Thanks. Also you might have look at a g-body frame 1980ish Monte Carlo, Regal, Cutlass and Grand Prix. I would need to measure it, but it might be an option. It has a perimeter frame like the Crown, but it is not near as wide.
What about 53 Chevy 5 window with 4 wheel drive, which frame swap would you choose your speaking to someone that is trying to learn which frame to use thanks for sharing.
@@steamboat1341 mine was 4 wheel drive. But I deleted that and made it two wheel drive. If nit keeping 4x4. You have to gut the CV axle so you can put it back through the wheel bearing to hold it all together
Impressive lineup of common chassis swap donors. Thanks for the helpful information. I recently bought a 5.0 Explorer for my 49 Ford F-1 swap. Hoping to start the project in the next few months!
I am putting a 98 explorer sport chassis under a 57 chevy pickup. It is a good fit. I swapped in a trailing arm rear suspension to get the wheelbase correct without cutting the frame. Good luck with your project.
I used a 1990 SWB regular cab chassis on my 1948 Chevy 4400 build, wheel base was within 1/4, cab mounts lined up with the frame, just drilled holes and used rubber mounts, no mods needed, i did lower it on the chassis, my preference, so had to raise the floor rails for the bed floor, did not have to cut frame any where, fron rad support worked perfectly, wheels were show truck wheels from my 1988, even with the fenders both front and bad, looks natural. I also did a 1950 3100 with same frome at normal ride height, worked out same, easiest swap i ever done, so far i have done 15 of these swaps over the past 20 years, very satisfied.
Great video! Nice to see all the common frame swap frames lined up like that. I used a crown Vic frame on a f100 pickup. Love the way it drives. Hope to do another frame swap sometime in the future. Nice to see the advantages and disadvantages of the other frames.
Thanks! The Tahoe is under the International. The Explorer is under the 1957. The Crown will likely end up under the 1965 Ford. The 1949 Chevy will get another Explorer. I think that I would like for find another Explorer to put under the 1963 Ford. I don't currently have a project for the Trailblazer or the S10 frames.
@@RandomRodShop did you have any major problems using the Tahoe frame and are you happy with the way it turned out? I had a Tahoe for a while and liked it. There's a lot still around and they have an LS in them so I'm thinking it would be a good start to a cheap hotrod.
No real big problems...Consideration of - how the fuel tank fits your project and how the width of the suspension will fit your project. Maybe the most important consideration is how much body drop over the frame. The more body drop, the more complication. Unless you are planning on a 4wd, choose a wide project.
I agree. In my part of the country 2wd Explorers are not very common. I know Ford made a lot of them, but I have had few opportunities to buy one for a frame swap.
Did a frame swap using a 98 Dakota. Went under a 49 Dodge pickup. Wheel width was about perfect. .And they use the same engine trans and rear axle as a full sized truck. However the older ones use 5 lug wheels. And all newer models us a 6 lug. Other than that it worked great.
I tried to locate a Dakota frame for the video, but they hard to find cheap enough to tear apart. I have a 2000 Dakota 4x4 with a 4.7 engine. I have become a fan.
Thank you for this information because I was looking to get a trailblazer 4X4 chassis for my 58 Chevy Apache suburban, now I will look for a Ford explorer
That will be a cool ride. Here are the videos showing my 57 on the Explorer chassis. ua-cam.com/video/CPJOnqKosjI/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/-cZgurt-gXk/v-deo.html
Thanks. Currently, we are test driving the Tahoe swapped IH and building trailing arms for an Explorer swapped 1957 Chevy. I recently picked up a LS Buick Rainier...it looks like it has possibilities 😁.
I think the Dakota is about 60" wide. This should work for all the 50's trucks - Chevy, Ford, Dodge. This width will allow you to run old school positive offset wide wheels. Check that the front brake caliper doesn't stick out past the wheel mounting surface - I don't think it does on the first gen dakotas - but if it does you will need to look closely at your desired wheel choice and ensure that there is no interference.
