4x4 Beds vs. 4x2

[HarleyJack]

I know this is technically the wrong forum to ask this on, BUT there seems to be experience folks over here vs. the rest so here it goes. Delete if not allowed.

1975 F250 4x4, bed is shot, picked up another bed that needed a major dent removed. At my friends body shop. Will be fixed and primed. When it gets back I am wondering what will need to be done to get it to fit. I know there are some differences but there seems to be confusion on the subject. I know I can cut all the cross braces off and relocate to the "new" bed, but I have heard that only a couple of things "need" to be done to achieve a proper fit. One being address the rear most brace and trim it.
I figure someone on here has done the swap so if you could chime in on how you did it, I welcome the experience.
I will not accept a hack job, but this truck will never pass as a full restore. I have spent the time to take it from rust to fresh but for a daily driver purpose, but not a show stopper, just a clean, solid, truck.

Thanks in advance.

[cep62]

Welcome to the site.
I haven't done that swap , but the frames are narrower on the highboy than the standard truck.
I believe there are flat spots in the bed floor that will line up with the narrower frame.
I don't know if the spacers are in the right location for the bolts though.
another thought is to fab some brackets on the outside of your frame to line up with the existing holes.

Please keep us posted on the results.

[bellamor]

I have never tried to swap my truck bed before but I am sure that you can find more information on Google or watch diy projects on YT.

[FLASH 1]

73/79 TRUCK BEDS
trucks with divorce transfer case on bed is 34'' frame rail 73 to early 77

trucks with married case is 37'' frame rail so makes 4x4 beds different late 77-79 trucks than the 2wd trucks all where 37'' frame unless cab/chassis changes the every thing

[HarleyJack]

I will definitely relay what I find as "fact". Posted info on measurements are correct. The highboy frame is narrower. From my finding thus far, the beds interchange. The spots are there, on all beds, for the narrow frame, but holes not drilled and inserts in the wrong place. Where it gets muddy is one or two of the braces have a height difference, from what I have heard.
The ONLY full detail I found was a fellow that actually cut all the spot welds and transferred the highboy cross braces over to the new bed. Something like 150 spot welds. However, there are plenty of people that stated it was easily doable by NOT taking this route. I know the last most brace has to be trimmed since 4x2 truck had a bigger support to the end of the bed, basically just a trim of a corner under the bed. To add to all this, I suspect there are variations on the beds in 4x2 configurations as well, from 3/4 ton to 1/2 ton. So any info I come up with will have to be taken with a grain of salt. I think the bed is from a 76 3/4 ton 4x2 but can't confirm. Again, one would think this info would be readily available, but it is not .
Thanks thus far.