Truck bed and rear frame

[pflaming]

Bed is off! Waiting on engine parts so focus elsewhere for a while. With the bed off I can see how the wooden floor goes in. I think I will use a solid piece of plywood. Others have done that, then but the steel shovel runners on top, maybe route out the groves and set them down. Someone did an all black bed, I think I will only do the floor, leave the sides as they are.

The bad news is that I took the hood setup out of the bed last week-end and put the 'dog house' in the bed, then forgot and left the hood in the alley. It is GONE! Now when something comes off, it gets STORED immediately!!!!!

Turner Trucking has three so that is one thing, but I wanted it to be 'as I found it!" Darn!!!!!!!!

Really enjoying this project, but not the rusty bolds, very sore shoulder muscles. Thank God for grinders and dremmels!!! Lots of new bolts.l

[carl b51]

tough luck on the hood. but the frame rails look good ,no cracks and real straight. Carl

[pflaming]

This view shows that the frame is very good. A friend has an air blaster into which can be added a 'sandy' abrasive. I am going to take the truck there and really clean the fra:) me and springs before painting.

[grey beard]

Check those six holes that go through the frame top flange to hold the bed. Mine was cracked at the left front and had to be repaired. Good luck.

[pflaming]

If cracked, then weld and redrill the hole or did you weld a piece of flat to the frame and a new hole. Thank you, will check. Seems there are lots of little things to watch out for. Checked the holes, all clean, no cracks, good shoulders. Then checked the bed shovel guides. They are all solid and reusable, so then checked the bed sides and tail gate. There are no dings or dents, not from the outside nor from the inside, finally

checked the front bed panel and it is nice and straight. This must have been a city truck.

The guides in the floor were to keep the shovel from gouging into the wood. These 1/2 ton trucks replaced the wagon and were used to haul grain which is why the floors are so tight. I recall that many the pickups of the 40's had some sort of end gate that allowed allowed the grain to come out in a stream, most were build out of wood. Some had a square opening with some type of sliding door. Others were hinged in the middle with an arm the extended to adjust the flow of the grain. Elevators had a cable lift and a cradle onto which we drove the truck and front was lifted to empty the grain. When Dad and others got hydralic lifts, the elevators had us use our lifts, faster.

Might be interesting to see home made end gates. Any one have one!

PF