Boxing frame to prevent frame flex

[wildcat455]

First, Thank you all for your input on this! I appreciate the thought and explanation put into your posts.

My thoughts on some of the comments here:

average250, only the motor mount area is boxed on my frame, which is to say, not much.
cleane1, I've seen the strap top and bottom on older Jeep channel frames. Newer Jeep frames are boxed.
GIJoe4500, I come from the same world you do.
Kurt Combs, I believe Ford didn't box the frame because of ease and cost of manufacturing. Also, at the time of manufacture, the design parameters of these trucks could be met with a channel frame.
BobbyFord, your friend is an artist/craftsman.

Boxed frames still flex, just not as much as channel frames. These frames in my opinion, flex too much... To the point I have seen some sprung. (Not recently, but back in the day when these trucks were more plentiful.)
Ever go 4 wheeling in one of these trucks and drop your clutch linkage? I have, numerous times. How about twisting your truck up that it starts to accelerate on it's own? BTDT numerous times as well. Sometimes, both happen at the same time. Dents in the back of the cab from the bed kissing it?

This truck will primarily be an off road toy. I will still street drive with it, use it for hunting and fishing trips, and pretty much do rough things with it I'm unwilling to do with my 2007 Dodge. It will also serve as a back up vehicle, parts runner, towing/hauling, utility vehicle etc.

My first vehicle was a 1971 Ford F-250. I owned it from 1979 until 2000. Around 1988 I got into Jeeps, and by 1993 I was building Jeeps for Rock Crawling. By 1998 I was building my own Jeep chassis, and in 2003 I built my current Rock Buggy. I don't go Rock Crawling as much as I used to now, and I've been missing the old Ford and all the fun I used to have in it, so much that I decided to take a step back into one. So now, I have a "Mostly" 1972 model. (1967 doors and cab, 1972 bed, frame, transmission, transfer case, and grille, who knows what year hood and front fenders, 1976 front and rear axle.)

Boxing this frame does not intimidate me in the least. The reason for starting this thread was to get ideas and opinions of those who have done this with these trucks, and maybe learn from them, with the benefit of their hindsight.

Maybe it's just not done much. There's not as many of these trucks on the road these days...

Anyway, it was just an Idea I was kicking around in my head. I'm not ready to box the frame yet,I've already decided I will wait until if or when I put a Cummins/Dodge drivetrain in it, which I do not have yet. Who knows, with the way the economy is going, I may never get to it, in which case, it'll stay like it is.

[BobbyFord]

Well, in the event that you do wind up boxing it in, make sure you start a project thread with lots of pics . Maybe we all can learn something from this.

[wildcat455]

LOL! Will do!