Body swap

[Skip]

Will the body from a 63 J200 bolt onto a later (80-87) chassis ?

[drcom]

From what I see the 1963 J200 has a wheelbase of 120" but the Wagoneer has a wheelbase of 110". That would not be a very good fit. You can sneak an inch or two and make things look pretty normal, but not 10".....Just for info, the 1997-2002 F-150 short bed regular cab has a wheelbase of 120.2". That would be easier to match.

[goldhammer]

Think he's asking about a truck chassis, not Wagoneer, since he only went to '87.

[Heep-J4000]

There is a thread about truck frame differences somewhere on this forum.
If I remember correctly the cab mounts on the frame are on a different place and height on the later years.

[Heep-J4000]

Well some say there is no difference and some say there is!
Have a read through this thread,
http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=38992

[backroadin']

I think form the radiator to the back of a truck cab, they are the same, or the front half basically.

[threepiece]

There is definitely a difference in the cab mounting. A significant change occurred in the 1976 frames that included the steering gear and cab mounting structure as well as other features.

The cab mounting brackets have a larger hole and are placed at a different Z height on the later frames. I also believe they maybe in a different Location so the bolts will not align with an older cab.

Another little known difference is the second crossmember mounting location. There is a slight change that occurred in 1980 on the location of the holes in the frame where the transmission crossmember attaches. This change is to accommodate the New Process transfercase that was introduced that year.

[rang-a-stang]

the Wago/Chero frames are VERY different than the J10/J20 chassis from about the middle of the doors back. The J10/J20 chassis is a few inches wider. If you look in the back of the field service manual, there are diagrams of the chassis's with measurements and you can see where the cab mounts are in different spots and the chassis is wider. I also believe the gas tank mounts are very different.

I learned this when I bought an axle from a J10 and it WOULD NOT bolt into my Cherokee WT. The spring perches on the J10 axle were about 1.5" wider per side.

[tgreese]

Originally Posted by rang-a-stang

the Wago/Chero frames are VERY different than the J10/J20 chassis from about the middle of the doors back. The J10/J20 chassis is a few inches wider. If you look in the back of the field service manual, there are diagrams of the chassis's with measurements and you can see where the cab mounts are in different spots and the chassis is wider. I also believe the gas tank mounts are very different.

I learned this when I bought an axle from a J10 and it WOULD NOT bolt into my Cherokee WT. The spring perches on the J10 axle were about 1.5" wider per side.

Yes, this is a part with the bed width. A J-truck rear axle is wider than the front, allowing a 4' distance between the inner wheel wells. The Utility Trucks are the same way. I presume this is mostly so that 4x8 sheet goods will lay flat in the bed. Very few vehicles have this sort of wider rear axle, since it modestly increases the turning radius. Better tracking, less maneuverable, supposedly. Almost all cars and trucks nave a narrower rear track than front.