Spot on man! Wheelbase mean's absolutely nothing to me doing this stuff. That is BEYOND easy to change. Track Width.... that's a whole nuther thing. It's almost what it is. Sounds kinda strange (and they are harder to find now) but my favorite chassis to find is actually the IH Scout 2. If you want it 2wd the Mustang II set up is very easy to add to it and it fits dang near everything (car or truck). The S10's..... I actually look for the 4wd version because they are actually wider than the 2wd and they don't use those goofy triangulated upper control arms on the front end. Ford's are tough, because the cheap ones are Twin I Beam up front, and I don't wish that on anyone........ lolololol. I played with that once, and once was enough for 12 lifetimes. Good stuff man, and again..... glad I found your channel. Keep this good stuff coming my friend.
Never had a Scout. I will remember what you said if I find one. 👍 I have a 4WD S10, but the grandson wants it so it is not for parts. I have started playing with the explorer chassis. It is amazingly rigid. I have found only two issues. 1. The frame is 2.5 x 5.5, which is means that I have spent some time deciding how/where to lengthen it. 2. The explorer has a strange upper control arm setup on the passenger side (I think😊). It is a two piece contraption. However, it looks like the aftermarket offers a one piece for both sided.
the wheel issue started with the phasing out of the rear wheel drive car ,dont know why the used it on suvs ,would an obs tahoe or suburban cure some of the issues with your Tahoe frame ? just a thought ,great video ,also a fan of the ford exlpoder frame ,happy trails .
Yes, the obs still uses the "old style" front brake setup but they did not offer a rear disc brake option. This is not a deal breaker, but I like the convenience.
That's a tough one. I would keep the original and just upgrade the suspension. UA-camr "midnight flyer" used a '95 Buick for his '57. Take a look at his play list.
@RandomRodShop thanks. The 57 is a totally different beast. My original thought is swap the 55 Special body onto a 56 Special frame. The 56 driveline is much better. Will it just bolt up? Maybe, or mounts can be fabbed as necessary.
I did not know the 57 frame was different - learn something new every day. My first hand experience is with chevy's. Here are a couple of frame drawings that might help; just in case you haven't already found this site. www.hometownbuick.com/1956-buick-frame-sheet-metal-2/ www.hometownbuick.com/1955-buick-frame-sheet-metal/
The F1 is about 60-61 inches wide wheel mounting flange to wheel mounting flange. The Explorer is 59.5. I am putting this chassis under my 49 and 57 chevy pickups. Keep in mind the rear frame kickup will reduce bed depth and I am not aware of anyone selling drop spindles for the explorer.
1995-2000 are the ones I look for. The Explorer production between the 2nd gen and 3rd gen is confusing. Take a look at the Ford explorer wiki page to see all variations and production timing. Also, the explorer wheelbase will be either 102" or 112" so you will have to lengthen the wheelbase for your F1. I lengthened mine by installing a chevy trailing arm rear suspension, but others have cut and lengthened the actual frame. I made a video...ua-cam.com/video/CPJOnqKosjI/v-deo.html showing how I set it up for the 57 chevy pickup.
I don’t understand why you did a swap video for hot rods but only talked about swapping pickup truck bodies. Most hot rods are cars. As for my background, I grew up on a 1600 acre cotton farm. So my preferred body is a pickup truck. But that doesn’t mean I hated my 1980 Trans Am as a 19-20 year old kid. Anyway I was just curious.
In my way of thinking, a hot rod can be a truck or car. To be accurate, auto clubs, assoc and etc., generally classify a hot rod as a 48 and older vehicle; It can be a car or truck. Street rod is used for post 48 vehicles. That's way too much thinking for me. I just use the term hot rod for vehicles you build to just have fun. Although I am working on a 67 mustang and a 67 camaro currently, I have definitely gravitated to trucks over the years because the dirt roads are hard on cars. Frame swapping pre 60 cars is do able, but clipping the front is most of the time sufficient. If you don't have a frame, the s10 can work for the late 30's/early 40's, the late40's/50's needs about 60" wheel mounting surface to wheel mounting surface. I have a 52 chevy deluxe and have considered using the Explorer frame...a lot cutting. Body swapping these cars is a lot of work, but is probably the next step up from clipping the front. Generally, I would not frame swap anything in the 60's or newer. These go in the body swap category for me. What I remember about the 2nd gens I've owned is that the doors weigh about 100 lbs with glass. 😊
The 98 and newer is similar to the Explorer. The pre 98's have the twin I-beam front suspension....I think I have the years correct...The twin I-beam is a bit more expensive to lower and keep the alignment correct.
