Hello, I have a 1985 Dodge 1 ton dual rear wheel crew cab truck that has a rust issue in the front part of the roof. I want to find out what year crew cabs will interchange??? I am thinking 1972-74 has a smaller rear window and 1975-80 has a different dash and I don't know if my dash in my 1985 Crew cab will bolt right in the same or not???
Looking for a rust free cab.. any help would be appreciated.
glr7069@ptd.net
Pa

72-80 Cabs are the same and 81-93 are the same. The early models didn't have the roof rust out issue as the 81-93 do. As far as interchange there are body line differences but you can mix and match. Scratch'n who is a Dodge truck guru on Moparts has a good post on here on how he fixed his '81 up style roof issue. I was impressed...

Good luck!

72-85 Crewcabs are all the same. the bulkhead hole is different for the wiring and the hvac I believe is different (both mentioned pertain to 72-80 vs 81-85) The rest is the Same. the Standard cabs are what changed as in the roof skin was redone and the above mentioned. Clubcabs follow the same criteria as the Crewcabs

ALL the body lines are in the Front doors renders and box Not the cabs. 70s had rust in the roofs aswell. The Cabs in any configuration Do Not have a body line.

Thank you, I think I would rather stay with an 81-85 cab so I can use all of my HVAC stuff

Roof rust is an issue in all of them as the factory didn't coat the metal on the inner side of either the outer or inner roof skin on any of them

Look for evidence of Ziebart or Rusty Jones treated cabs The dealer some times sprayed the inside of the roofs on some to kill water leaks

If you find a good one spray the insides of the roof before you put it on the truck so you can turn it & use gravity to your advantage

You're limited to 81-85 cab due to not only the HVAC but the steering column mounting changed in 79 also

What Changed on the Steering column mounting? Pretty sire my 80 mounts the same as my 76 did. looks like Ill be checking tomorrow

I'd like to know what changed also.

The mounting plate changed under the dash I found that out when I went to put a 79 tilt column in my 77 CrewCab 78 tilt column is a one year only column look it up in the factory parts book like I have

The hole where it passes through the firewall is the same I have a dozen or so columns I can take the pics of to show what I'm talking about

I restore & sell the tilt columns for 78-80 trucks I know what fits & what don't

The column on the right is from a 79 that a customer sent me recently to rebuild the one on the left a 78' only tilt column


Notice the difference in the mounting as well as the location of it

I have a 84 and a 85 I would sell, complete trucks "running when parked" neither has factory air. PM or email at shinnerytree at yahoo.com. They are about twenty miles north of Abilene, Texas. Bryce

There is no difference in the steering column mount.
I installed a 1992 column in my 1979 crew cab when I did my Cummins conversion and it was a 100% bolt in.
I've had dozens of these trucks apart over the last 30 years. The only real change in the crew cabs between 72-85 was the heater opening in the firewall changed in 1981.
All doors, dashes, glasses etc will interchange.
Someone mentioned earlier about smaller back windows in the earlier trucks.
Yes, the glass was smaller but the cab window opening never changed, just the glass itself and the weatherstrip. It was just the shape of the weatherstrip changed in he mid 70's to allow a slightly larger glass to be used.

I put the sliding window from a 87' in my 77'

I'm putting a 84 firewall & floor section in mine It's from a RamCharger & I'll have a tunnel that fits my 518 a whole lot better & the A/C parts will fit together well with the 92-93 Magnum stuff easier & look like it came that way

The factory buckets & console don't hurt either