body questions

[klinkzor]

i just got a 99 550 short wheel base. i was wondering if there's a easy way to mount a normal bed on it or will that have to be a custom job?

also it has the recessed front head lights and i wondering what is needed to change those to the 250 and 350 style lights.

 

[ponyexpress94]

Your F550 chassis cab truck has a different Cab to Axle (CA)distance than a regular F250 or F350 pickup. Your chassis cab truck has a 60" CA versus the pickups with a 56" CA. Additionally, chassis cab trucks have their frame rails spaced 34" apart outside to outside and are flat from the back of the cab to the end of the frame. Pickup truck frames are spaced 38" apart outside to outside and have a "kick-up" over the rear axle. To mount a pickup box to your chassis cab you will have to do one of two things:

Option one is set the dually pickup bed with the fenders centered over the axle and track down the 4" fiberglass filler pieces used by truck upfitters that do this conversion. You will then have to fabricate and mount the rear bumper in the appropriate position and then connect the wiring of the bed to the pickup box harness.

Option two is to place the bed on the frame with the same cab to bed spacing as a pickup. When you do this you will have to shift the dually fenders back until they are centered over the rear axle. I don't know if you will have to modify the sheetmetal in the wheelhouse of the bed when shifting the dually fenders as I have never removed a dually fender from the side of the bed to know if they are modified internally in comparison to a single rear wheel bed. This method will require you to cut several inches off the back end of the frame to allow your rear bumper to mount in the proper position relative to the pickup box.

Either option requires you to fabricate brackets to position the pickup bed at the right height above the frame so that the body lines of cab and bed match up. Option two is more involved but I also feel it has a far nicer finished look because you don't have the fiberglass inserts creating another vertical body line in the side of the truck.

Another thing to consider is the mounting of a gooseneck or 5th wheel hitch. Either hitch will require the fabrication of mounts so that it too will be elevated to the underside of the pickup box just as it would be on a pickup when the frame and hitch are both mounted right on top of the frame.

I assume you would prefer the look of the dually pickup instead of a flatbed but to be perfectly honest the truck will be extremely under utilized by installing a pickup box because it just can't handle the same amount of weight as the same truck with a flatbed. Just an honest opinion.

It's alot of info but I hope it helps you out.

 

[klinkzor]

i got the truck from my work fairly cheap and spent 4 years driving it so i know all it's little quirks. she's needed very little down over there years so i know it would make a good personal truck and for 2600 for it was a deal i couldn't pass up.

the normal pickup bed would fit me just fine. i think it's heavy hauling is over the 900 gallon steel tank on the back is coming off i hope friday and a normal bed just came to mind first.

also my main worry with the the standard truck bed is my truck is equipped with the optional 38 gallon rear mount tank and was wondering if the location of the filler neck would be a problem

 

[dpantazis]

pony- props to you! that was an excellent post.

 

[BamaSixGun]

I remember the local ford dealer ordered a F450 & an F550 for a customer back in 2005 I believe. Of course, then, they did not come with pick-up beds on them. They had to be sent to KY where they added the bed. They had to put about a 4" section at the very front of the bed so it would fit flush with the back of the cab. A "filler" if you will.

Hope this helps.

 

[klinkzor]

all the info has been very helpful. i actually started looking into tow bodies last night which looks like the way i might go now with it.