TIB went away in 95. More important is the torsion bar front suspension on Explorers and 4WD pickups. Post 95 2WD pickups have coil springs with an exception for the Edge models. Yes, there are 2WD Explorers and Edge pickups with torsion bar suspension. 8.8 Ford is not a GM 12 bolt!
If you use the Explorer, what engine/trans will you use? I've had 4.0L Explorers in the past & that would be a no-go for me I also had a 5.0L AWD Explorer & Man! What a difference. 5.0L is mych, much better & w/ that AWD, that SUV was a BEAST. Anyway, with a Frame Swap, I think that I would have to dispense with the " purist" stuff, aka stop worrying about having Ford drivetrain under a Chevy and vice versa.
I usually stick with chevy engines (SBC/BBC/LS). The 57 will be either an LS or a sbc, with - I'm thinking - a T5. The "T" in the intro is the only build vehicle I have with a Ford engine (5.0) That was real pain BTW. I think the engineers that designed the Ford 4.0 SOHC were having way to much fun. I have no desire to run one. however...The little Datsun roadster will get a Nissan 300zx VG30 and I have plans for the 4WD Bronco II to get a 2.3l Ford.
@@RandomRodShop And BTW: I found your videos to be really insightful and quite helpful for my decision process. Fwiw, I have two potential frame swap projects to look at: 1) 1971 Blazer - I have been thinking about the Tahoe and your analysis of it was very helpful. 2) 1963 Dodge D200 Crew Cab. This was an old USAF truck which still has the 225 Slant Six & the three-speed (2wd) plus all of the antiquated drum brakes. A Tahoe (or Silverado, Suburban)might actually look good on that as well. I have not really begun to look at the options on this. Obviously, I'm considering the Dodge frames, but the GM stuff just is pretty simple to deal with. If you have any thoughts, I'd love to hear them.
Sorry, I missed this comment. If the Blazer is 4WD I think the 4WD Tahoe will fit. If you go with the 2WD the axle width limits your tire and wheel choices. If you want it lowered, the camber is problematic. The Dodge has a long wheelbase. I think you will be lengthening whatever frame you choose. I am not that familiar with Dodge trucks. I would grab a tape measure and start measuring the Dodge to see what I was working with.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Great detail! Look forward to seeing how your project goes!
Thanks
Thanks for the detail!
Glad to help. I have been frustrated many times because I could not find a straight answer to simple questions like wms to wms dimensions.
Thanks for all the info, definitely opened my mind to other options for my 54 ford that I plan to frame swap.
Thanks. Also you might have look at a g-body frame 1980ish Monte Carlo, Regal, Cutlass and Grand Prix. I would need to measure it, but it might be an option. It has a perimeter frame like the Crown, but it is not near as wide.
Good information on center of wheel line to center of cab mount. I did that exact thing on a 54 GMC I put on a 98 blazer frame. It worked out perfect
It seems a lot better than trying to position the cab after its setting on the frame. We will be doing a 49 chevy sometime after the 57.
@@RandomRodShop new subscriber here and enjoying the videos on this build
What about 53 Chevy 5 window with 4 wheel drive, which frame swap would you choose your speaking to someone that is trying to learn which frame to use thanks for sharing.
@@steamboat1341 mine was 4 wheel drive. But I deleted that and made it two wheel drive. If nit keeping 4x4. You have to gut the CV axle so you can put it back through the wheel bearing to hold it all together
Impressive lineup of common chassis swap donors. Thanks for the helpful information. I recently bought a 5.0 Explorer for my 49 Ford F-1 swap. Hoping to start the project in the next few months!
