[OrrieG]

Be bold, keep it stock. Having said that if you want to upgrade keep the stock frame, research aftermarket setups for the front and have at it. Some bolt in (not a bad thing all stock crossmembers are riveted or bolted), some require welding (if your skills are not good enough you can set it up and tack it and have a certified guy finish it up). You will need to decide how high you want it, adjustable or set, etc. Nice thing about using the stock frame is if you change your mind or do not like the set up you can change it. Also less variables to mess with (radiator core support, bumper mounts, etc.) If you clip it or do a frame swap you are stuck with it. Most newer car and truck frames are wider which means you have to do a body lift or or significantly modify the cab corners and footwells which add a lot of the lower structure and stability to the cab. Get a second good frame to do the mods on and you can drive the truck while doing the frame. finish it up and swap the body over on a weekend.