cab swap

[andrist1]

I'm trying to help out a co-worker with a cab swap and I was hoping some one could give me the "right" answer. I searched previous posts and found conflicting reports. We both knew about the wiper swap and are not to concerned about vin tags right now.

He is swaping a rusted out 76 2wd cab to a 85 4wd mint one. He wants to purchase all new mounting hardward and he has been told different answers about which kit he should buy. I told him I always thought that you should go with the mounting kits for the chassis your going with? Am I right? We picked up the cap from a guy locally off of Craigslist and he asked what we were going to put it on and when we told him he said we would need to use the 76 mounts. He doesn't want to have to purchase two kits to make sure the swap goes well, aka next weekend if I'm not working on my 75'!

[ChaseDale3and8]

You want to buy the mounts and hardware for your year of chassis, not body. The 2wd and 4wd rubber mounts are different on the 73-80 chassis, but are the same on the 81-87 2wd and 4wd. If his chassis is a 76 2wd, then that is the hardware and rubber mounts he needs. I would suggest going to polyurethane mounts as they will last a lot longer. Good luck on the project. Be sure to post up some pics! ...Joe

[andrist1]

Thanks Joe, I thought that was the way to go. I had told him that but other sources he was using told him different. So I was left doubting myself!

[andrist1]

Oh yeah, I believe that he is either going to buy the energy suspension kit or a poly-graphite one from PST. Thanks again!

[mod58]

If you are using a 81 to 87 cab on a 76 frame,the rear cab mounts on the frame are about 1 1/8 lower then the ones on a 81 to 87 frame!Also the holes in the front and rad support frame mounts are smaller and will accept 81 to 87 mounts! You have to use the mounts for your year frame and add a 1 1/8 spacer on the rear cab mounts.I just put a 86 cab on a 79 SWB 4x4 frame,Hope this helps.Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[andrist1]

Mod58, thank you for your input. All suggestions of help are greatly appreciated!

[andrist1]

Just a quick thought, would it be benificial to purchase 73-80 4wd rear cab mounts from say LMC to make up the 1 1/8" difference. If my friend wanted to stay with rubber mounts this might be the best and cheapest way to go about the cab swap. He could probably order a complete cab mounting kit from LMC for his 76 chassis and be done....... or some thing like that. This whole cab swap is begining to make my head hurt! And it's not even for my truck. I'm just the guy that will be stuck helping........

[ChaseDale3and8]

I've swapped mid 80's 4x4 cabs on several 70's 4x4 trucks. I always used the polyurethane mounts for the year of 4x4 frame that I was using and never had an issue with any kind of fitment or alignment issue. That's about all that I can tell you. ...Joe

[mod58]

Sorry andrist1!!! I forgot that I changed the rear cab mount on the frame to a 86 and used 81 to 87 rear cab mounts I had laying around,Thats why I had to add an 1"1/8 to the rear mounts!!!If you get the mounts for the year frame you have you will be fine!!!!!!!!!!!!

[andrist1]

Thanks for claryifing mod58, I thought that I was begining to lose my mind.

Joe, thank you for your help too! Since you mentioned the polyurethane mounts, I crawled under my 75 2wd and I need new mounts! Will be ordering some up for myself to replace the old cracked ones. Thanks again!
Jeremy