Pictures Of A Stepside Bed

[brian hood]

Does anyone have a picture of their truck bed (without the strips in it) that they would post? I am trying to decide what is the best method for replacing the wood in my bed. All of the runners are very rusty and the channel strips are going to have to be replaced. I can not tell how the runners attached across the bed sides. Therefore, if someone has a picture or illustration of the bed, I would be grateful.

Brian

[pflaming]

Brian, this is about as bare as is possible. If you want close ups my bed still is as pictured. Hope the picture helps. I plan to remove the scoop shovel guides, then cut a single piece of quality plywood to fit, slide it in under the side angle irons, bolt the guides on the top and paint the floor and guides black like it came from the factory. May rout out groves for guides.

Good luck and Merry Christmas.

paul flaming

[brian hood]

Thanks Paul. This helps as far as letting me know how it goes back.

Brian

[brian hood]

You would be surprised to find that wood for the bed is not that expensive and it adds a whole new personality.

Brian

[pflaming]

I can not tell how the runners attached across the bed sides". Brian, I'll take some pictures from below, easy to do, my bed is off the truck, let me know what view you want.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

[Guest Dave Claussen]

Paul, just out of curiousity, what year is the truck in the picture? That picture is worth the proverbial thousand words. My bed floor was a single sheet of plywood and the entire bed had been removed and then just set back on the frame without any attachment so I have no idea how it all goes together. That picture really gives me a good idea how to reassemble it when I get to that point. Thanks for posting it. Dave

[pflaming]

My truck is a '52, but I am quite certain the only change made to the bed for quite a few years was the fenders. Will take some pictures from the underside and post them later today.

Define 'runners' and I will get you some shots. As the picture shows, the box is assembled as a unit. The sides held together from the front by the front panel and from the rear by the lower cross member to which the tailgate hinges and tail lights attach. Running along the bottom side is an angle iron, some welded on, some bolted on. The wood floor goes UNDER this angle iron. I will take some pictures on how the cross members attach and how the bed attaches to the truck frame.

PF

[pflaming]

Here are more pictures, most of these are taken from a bottom view. Hope they are helpful. The angle irons that run on the side panels, on my bed are permanently attached, no bolts.

pflaming

[Bob_Koch]

I'm in the process of putting together my truck bed and taking pics as I go. Maybe these can help as I found this to be quite a puzzle as well. When I get all done I'll do a complete webpage on it, but I"ll try to explain what I can for now.

Sitting on top of the truck frame are your 4 cross sills. They just lay on the frame with rubber pads between. (get the pads from Mar-K, Horkey, or make your own). The two inner sills have no bolts holding them to the frame, they ride loose on the bottom with only a rubber pad between the sill and the frame.

The outside two sills get held down by the 4 large bolts that run down from the bed wood, through the sills to the frame.

(the pic shows extra sills as I have more than I need, just in case)

Here's the pads used under the outside sills

Your wood lays on top of the sills. It's the bed strips that hold the wood to the sills.

Now what holds the sides to the bed?? The answer is the bed sides using the angle strips, rest on top of the bed wood. Angle strips and wood are bolted together, and the wood is bolted to the sills through the bed strips. Also front gets bolted to the wood, which in turn is bolted to the sills. As David Erbs has pointed out in his articles, the bed really is a whole unit and is bolted to the truck frame through the 4 large bolts that run all the way through the wood, sills and frame.

Here's a pic of setting the bed side and front piece on top of the wood, which will eventually get connected to the sills by using the bed strips.

Finally, here's a pic of a bed still intact. The sills sit on top of the frame using only rubber to prevent squeaks. The wood gets connect to the sills by use of the runners.

[pflaming]

Wouldn't it be easier to rebuilt the bed off the truck? I haven't done that but just as a discussion point, I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to bolt the front end panel, the side panels and the rear bottom cross member together first.

Do this upside down then add the bottom cross members. When all the metal pieces are together, then add the floor? Finally there are six bolts that attach the bed to the frame, for toward the front, two toward the rear. Not to criticize the other approach, just a rehtorical question.

Good luck to both. I'm not going to take mine apart, just going to add a floor.

PF

[Bob_Koch]

You need to read David Erb's write up on reflooring. Lot's of good info. He suggests that Dodge built the bed's elsewhere and then just bolted them to the frame with 4 big bolts. So, yes, you can build the bed off frame.

Here's links to Dave's write ups:

http://dodgepilothouseclub.org/misc/Pilothouse%20Pickup%20Bed%20Reflooring1.pdf

http://dodgepilothouseclub.org/misc/Pilothouse%20Pickup%20Bed%20Reflooring2.pdf

[brian hood]

Isn't there anything that holds the two sides together? Does the cross sills touch the bed sides?

[pflaming]

The sides are held by the front panel, three cross sils/members and the end cross bar to which the tail gate attaches. Look closely at the first pic I sent and you will see which cross members bolt to the bed sides. The corners of the bed work like buttresses and hold the sides vertical. I think it would be easy to rebuild the bed by building it upside down on a floor, it doesn't look that difficult when it's assembled.

Print out the picture and take it with you. I have done that with a lot of pictures from the forum in rebuilding the engine. I tape the picture to the firewall and do a lot of looking. Took a second look at my bed, the floor goes between the sils and the side panel angle iron, so if one was putting it together upside down, a spacer would be required until the floor was added.

Trying to get my engine started today, can't get fire past the coil, must have something wired wrong. Just had some milk and freshly baked sugar cookies, headed back out to the garage now.

Good luck

PF