I am putting a 98 explorer sport chassis under a 57 chevy pickup. It is a good fit. I swapped in a trailing arm rear suspension to get the wheelbase correct without cutting the frame. Good luck with your project.
I used a 1990 SWB regular cab chassis on my 1948 Chevy 4400 build, wheel base was within 1/4, cab mounts lined up with the frame, just drilled holes and used rubber mounts, no mods needed, i did lower it on the chassis, my preference, so had to raise the floor rails for the bed floor, did not have to cut frame any where, fron rad support worked perfectly, wheels were show truck wheels from my 1988, even with the fenders both front and bad, looks natural. I also did a 1950 3100 with same frome at normal ride height, worked out same, easiest swap i ever done, so far i have done 15 of these swaps over the past 20 years, very satisfied.
Did you use the 4400 front fenders? What size wheels did you use on the '48? I have always liked the flatter hood on the big trucks.
Love the sound of those cicadas. Good numbers on those frames.
I agree about the cicadas. It occurred to me that I have a G-body frame. At some point, I will get it measured.
Great video! Nice to see all the common frame swap frames lined up like that. I used a crown Vic frame on a f100 pickup. Love the way it drives. Hope to do another frame swap sometime in the future. Nice to see the advantages and disadvantages of the other frames.
Thanks! The Tahoe is under the International. The Explorer is under the 1957. The Crown will likely end up under the 1965 Ford. The 1949 Chevy will get another Explorer. I think that I would like for find another Explorer to put under the 1963 Ford. I don't currently have a project for the Trailblazer or the S10 frames.
@@RandomRodShop did you have any major problems using the Tahoe frame and are you happy with the way it turned out? I had a Tahoe for a while and liked it. There's a lot still around and they have an LS in them so I'm thinking it would be a good start to a cheap hotrod.
No real big problems...Consideration of - how the fuel tank fits your project and how the width of the suspension will fit your project. Maybe the most important consideration is how much body drop over the frame. The more body drop, the more complication. Unless you are planning on a 4wd, choose a wide project.
I think the 2 wheel drive has coil spring front suspension just like the 99 and newer ranger . I have it under a 48 f1 ford
I agree. In my part of the country 2wd Explorers are not very common. I know Ford made a lot of them, but I have had few opportunities to buy one for a frame swap.
Did a frame swap using a 98 Dakota. Went under a 49 Dodge pickup. Wheel width was about perfect. .And they use the same engine trans and rear axle as a full sized truck. However the older ones use 5 lug wheels. And all newer models us a 6 lug. Other than that it worked great.
I tried to locate a Dakota frame for the video, but they hard to find cheap enough to tear apart. I have a 2000 Dakota 4x4 with a 4.7 engine. I have become a fan.
Thank you for this information because I was looking to get a trailblazer 4X4 chassis for my 58 Chevy Apache suburban, now I will look for a Ford explorer
That will be a cool ride.
Here are the videos showing my 57 on the Explorer chassis. ua-cam.com/video/CPJOnqKosjI/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/-cZgurt-gXk/v-deo.html
great video, thanks for sharing your experience!
Thanks. Currently, we are test driving the Tahoe swapped IH and building trailing arms for an Explorer swapped 1957 Chevy. I recently picked up a LS Buick Rainier...it looks like it has possibilities 😁.
What about an early Dodge Dakota frame . Does it have a good wide track for a wide fender truck ?
I think the Dakota is about 60" wide. This should work for all the 50's trucks - Chevy, Ford, Dodge. This width will allow you to run old school positive offset wide wheels. Check that the front brake caliper doesn't stick out past the wheel mounting surface - I don't think it does on the first gen dakotas - but if it does you will need to look closely at your desired wheel choice and ensure that there is no interference.
