F350 Frame width

[BANDITFARMER]

I have a question to ask of you good fellows, I have a 95 F350 DRW gas 11000# GVW flat bed and a 96 F350 DRW 7.3 10000# GVW Extend cab flat bed. Now both trucks were sold as Incomplet from Ford (Cab and chassies) the 95 is 34" to the outside of the frame BUT the 96 is 38" to the outside of the frame. Was going to switch a few things around but nothing will fit now with 4" diffrent in the width. These 2 trucks were built 3 months apart and every Ford guy I talk to says the same thing, No way its that wide. Can anyone shed some light on this? Or do I have an ODD Ball truck? Bandit
 

[john in la]

While I may stand corrected on this I will say...

Your 96 is not really a cab and chassis it is a dual wheel pickup frame.
All Cab and Chassis (no matter the make) truck frames should be 34" wide. The Ford pickups use to be 34" but went to 37.5 or 38" to improve the ride back in the 70's.

The cab and chassis rear end is the same width as the SRW is but the spring landings are set closer together. This is why the tire hits the spring if you try to put dual wheels on a SRW truck.
The DRW pickup axle has the same spring spacing as the SRW but the axle is wider.

You can confirm or dismiss this with a vin # check.
 

[BANDITFARMER]

Well both trucks on the Vin # tag on the door jam say the same thing, INCOMPLETE VEHICLE MANUFACTURED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Both trucks were built in the same truck plant in KY and were built 3 months apart in 1995. I talked to a Big Ford truck dealer (they sell F350 up only) and they said with that tag reading INCOMPLET it should be 34" wide frame and not 38" but it had to be special ordered to get a Extend Cab in a cab and chasse set up. Who knows what Ford did when they built it. I still like it runs and pulls good and at 19 mpg I wont complane! Bandit
 

[john in la]

But what does position 5 6 and 7 of the vin number say.
They changed over the years so it may be differant for your year but Ford could tell you.

The 5th spot should be a letter.
F regular cab
X supercab
W crewcab

Spot 6 and 7
34 and above is a chassis cab
33 and below is a pickup

Brealing it down more
The first # 3 means 350 The second # tells chassis and rear wheels.

30 and 34 4x2 srw
31 and 35 4x4 srw
32 and 36 4x2 drw
33 and 37 4x4 drw
 

[BANDITFARMER]

Thanks for the information I will but it to good use and add it to the other information that I found for and on this truck. Thank You Bandit
 

[massey333]

What you can buy is a pickup with a bed delete,which sounds like what you have and it would have a 38"frame while the other truck is a true chassis cab truck.Both trucks would have been marked incomplete.