I'm strongly thinking about building a crew cab later in the year...
What's the total time commitment to building one? Has there been a good writeup of a crew-cab "recipe" yet, or any establishment of best practices to build one?
I understand the need to stretch the hardtop sheetmetal. Are crew-cabbers also permanently attaching the hard top to the cab?
Aside from moving the back frame mount for the cab and stretch the cab subframe (and perhaps reinforce it through the mid-section), what else needs to be done to the cab?
Best,
Bob
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Old Build:
1968 M35A2, repowered with Cat 3208T and Spicer 6855 .695 OD - mostly* sold
Ross Hydrapower steering - still available
Next build - Cummins 6CT, RTOO-14613, M35a2 Tcase, 5 ton axles, Arvin Meritor 16.5x7 Q series brakes, M35a2 sheetmetal*, 14.00x20 Michelin XL's on HEMTT wheels.
Status: Runs and drives, needs front driveshaft.
There really is no "recipe" as it depends on your taste. The length of time is based on your fab skills and your time to dedicate to it. Do what you dream and make it come true.
Going off the question asked in general:
Think of the rear section of one truck however long you wish to fab in - cutting the rear section off your master cab - splicing in the extension along with the floor in . You would want to measure to where it will splice in so it flows into your add on.
I did this years ago with a Chevy pickup big window single cab and spliced in a small window - making it a crew cab - if I recall it was around a 14 inch addition.
Time is irrelevent - whatever time it takes to make it right with the time you have to spend on it - and your skill level as mentioned above.
Great Idea just to do it as long as you do not wind up with a non usable cab (or two)
I take it there will be pictures to follow.
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"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." [Benjamin Franklin]
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hi im scott
1967 m35a2 whistler "crossfire"
In Memory Of CPL Kenny "CrossFire" Cross 1/23 Inf 3-2 Sect Tomahawks KIA Aug 27th 2006. 1968 m103a3w/shelter"the man cave"
how is the extra cab made? is it fabbed up from materials or is there a donor cab?
Both. The ones ive seen is they use as much of the extra cab as they can, but you still have to cut and fab in extra sheet metal. The main reason is the fron of the cab is narrower then the rear. This means to mount the cabs together you must cut and widen the front of the donor cab and then patch the expansion with new sheet metal. Also some guys have a wider gap between the front and rear door then others. It mostly comes down to your personal preference.
I would love to get a long bed Deuce, replace that long bed with a normal bed and fill the gap by turning it into a crew cab leaving it a 6x6.
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"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." [Benjamin Franklin]
Firefighter, Thanks for the info. I hadn't thought about the width difference fore and aft on the cab, but now that you say it, it's so obvious I can't believe I missed it!
I'm more looking for an understanding of lessons learned, general wisdom on this particular job. I'm no stranger to the welder and fabrication, but it would help to know what materials are in play, what people are doing with the hardtop, etc. A local friend did an M211 crew cab a few years back, but it's not an M35 cab, so the lessons learned will be slightly different.
I have access to a donor cab, and I'll be using that as much as possible here. There is a high "crazy idea" factor floating around here right now - I'm trying to stay very grounded and do this as quickly and as easily as possible.
Finally, I really like what HRD has done with his addition. I wouldn't mind copying that wholesale.
Best,
Bob
__________________
Old Build:
1968 M35A2, repowered with Cat 3208T and Spicer 6855 .695 OD - mostly* sold
Ross Hydrapower steering - still available
Next build - Cummins 6CT, RTOO-14613, M35a2 Tcase, 5 ton axles, Arvin Meritor 16.5x7 Q series brakes, M35a2 sheetmetal*, 14.00x20 Michelin XL's on HEMTT wheels.
Status: Runs and drives, needs front driveshaft.
It's not a technically challenging job, but it does require thought and planning. Most use a hard top and simply cut and extend it on the back end. You will probably want to brace the top as this makes a large unsupported piece of sheet metal if you do not. A roll bar functions nicely for this. It is also a good time to install better seats and perhaps a three point seat belt system. I would look at putting a bench seat from a mini-van or maybe from a pickup in the back. You may decide to go with buckets, though.
To figure out where to widen the donor cab, find the place on the back curve where it is widest. That will be the point where you will want to cut to.
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I have two thoughts on this subject.....replace the deuce cab with a crew cab body (I have a 1960 International I am saving for this project) or use two cab tubs back to back and have "suicide doors".
It seems like the latter would help avoid a lot of the fab issues. Just cut the backs out of the cabs and splice them together. The bed would hide a lot of the exposed firewall of the rear facing cab.
Put a bench seat against what was the dash of the rear cab and you would have room for five. You could open the "rear" windows of the back cab for flow thru ventilation.
A little sheet metal and body filler on the outside and you would have a very unique looking vehicle.
Just my rambling thoughts for what they are worth.
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How long are people spending on Crewcabs?
