quad cab & singleCabLB same frame?

[446]

Any chance that I can make a quad cab short bed out of a single cab long bed by changing the cab's and bed?"

Truck is a 97 ctd

I dont want to change frames but if the frame is the same I would do it. maybe use a 98 1500 cab

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

You're gonna have to look at them. Brackets to mount the frame vs. extended cab are different, at a minimum.

 

[M'staedt]

I'm pretty sure the wheelbase and rear overhang (rear axle to rear bumper) are different. There's no way this would be a simple bolt together deal.

 

[Trizae]

both have a 139in wheelbase,,,,,,, you will have to move the cab a bed mounts around but i have seen it done,,,,, if you use a quad cab you will have to used quad cab front door,,, you 97 reg cab doors will not work on a quad cab,,,,,,,, the reg cab/club cab doors are the same bu the quad cab doors are about an inch shorter

 

[VicR]

You might be better off having someone do a conversion of the regular cab. It escapes me now, but someone was doing a graft onto the back of the regular cabs to make them into a club cab - but larger. It was something like 'cowboy coupe' or 'cowboy conversion'.



-Vic

 

[stacerbob]

I also am 95% sure that the wheelbase is a few inches different. I had a perfect reg cab LWB frame when I started my project and thought of doing the exact same.

 

[446]

It was something like 'cowboy coupe' or 'cowboy conversion'.

There was a place in western Colorado that did conversions with a pickup style sleeper made of steel, they used a rubber boot between the cab and a factory style interior. I've seen one on a Ford .

I'm not sure I liked the looks but the quality looked good and it looked like it had a good amount of room.

this is an option, as is Bear? who makes crew cabs and suburbans but I think I"d be happy with a club cab if it wasn't too much trouble to convert. Hell I'm pretty happy with my single cab untill I go on a long trip, then I'd like a little more access to stuff in the cab and maybe room for a third person or my dog.

By now everyone is thinking. Well why dont you just go buy a new qcsb?

I went and drove a new one and I'm not sure its worth the $25000 differance to me. At 93000 miles mine's just getting broke in and its paid for.

Plus I like not haveing all those electrons running through the truck

 

[M'staedt]

The wheelbase is 4" different



http://dodgeram.info/2001/dimensions.html

 

[446]

Thanks



I guess that's the end of that :>(

 

[VicR]

here is the link

http://www.bayerautoinc.com/



for the Bayer conversion company you were talking about. That Dodge Ram SUV on the conversions page is great. Would love to do that to the 97, but I am afraid to ask what the $$$ would be.



Another thought, depending on your use of the truck, what about a club cab/ flat bed to replace your regular cab/ long bed? Then you wouldn't have the WB problems.



-Vic

 

[DKayser]

Oh Boy!

This is going to be a lot more work than you think. About 6 years ago, I swapped cabs on a 73 Ford 1/2 ton. Went from Std cab lwb to a 74 Super Cab & Swb. Or tried to. Wheelbase different, Frame different. Had to cut top of frame channels off, & recontour to fit floor of cab. Then box frame in that area, &weld new top lip onto rails . Then attatch SC body mounts to rails. Ended up with a flat bed because it could built to fit the frame dimensions. Looked like the flatbed was 2 feet long, odd proportions. Results were good, Not a squeak or rattle anywhere. We were very proud of that. Not worth the work on that truck, although your truck IS worth more by far. I would love to have a back seat, but I ain`t giving up the long box! DK.

 

[446]

I also thought that the frame contour would be different where the cab ends and the bed starts. I once replaced a cab on a 70 dodge 3/4 ton sc truck and it was pretty stait forward.

I use the long bed but I could do without it. Maybe I should consider tradeing. I think I could live with a cclb or even a dually