F350 fridge to F100 using slick parts..

[jwh f-100]

Thoughts?? Comments??

Swap axles?? I need to measure leaf spring width and center bolt to center bolt front and rear. I also need to look into center bolt size.

Just swap cabs??

Find a crown vic?

Just mowing over a possible project.. A "brain-storm" is passing through.. lol..

I have a pretty solid fridge f350.. I also have a short '61 chassis.. I also have a short twin-I chassis...

Hmmmm...

[LM14]

When I was shopping for parts building my '57, you could buy a nice frame for $300. Found several for sale at that time. Even looked at rusty donor trucks for $500-750 to get some other trim pieces and a frame to build and swap my cab onto so I could drive mine while I was doing the frame mods. Ended up just cutting my original frame and taking it off the road for a coule weeks so I never bought a second frame.

There are supposedly small differences between a fridge and slick frame but I don't know all of them. I got a Mustang II front crossmember kit from Jim Wimmer Rod Garage and he said he had different kits for the '53-56, '57-60 and '61-64 styled trucks. Others list them as being the same kit. He told me a '53-56 kit would work but needed a different (wider) rack he used on his '57-60 kit to keep geometry right. When Speedway Motors sold dropped axles for them (for a very short time span), they listed a different axle for a '57-60 than they did a '61-64 truck.

Check with TruckRat if he doesn't chime in, he's doing both.

SPark

[6166 Junkyard Dog]

Jason here is what I learned say 25+ years ago,, I read a article way back when Truckin Magazine was easy and fun to read a article came out about dropped I-Beams and the said if you wanted a dropped I -Beam in a 53/56 to use a 57-60 I-Beam which would drop, and that what I installed in my 1956 with no problem way back in 1975 but of course I was working on a F-100, not a F-350 but on the F-350 trucks on the rear end side you can install a rear from 1953 to 1979 for dual wheels,, my 66 wrecker has a 1979 rear under it and 1964 Big Slick has a 1997 shuttle bus rear under it,,, the 66 all I had to was change universals,, 64 had to change yoke on rear and take relief valve out of the master cylinder since I was using rear disc brakes

[Toyz]

Tom, have you found any easy solution to going with 8 lugs on the front without changing out the entire axle assembly? Might change the '63 just to standardize the spare situation.
Thanks,
Paul

[6166 Junkyard Dog]

Paul here is one we took a pic of on a F-350 by using a 73/79 Twin-I-Beam on a 64 truck



and here is what it looks like done



he pulled a trailer last year to TN to the supernationals,,, he has a 460 in it

[Truckrat]

Jason, I was out back measuring the width between the springs on a 59
and a 64 to see if the distance was the same. It was the same as far as I could tell
and the front to rear distance between spring mounts was also the same.
I am in the process of taking the front axle out of the 59 to change out the front
springs on my 57. Once that is done we plan to take the axle and my old springs to
bolt up under a 62 Uni so we can load it on a trailer and bring it back.
No front end under the Uni so loading it without a big forklift wouldn't be possible.
I would say if the distances for the front and back springs on the F350 are the same
as the ones on the Slick it should be a swap providing the F350 springs aren't wider.
From 57-64 the F100 and F250 springs are 2'' wide on the front and 2.25'' on the rear.
Some of the Slick springs have a larger rear bushing on them than the Fridge springs,
however you can swap main leafs and get around that.
I am planning on doing a few pics of my spring swap to go in hints and tricks when it is done.
Grab your tape measure and check out what you find on your F350 and Slick frames.
I'd like to know if there is any differences myself If for no other reason to just be mindful
of whether I am right or wrong. Post back here when you find out would you. Thanks! TR.

[bobenhotep]

I have heard that the shock mounts are different.

Dan

[Truckrat]

Dan, you are correct. The shock mounts are different from a fridge and
a straight axle slick. TR

[jwh f-100]

Thanks guys for all the info.. I haven't had a chance to measure yet but quite interested to see how it would work out.

The other chassis swap option I have is a mid 90's Ford school bus with a 5.9 cummins, Allison transmission and air brakes.. That would be a big project but in the end it would be a beast!!!!!!!

[6166 Junkyard Dog]

Hey Paul,, I just loaded a 66 F-350 flatbed 1 ton out here in Phoenix,, has a later model rear,, BUT The front still has straight axle with 8 lug wheels < > and I cannot see where something is different ?, on the rear I can see brake cables tied up so I know it's late model + it has a 460 straight gear in her,,,