| Slant Six Forum https://slantsix.org/forum/ |
|
| Question for stepside bed equipped truck owners https://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=61416 |
Page 1 of 1 |
| Author: | Reed [ Fri Jul 21, 2017 10:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Question for stepside bed equipped truck owners |
I have a 76 D100 that was built with a fleetside bed but I want to convert it to a stepside bed. I purchased a stepside bed but it was missing all the original bed floor, bed floor sills, bed wood metal strips, and all the hardware for the wood. I have purchased reproduction bed sills, but I am balking at the price tag for reproduction bed wood and associated hardware. I am contemplating installing a metal bed floor. I know later model stepside trucks came with a metal bed floor. Here are my questions: on wood bed floor equipped trucks, the bed is held in place by the front and rear bed mounting bolts only. The cross sills apparently attach to the wood only. Is that true? Or do the cross sills also attach to the frame of the truck? Does anyone know of a source for replacement metal bed floors for shortbed stepside trucks? Should I just try and get the cheapest sheet of aluminum or steel I can find? Pictures of how a stepside bed with a wood and with a metal floor attach to the sills and the frame would be GREATLY appreciated. Given the recent developments of free photo hosting on the internet, I can accept photos via email. Thanks much in advance. P.S.- Yes, I already looked in the factory service manual and, surprisingly, it does not discuss this. |
|
| Author: | afastcuda1970 [ Sat Jul 22, 2017 7:06 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
You may have better luck going to a Dodge truck forum and asking the Lil' Red Express and Warlock owners. |
|
| Author: | Reed [ Sat Jul 22, 2017 7:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
I dug around and found a source for bed floor panels, so I answered part of my question, but i would still appreciate input about the other portion regarding how stepside bed florr support sills attach to the frame. Thanks. |
|
| Author: | Joshie225 [ Sat Jul 22, 2017 8:31 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
I only have my '54 pickup for reference, but if you want pictures of certain areas I can do that. The bed appears to have changed very little throught the years so it might help. |
|
| Author: | Reed [ Sat Jul 22, 2017 9:15 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Thanks, Josh. For now, I think I am good and actually don't need pictures. I took a long look under my 76 and it appears that the metal floor bed attaches the same way as the wodd floor. Only the four corner bolts hold the bed to the frame and the cross rails are attached to the bed and rest on the frame. This is actually good news. Instead of buying bed floor patch panels and cutting and welding a bed floor together, I am going to find a scrap fleetside shortbed and cut the whole floor out of it, including the braces, and then weld that into my stepside bed in one piece. My ultimate plan is to have a dumping stepside bed, but that will come later. |
|
| Page 1 of 1 | All times are UTC-07:00 |
| Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited https://www.phpbb.com/ |
|