have the body mounts located at 77" center to center. You will be required to do a body lift or channel the crew cab body into the frame if the rear portion of the frame kick up is located within the length normally occupied by the bed.

From memory: The crew cab wheelbase with 6" bed is 149"; crew cab with 8' bed is 164"

[Mark Nixon]

Your wheelbase is in excess of the length of a crew cab's. Chances are good that your frame has already been stretched. Most cab & chassis that I am familiar with, Ford, GM,& Chrysler, measured 60" from the rear of the cab to the rear axle centerline. This was established to facilitate a standard aftermarket utility or flat bed of either 9 or 10 feet. Your stretch will most likely be in the frame area under the bed. The crew cabs frames are longer under the cab and have the body mounts located at 77" center to center. You will be required to do a body lift or channel the crew cab body into the frame if the rear portion of the frame kick up is located within the length normally occupied by the bed.

From memory: The crew cab wheelbase with 6" bed is 149"; crew cab with 8' bed is 164"

MEMORY, huh?
You are dangerous, good sir!

CMIIW, but I don't think there were EVER any Crew Cab Chassis trucks ever built with the 60" Cab to axle dimension?

I know of at least ONE 1974(?) Standard cab Dodge truck with a factory installed 9 foot STEPSIDE bed, and I recall having seen others in the past.
The one I am speaking of is local and is a 2 wheel drive SRW, with a 9,000 GVWR, powered with a 400 and a 727.

Mark.

[KTA]

Your axle must be nearly to the back of your bed. My 159wb cab and chasis has a 11ft utility bed on it as it is 84" cab to axle.

[Mark Nixon]

Speaking of gargantuan wheelbases, this one has just over 18 FEET (Over 216") of wheelbase and takes about 1/4 acre for the turning radius!
The car sitting on it will almost fit in the wheelbase!

Pic:



Mark.

[BobS]

There are still a lot of old stretched out Dodge trucks out there. Mine had a 12 foot flatbed which stayed with the previous owner.

[PToombs]

Bob, that's a damn fine looking truck! What are you going to put on the back, box, or something custom?

Oh, I think you need to come out of the garage and mow the lawn.

Or get a goat, the non-diesel grass eating kind!

[chico_mustangs]

I looked over my frame and I can't find any evidence of it ever being streched or welded anywhere. Yeah the wheels are pretty far back on the bed.



And this was pretty damn scary...

[Mark Nixon]

You might want to re-measure.
As a reminder, wheelbase is measured center of hub to center of hub.

I saw that truck on C/L, in CA, last summer for $1500, if it's the same truck and I'm sure it is.

Mark.

[BobS]

Bob, that's a damn fine looking truck! What are you going to put on the back, box, or something custom?

Thanks Pete! That truck is one of three trucks that I am using to build a diesel short bed 4WD SRW crew cab. This one is the body donor from SW Texas. The intended 6' bed came fro AZ, the 2WD frame which I converted to 4WD came from Florida.

Oh, I think you need to come out of the garage and mow the lawn.

Or get a goat, the non-diesel grass eating kind!

Behind the truck on the bank is the wife's raspberries, and tomato plants. Besides, I don't want to turn into one of those old timers that think the lawn needs cut every other day. During the dry season here I can get away with cutting the grass with the tractor on a monthly basis as we live out in the country.

[PToombs]

The 1st house I owned I cut the lawn between 6-8 times a year. It was pretty anemic.

[chico_mustangs]

You might want to re-measure.
As a reminder, wheelbase is measured center of hub to center of hub.

I saw that truck on C/L, in CA, last summer for $1500, if it's the same truck and I'm sure it is.

Mark.

Yes I have measured it several times, I don't know it could have been on craigslist last summer, I am not sure how long the guy I got it from had it. Do you remember any of the details from the ad?

[Mark Nixon]

Yes I have measured it several times, I don't know it could have been on craigslist last summer, I am not sure how long the guy I got it from had it. Do you remember any of the details from the ad?

I remember that it looked like this one, was a 5 speed and he mentioned it was leaking oil.
The seller was some sort of contractor and had bought something newer, so he needed to off it.

Trust me, it's likely been spliced.
I'd beware if there are no obvious splices, because someone probably just lengthened it and butt welded it back together, then smoothed the welds and painted them over.
That's a recipe for flex cracking, because there is no extra support for welds that have weakened the metal.

The DOT in most states at least require a heavy diamond-shaped patch about 2 times the area of the smallest surface (frame height) of the splice point(s), in conjunction with the buttwelded frame.
Most people I know these days are using a piece of high strength 'C' channel custom bent to fit inside the framrail then bolted and welded in place.
Some are even boxing the splice, as well.

Mark.