Spot on man! Wheelbase mean's absolutely nothing to me doing this stuff. That is BEYOND easy to change. Track Width.... that's a whole nuther thing. It's almost what it is.
Sounds kinda strange (and they are harder to find now) but my favorite chassis to find is actually the IH Scout 2. If you want it 2wd the Mustang II set up is very easy to add to it and it fits dang near everything (car or truck).
The S10's..... I actually look for the 4wd version because they are actually wider than the 2wd and they don't use those goofy triangulated upper control arms on the front end.
Ford's are tough, because the cheap ones are Twin I Beam up front, and I don't wish that on anyone........ lolololol. I played with that once, and once was enough for 12 lifetimes.
Good stuff man, and again..... glad I found your channel. Keep this good stuff coming my friend.
Never had a Scout. I will remember what you said if I find one. 👍 I have a 4WD S10, but the grandson wants it so it is not for parts. I have started playing with the explorer chassis. It is amazingly rigid. I have found only two issues. 1. The frame is 2.5 x 5.5, which is means that I have spent some time deciding how/where to lengthen it. 2. The explorer has a strange upper control arm setup on the passenger side (I think😊). It is a two piece contraption. However, it looks like the aftermarket offers a one piece for both sided.
Well done very good video
Thanks.
the wheel issue started with the phasing out of the rear wheel drive car ,dont know why the used it on suvs ,would an obs tahoe or suburban cure some of the issues with your Tahoe frame ? just a thought ,great video ,also a fan of the ford exlpoder frame ,happy trails .
Yes, the obs still uses the "old style" front brake setup but they did not offer a rear disc brake option. This is not a deal breaker, but I like the convenience.
What would you use to swap under a 55 Buick Special? Or a 55 Chevy Bel Aire?
That's a tough one. I would keep the original and just upgrade the suspension. UA-camr "midnight flyer" used a '95 Buick for his '57. Take a look at his play list.
@RandomRodShop thanks. The 57 is a totally different beast. My original thought is swap the 55 Special body onto a 56 Special frame. The 56 driveline is much better. Will it just bolt up? Maybe, or mounts can be fabbed as necessary.
I did not know the 57 frame was different - learn something new every day. My first hand experience is with chevy's. Here are a couple of frame drawings that might help; just in case you haven't already found this site.
www.hometownbuick.com/1956-buick-frame-sheet-metal-2/
www.hometownbuick.com/1955-buick-frame-sheet-metal/
@@RandomRodShop fantastic!
Very helpful information 👌
Thanks. Your 1950 Ford looks like a good start for a project.
Looking to frame swap my 1949 ford f1 any recommendations?
The F1 is about 60-61 inches wide wheel mounting flange to wheel mounting flange. The Explorer is 59.5. I am putting this chassis under my 49 and 57 chevy pickups. Keep in mind the rear frame kickup will reduce bed depth and I am not aware of anyone selling drop spindles for the explorer.
@@RandomRodShop gotcha. What years should I look for?
I forgot...The Explorer has the small ford lug pattern (5x4.5) not the big ford pattern (5x5) like your truck - If that is important to you.
1995-2000 are the ones I look for. The Explorer production between the 2nd gen and 3rd gen is confusing. Take a look at the Ford explorer wiki page to see all variations and production timing. Also, the explorer wheelbase will be either 102" or 112" so you will have to lengthen the wheelbase for your F1. I lengthened mine by installing a chevy trailing arm rear suspension, but others have cut and lengthened the actual frame. I made a video...ua-cam.com/video/CPJOnqKosjI/v-deo.html showing how I set it up for the 57 chevy pickup.
I prefer widening the stance on my vehicles. plan on doing it with my' 77 El Camino.
Are you making it wider by using deep dish wheels or are you frame swapping?
I don’t understand why you did a swap video for hot rods but only talked about swapping pickup truck bodies. Most hot rods are cars.
As for my background, I grew up on a 1600 acre cotton farm. So my preferred body is a pickup truck. But that doesn’t mean I hated my 1980 Trans Am as a 19-20 year old kid. Anyway I was just curious.
