Box?

[Willis Pingel]

Hi everyone, I got the box on today and it seems the back sides are wobbly. There are two small holes and one large one near the bottom of back sides, what am I miss? Is there a bracket or something to stiffen the sides up? Help!! Bill

[Merle Coggins]

Bill,

There are two "L" shaped brackets that go up into the rear stake pockets from the bottom. They should have nuts attached so that you can put bolts through from the outside to bolt them up tight. I believe the tailgate hinge bolts also attach through these brackets. Then there is a cross sill that attaches between the two "L"'sjust under the tailgate. This should make the rear of your bed rigid.

I don't have any good pictures to show you right now. I can try to get some, but it's dark when I get home. Otherwise I just may have to make another road trip with the Ol' Dodge.

Merle

[Willis Pingel]

Merle, I hope you can send me some pic's cause I haven't a clue what these brackets look like or where they go. Thanks Bill

[pflaming]

Here is a picture of an original bed with floor removed. I believe the referred to braces are between the tire and the back end of the bed. You should find complimenting holes on the bed and on the frame. The brace, a Z brace will have one end down a horizontal flat abou 4-6" and the opposite end up or visa versa.

Hope this picture is helpful.

ps. I put the attachment on my screensaver and the brace is visable on the passenger side. It is just below the bed crossmember closest to the end of the bed, about 24 - 30 ". Good luck

Edited June 6, 2017 by pflaming

[Dale Uhrich]

When I built my pickup box I used the best parts from 1948-1949-1950 pickups. When i went to reassemble it I discovered that the 1948 box side and channel below the tailgate was made without the L bracket and was quite weak. The 49-50 boxes had the L brackets and I converted to that system but had to drill holes and use the channel under the tailgate from 49-50

[Merle Coggins]

Actually you can't see the brackets in pflaming's picture. If you look at the bottom corners of the rear of the bed, in his picture, you'll see 4 bolts running vertically behind the tailgate chain and 4 more bolts in a sort of trapezoid pattern at the ends of the cross sill. These bolts go into the "L" brackets behind these pieces.

Dale's comment is interesting. Maybe Bill's bed doesn't have the "L" brackets. What holds the back of the bed sides together without them?

Merle

[Willis Pingel]

I'm still confused what them 3 holes in the side are for? See picture I sent. Bill

[Dale Uhrich]

I looked at my parts again and the 1948 box without the L bracket had only 2 bolts on each end of the channel that runs under the tailgate. The other box with the much much stronger L brackets has 4 bolts in that same channel and more up each side to stiffen the whole corner

[Merle Coggins]

  Willis Pingel said:

I'm still confused what them 3 holes in the side are for? See picture I sent. Bill

I don't know. Maybe a previous owner had a light or something else mounted there.

Merle

[JoelOkie]

I don't know about the 2 small holes, but the large hole looks to be in a good spot for one of those big black wiring grommets where a wire that carries juice to the tail light could come through. Joel

[Warren Nielsen]

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Dale Uhrich says

I looked at my parts again and the 1948 box without the L bracket had only 2 bolts on each end of the channel that runs under the tailgate. The other box with the much much stronger L brackets has 4 bolts in that same channel and more up each side to stiffen the whole corner.

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I noticed when building my box that the tall box style had the 4 bolts in the crosspiece and the short box style had only 2 bolts in the crosspiece at the rear end of the box. The front end is held together with the front panel of the box obviously. And both styles of cargo box had L shaped brackets. I don't think that what I'm seeing (the holes) in the picture submitted has really anything to do with holding the box sides upright and not wobbly.

[Willis Pingel]

  Merle Coggins said:

I don't know. Maybe a previous owner had a light or something else mounted there.

Merle

Does anybody have these holes? if so what are they used for. They do look factory.

[Merle Coggins]

After reading Joel's post I would have to agree that the larger hole is for the wires that go to the tail light. The two smaller holes at the bottom are not factory. Maybe a reflector was bolted up there?

Merle

[Dave72dt]

I thinl you'll find that the large hole lines up with the grease fitting for the rear spring pivot pin and the two smaller holes may be for mounting the rear fender extention. I've got all three holes on my '52 1/2 ton and a large hole in the front of the rear fender for access to the front sping hanger grease fitting

[JoelOkie]

My truck is a 1949 B1B high box bed. I also have the 1 1/2 " grease access hole for the front of the spring, however, the rear grease fitting looks down, and is serviced from under the truck. The rear spring mount is located behind a protruding portion that is about 4" x 4", and looks to be be about where the half oval cover plate is in Bill's picture. Behind the back of the fender, I don't have the two lower holes, but do have 1 large approx. 3/4 - 7/8" inch hole, that is 7" to the center from the side of the stake pocket, and definately not in line with the rear of the spring, thus it looks like a wiring port is the best possible reason to have a hole there to me. ( In fact I plan to use it for just that, regardless of why it was put there). It should be easy enough for Bill to see if he has a grease cert looking straight out the side, and if it does, and it lines up with the big hole like Dave's, that is certainly solved then. Joel

Edited November 21, 2009 by JoelOkie

[Dave72dt]

You're right! I wrote without making an actual visual inspection. Shame on me. The large hole is 3/4" dia. and is 7 1/2 " behind the center of the spring mount, positioned perfectly for a taillight harness. They'll end up getting filled on mine. The front spring hole on mine is 1 1/2" in dia. and will also get filled.

[Willis Pingel]

  Merle Coggins said:

Bill,

There are two "L" shaped brackets that go up into the rear stake pockets from the bottom. They should have nuts attached so that you can put bolts through from the outside to bolt them up tight. I believe the tailgate hinge bolts also attach through these brackets. Then there is a cross sill that attaches between the two "L"'sjust under the tailgate. This should make the rear of your bed rigid.

I don't have any good pictures to show you right now. I can try to get some, but it's dark when I get home. Otherwise I just may have to make another road trip with the Ol' Dodge.

Merle

I think I got the mystery holes figured out,see pic. Is this tail light bracket factory? If not where was it located and what did the factory bracket look like? There is 4 holes with nuts welded inside see pic, the bottom 2 are for the tailgate hinges, what are the next 2 for? the "L" bracket Merle is talking about can't go inside because the welded nuts are in the way,or didn't I understand? Bill

[Reg Evans]

That tail light bracket is home made. In this photo of my 52 low sided box the lower tail light is factory mounted and the upper is an added on aftermarket turn siginal.

[tinlizzy]

My 48 has the same arrangement that Reg's has with a rubber grommet in the hole for the tail light wiring. Mine does not have the resess yours has nor the holes. Some of these trucks I've seen have the bumper wrap around to the sides, maybe for a 3/4 ton size. Sorry can't help anymore than that.

Lee