Frame Swap?

I dont wanna steal Tate's thunder but i wanna get some ideas going on where to begin. This past trip being the 5th time Tate has cracked his frame, he's decided its time for a frame swap, which at the same time will entail new wiring, a solid axle and shackle flip, if not also to include a new front bumper. Tate wants to take the cab off 1st so i'd imagine he'll need to remove all the wiring before anything. I agree that it should go 1st. then move the axles to the new frame, then engine, transmission and xfer case all together to keep from unbolting any of it. then gas tank and finally put the cab back on and rewire everything. did i forget anything? would y'all do it differently?

I know where a Bronco is/was with an NP435. THe body was really rusted though. Probably go for fchaep if he still has it.

There is a slightly wrecked 88 bronco in the san antonio newspaper for $1000. It has a fuel injected 351. I'd think that injection stuff would swap over to his motor easily.

But while you're doing a frame swap, you might as well swap on this too.
http://www.jpoffroad.com/replacement...8b_3qvw250.jpg

why why why

nope if i was gonna start all over again. i dont think i would have any body at all. Plus why build a full size again they are just big and gay. If you still want some thing bigger than a heep get a scout body or scambler tub.

i dunno what y'all read, but i said "frame swap". he wants to keep the body, its got like $6000 in bedliner on it....and i think they sell that stuff for like $1/lb.

I don't know details on broncs, but when I did a "cab swap," most of the wiring either stayed with the cab, or with the motor, connecting at the computer. Just unplugged the engine's harness from the comp, fed it out through the firewall, unplugged this, cut that, and yanked the body off. There was very little wiring that was actually involved with or stayed with the frame. Same with the drivetrain, just yanked it off the frame, installation is the reverse of removal.

If I were you, I would leave the running gear alone at first, put little tires on the new rolling chassis, and get about 8 guys (or the lift in Nutz's shop) to heft that pig and either leave it hanging or set it off to the side. Put both rolling chassis side by side and move the drivetrain over. Slap the cab on the new frame and then start working on the axles. Body and drivetrain shouldn't take more than a weekend.
Since his harness is messed up, I would try and find a stock complete donor truck, maybe wrecked or rolled, but with intact harness, and DON'T CUT IT UP!

Is it cracking in the same place each time? If it is, maybe it's the "fixer".
I think that I would box or reinforce the frame thats there before I swap in another frame that's going to break in the same place.

My frame cracked on my last Toyota and on my Dodge - both at the steering gearbox. I made a template out of cardboard the shape of the frame and cut out some plate to reinforce it. I had to grind a groove in the crack on the inside and weld it up because there was no room to add some flate plate.
Worked great in both trucks...

I agree w/ scott. The body is not in grand condition so why worry about the frame being new and looking good. I would box the front half of the frame and then build the cross member from flat and cut two drop cross member patterns and box those gusset them at the fram w/ angle on both sides. If the frame still is weak you may think about a cage through the firewall and have top cross supports (create a shock tower top support)

well the fact of the matter is that the 1980 bronco was a transition model, from the solid axle 78-79 broncos. The frame on the 80' is the worst bronco frame i have ever seen. The back of it has like five huge 4 inch in diameter holes, and i have heard of many other bronco people that say the 80' frame is junk, and that it is the weakest bronco frame ever. So another year frame would be better and shouldnt break.

I knew the rear of the 80 frame is crap, but how is the front different? I know most lift manufacturers only list their kits for 81-96 Broncos cause of the ****ty 1980 frame.

if you have to cut that roll bar off, i might want it, i need to do some plumbing work on my house:flipoff2:

i am not sure what year ford changed but on my 95 bronco and i think it is the same on your john the frame is boxed all the way to the crossmember, and i think there is even an added support where the frame meets the crossmember (i think) the front of Tates frame is just like the ones on 78-79 broncos like c channel frame. On the older ones the crossmember is a lot more beefy than on the newer TTb equiped broncos.

I boxed mine for the leaf spring hangars. Tate could do this. It is just a 2x4 piece of metal between the boxed areas of the frame.

it has broken in 4-5 different places. and it is completely C-channel. it needs to be replaced.

in other words, STFU....i want his frame

i have broken it 5 different times in 5 different places within 3 or so feet... bracing the broken part has just transfered the stess elsewhere... i am gonna probably pull the body off this weekend and then go from there... get a new frame, box it, do the sas& shackle flip, new front bumper, fuel injection, ect... what i am saying is that i am tired of it being gay... it is getting a makeover... it should be built a lot stronger and allow me to actually wheel and not break constantly.