In my way of thinking, a hot rod can be a truck or car. To be accurate, auto clubs, assoc and etc., generally classify a hot rod as a 48 and older vehicle; It can be a car or truck. Street rod is used for post 48 vehicles. That's way too much thinking for me. I just use the term hot rod for vehicles you build to just have fun.
Although I am working on a 67 mustang and a 67 camaro currently, I have definitely gravitated to trucks over the years because the dirt roads are hard on cars.
Frame swapping pre 60 cars is do able, but clipping the front is most of the time sufficient. If you don't have a frame, the s10 can work for the late 30's/early 40's, the late40's/50's needs about 60" wheel mounting surface to wheel mounting surface. I have a 52 chevy deluxe and have considered using the Explorer frame...a lot cutting.
Body swapping these cars is a lot of work, but is probably the next step up from clipping the front. Generally, I would not frame swap anything in the 60's or newer. These go in the body swap category for me.
What I remember about the 2nd gens I've owned is that the doors weigh about 100 lbs with glass. 😊
Ford ranger frame?
The 98 and newer is similar to the Explorer. The pre 98's have the twin I-beam front suspension....I think I have the years correct...The twin I-beam is a bit more expensive to lower and keep the alignment correct.
TIB went away in 95. More important is the torsion bar front suspension on Explorers and 4WD pickups. Post 95 2WD pickups have coil springs with an exception for the Edge models. Yes, there are 2WD Explorers and Edge pickups with torsion bar suspension. 8.8 Ford is not a GM 12 bolt!
If you use the Explorer, what engine/trans will you use?
I've had 4.0L Explorers in the past & that would be a no-go for me
I also had a 5.0L AWD Explorer & Man! What a difference. 5.0L is mych, much better & w/ that AWD, that SUV was a BEAST.
Anyway, with a Frame Swap, I think that I would have to dispense with the " purist" stuff, aka stop worrying about having Ford drivetrain under a Chevy and vice versa.
I usually stick with chevy engines (SBC/BBC/LS). The 57 will be either an LS or a sbc, with - I'm thinking - a T5.
The "T" in the intro is the only build vehicle I have with a Ford engine (5.0) That was real pain BTW.
I think the engineers that designed the Ford 4.0 SOHC were having way to much fun. I have no desire to run one. however...The little Datsun roadster will get a Nissan 300zx VG30 and I have plans for the 4WD Bronco II to get a 2.3l Ford.
I just realized that you were commenting on the first video. A later video shows the explorer frame going under a 1957 chevy truck.
@@RandomRodShop Oops. Sorry about that.
@@RandomRodShop And BTW: I found your videos to be really insightful and quite helpful for my decision process.
Fwiw, I have two potential frame swap projects to look at:
1) 1971 Blazer - I have been thinking about the Tahoe and your analysis of it was very helpful.
2) 1963 Dodge D200 Crew Cab. This was an old USAF truck which still has the 225 Slant Six & the three-speed (2wd) plus all of the antiquated drum brakes.
A Tahoe (or Silverado, Suburban)might actually look good on that as well. I have not really begun to look at the options on this. Obviously, I'm considering the Dodge frames, but the GM stuff just is pretty simple to deal with.
If you have any thoughts, I'd love to hear them.
Sorry, I missed this comment. If the Blazer is 4WD I think the 4WD Tahoe will fit. If you go with the 2WD the axle width limits your tire and wheel choices. If you want it lowered, the camber is problematic.
The Dodge has a long wheelbase. I think you will be lengthening whatever frame you choose. I am not that familiar with Dodge trucks. I would grab a tape measure and start measuring the Dodge to see what I was working with.
I agree, i hate the S10 frame, i use 1988-98 1500 frame, much easier swap with easy bracket location and no special wheels or deadly spacers.
I have only recently acquired a couple of these trucks. The more that I look them over, the more I like them.
4/2/2024 =532
It's an amazing number to me! I thought when the subscriber count hit 100, I had hit the big time. 😊
Thanks for your support.