mrmikey
Veteran Member
I would think if you're doing the all labour yourself (other than bending the plate and shortening the driveshaft obviously), by the time you have to buy the plate and get it bent or send the driveshaft out and get it shortened, moving the axles ahead would be cheaper for out of pocket expensesProbably a bit cheaper than moving axle, I would think.
Saying that, going with the reinforced tail end and leaving the CA as it is would give you what you really want, (admit it ) the possibility of 12' body, so, thinking like you I'd go the reinforced frame. Another advantage of leaving the frame length as is, you don't have to monkey with a drive train that you know works as far as angles and lengths go.
For material, going on the assumption the frame is 10" deep with a 3" flange you're gonna need two pieces of 1/4" plate 16"± x 6' ? +, and a couple of small pieces to reinforce the cross members where you splice them back together and an hour shearing and bending, so 'bout $150 labour.
I've heard that bodies I had bought for <$22K no more than 2-3 years ago are now going for $32K>. Riduculous.....but as long as people pay the price, that's where they'll stay. The unfortunate thing is a lot of people don't have a choice.Price of new bodies (steel) is so unbelievably high that used bodies are now expensive and rare