Topic: 85 frame swap

[85wvtoy]

I have a 1985 xtra cab 4x4.  Living in WVA the bed and frame both are ate up with rust.  I got a good bed.  I also purchased the frame from the same truck.  The donor truck is a 1986 xtra cab.  I will be swapping everything off of my frame to the 1986 frame.  I would like to know if anyone has done a frame swap.  I would like some advice as to what order to do the work in.  For example I would imagine I start with the axles and suspension but do I do the body next or engine and transmission?
 
Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

[84runner]

I have never done one myself.  Doe the frame you have got running gear under it? If not I would pull your good motor and tranny. Set it on the ground. Then swap out the running gear. Then swap the body on to the frame. then throw the motor and tranny in. It just seems like it would go together easier that way

[yotacrawler85]

I jusy got done doing this last year,i bought an 85 that the frame was actually in two for a 100 bucks that has 186 thousand miles on it but runs fine and a working auto tranny. it was split right where the cab and bed meet. the next thing i did was get a frame, i managed to salvage one from a wrecked 87 at the local junk yard, of course this was a independant frame so what i did was set up the rear suspension(and actually i used a rear axle out of a 86 because 86 and up the rear is a full 3 inches wider than your 85) next i got to work with the torch  and grinder and cut all the independant crap off... its so easy without a body in the way.... then i set up the front suspension,  after that i had a party   and a bunch of my pals helped me to lift off the 85 cab. then i started switching stuff over like the gas tank, brake and fuel lines, etc. I then lifted the motor and tranny as one out of the busted up frame and actually i did this outside so i had to pull the old frame out from underneath the motor  and push in the new frame which was a little hairy cause the new frame sat a lot higher than the old one. but anyway then i had another party   and we put the cab back on, believe me if you dont want to break anything you have to have a bunch of guys. my buddy is a frat bro so he had his whole pledging class come over and do it, i had like 13 guys to do it, it was a piece of cake. after that it was just hooking everything up and turnin the key. my email is sp4rky14@yahoo.com if you have any questions   here is a few picts of the almost finished product without bumpers and a bed and a lot of other stuff.....

[yotacrawler85]

another pic

[yotacrawler85]

yet another

[yotacrawler85]

just one more.....

[85wvtoy [OP]]

so the axle width is different.  is the wider better because it is on the frame i am getting and he will swap for my 85 rear axle

[yotacrawler85]

yeah the 86 rear axle is three inches wider than the 85 rear axle

[yotacrawler85]

as is any other toy axle from any runner or pu 86 and newer, dont ask me why but they are. if you plan on wheelen this you should put the wider axle under it for stability...... my 2 cents

[yotacrawler85]

here some more flexy ones

[yotacrawler85]

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