LWB: Should I shorten or keep it
 

Here's my question.

Should I bother building a 4/5 dropped longbed or should I go ahead and make it a shortbed since I need new bedsides anyway?

(i don't know if I will find a short frame or cut mine up...)

As I have said many times before - personally I like LWB trucks, sitting at stock height or higher. But if I can't convince you to raise it, I'd say shorten it.

IMO SWB trucks look better dropped than LWB's.

Just my $.02 though.
:canada: :bowtie: :flag:

It would be ALOT of work to shorted your lwb. As you mentioned, you would need new bedsides...then you'd need a new bed floor (expensive) PLUS you would need to shorted the frame...and unless you can weld that might be expensive as well.

I say if you want a dropped truck, buy a swb...lwb trucks don't look very nice lowered (just my opinion).

Sport truck Direct has a good pic of a dropped longbed if anyone is wondering how they look.

http://sporttruckdirect.com/Pics/85_..._Truck_Big.jpg

From this page:

http://sporttruckdirect.com/C10_kits.html

Slonaker

The longer it is...the lower it looks......

either leave it LWB or buy a SWB frame and start shifting stuff over. i really dont think its a good idea to shorten a truck at all

Pretty easy to shorten a frame if you've got an extra LWB frame and know how much to take out the middle and how much to take off the rear.

It's not wise to fully cross-section our trucks' frame and shorten OR (for whatever reason) lengthen it. There is a high percentage of spring steel in these frames and they do NO respond well to excess heat that would be produced by welding. Notching a frame is one thing, but cross-sectioning it is not smart. Generally the heat drastically weakens the steel and makes it prone to cracking. I have seen this done before, but without fail, under constant heavy usage, the frames crack. If you plan on using your truck for what it was designed for, get another frame.

long and low is the way to go

Thanks for the info.

I can do the welding and need new bedsides anyway, but I wonder if I can get everything square.

I think I will lower the lwb and maybe look into finding a SWB frame or even a complete SWB in the future.

I will just buy only parts that can be transferred over to a SWB later (just about everything but bedsides...) :)

Thanks.

I think 67-72 longbeds look good low, but I am not so sure about the 73-87s.

This one looks decent:

if i remember correctly that one is 4/5 too.

Its pretty easy if the truck isnt on it i woudlnt think too much of shortenin it with the cab and stuff on it . i cut one down and plated it where it was cut and i cut it so it zig zaged back together so far so good main thing is getting it clamped up good and sqaure and takin plenty of diagonal measurements to insure sqaureness.

Shorten it!! I did mine. Took 14 inches out of the center of the frame and 6 inches off the back. Done it 6 years ago and have never had a problem with it.

Is that the formula for a longbed 73-87 i shortened a 72 but its 12 and 6 after doing that did everything go back on or did you have to make a new rear hole for the bed?

Did not have to make a new hole for the bed. Short box's dont have the rear holes. Yes, it was 14 out of the center and 6 off the back. Fairly easy as long as you know what your doing. The only regret I have is I went from 20 gallon tanks to 16 gallon tanks. Not really that big of a deal though. I gained more than I lost.

Yeah i cut one and plated it where it was cut havent had any probs but i did a 72 and i had to make new holes for the rear of the bed but other than that no big deal . I havent had the chance to shorten a 73-87 but now i know the dimensions thanks..!:bowtie: :bowtie: :bowtie:

Not sure where you are from but I have a 74 shortbed frame I would let you have if you come get it. I am near Paris 100 miles NE of Dallas if you are interested. I have listed it on here a few times in the past but no real interest.

Brad

Thanks, I would take you up on it if you were closer. I am in St. Louis.
I could just see explaining to my wife where I would be going and for what reason...

I am reconsidering doing this...any thoughts.

Keep it long. How many trucks out there you see are SWB lowered versus LWB lowered? If you want to lower it then keep it long and low. If I was into the lowered trucks I'd do that to my LWB.

I think a lowered long-bed looks pretty good, but in order to keep it looking good they need bigger wheels. The smaller wheels don't look good with a lowered longbed.