i am needing to swap a runner body on my trucks frame. my family is out growing this thing. we like to go camping and four wheeling. but the wife and kid just don't fit. and if we have another kid then we are definately screwed in the seating area.

i have a good suspenion set up. i'll probably go coils in the rear at the end of the summer. i have a good steering set up and a nice factory solid axle. my engine only has 149,000 miles. i'll probably rebuild it at the end of the summer.

my truck is an 85 xtra cab with flatbed. i have cut 6 inches off the rear frame. how hard would it be to put a runner tub ontop of this frame? anyone want to trade a runner body for an xtra cab, flat bed and some unfinished half doors.????

and how much trouble would i get in if i used the vin# from my truck and stuck it on the runner body??

Unless you shortened the wheelbase (moved your rear axle forward) the rear wheel wells of the runner won't line up with where your tires are at unless you do ALOT of cutting. I know, I was planning the same thing at the end of last summer for the same reasons you mentioned and even bought the runner body but found out about the wheel well situation (I had a standard cab longbed truck, same frame as yours) and that it would take some bodymount mods as well I decided it was more work than I wanted to do and still have all my toyota running gear etc. I then went in another direction that is probably more work but will be bulletproof when done......

Jeff

moving the spring hangers isn't a big deal in my opinion. and i can get a drive shaft out of the junkyard anyway. and i think all i have to worry about is the rear body mounts anyway. i already have the frame short enough. its just going to suck swapping over all the wiring harness to the new runner body! but oh-well.

Might be easier to do something like this?

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=214869

i hate welding tin. so that one is out of question i would have considered it before i tried weling up my half doors.