Bed replacement, hardware??

[Guest fordodgeconnections]

I have started to put a bed on the PU. Anyone have experience with this? Here are some pics of what I'm up for and how far along it is. I know I will need all new hardware for sure. Maybe there is a good source for parts? What do you think can be reused? I'm working on a shoe string here. Any tips at all would be greatly appreciated!!

Dan

[Merle Coggins]

I can understand your shoestring budget, but I think you'll be needing a fairly big shoestring. Especially if you buy the wood precut from them.

Check with Mar-K http://www.mar-k.com/

Or Bruce Horkey http://www.members.tripod.com/woodandparts/index.htm

Merle

[grey beard]

Dan,

I'm almost ready to do the same thing to my bed. Was it a difficul project to get the assembly off the frame? What was the most difficult part? Any advice for the next guy - me, in this case?

Got my wood (white oak) from a friend who owns a cabinet shop - all six boards for $70. My strips are all good, but I will need all the fasteners.

Thanks,

[Guest fordodgeconnections]

Grey,

I soaked the bolts for a few days first thinking it would be a breeze.......

Not the case! Not one of the bolts could be removed and the tops just spun as I tried to remove them. I didn't have a torch or anything to cut them, so I resorted to my hammer and a prybar. The fenders were even tack welded to the frame with some angle iron. Lots of pounding later I was able to remove the sides, front, back, and fenders all in one peice. I still need to remove the cross beams from the trailer, still trying to figure that one out. All the bolts are rusted and I need something to cut them with. New cross members are about $140.00 so I need to use the old ones.

The best advise I could give....If you have a cutting torch you're in business!

I would be very interested in getting the same deal as you on the 6 boards. Are they all notched?

The links that Merle gave are fantastic for the hardware and the first one even has angle covers for the side rails.

[Vintrader]

Dan, a Die Grinder ( electric or air ) with a cutting wheel will do the trick, in tight spots even a Dremmel Tool works. If you can not get to the bolt above the nut. You can just grind the Cap of the Bolt off. I didn't say it is easy, but it works. I would buy the Bed Strips from one of the Vendors listed but you could fabricate most of the other metal work and buy your hardware from a commercial supply house and save some $$$. as far as the Wood, any good Hardwood will do. I would stay away from Pine. If you have a router you can do the rebates yourself. If not a cabinet shop will run them through a bench router it should take about 30 min. to do them all. If you need sizes for the boards let us know. And remember the stock bed finish if you go that way was black. Paint over Stain works and holds up well. Good Luck. Dutch

[Jim Shepard]

I used Bruce Horkey for both my wood (white oak) and the hardware, including chains and hooks for the tailgate. I'm very satisfied, although it wasn't cheap!

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c141/shephatchery/newbed04.jpg

As you can see, I went with black on the wood, which is how they all came. The only drawback to the horkey bed kit is that the large washers used under the bed bolts (bed to frame) do not have the cleats that grab the wood when tightened. Also, the skid strips are not an exact duplicate, but I doubt anyone would catch that.

[knighthawk]

I restored a '59 Apache a couple years ago, varnished wood bed and all. Most of the materials for the complete truck came from L M C and Chevy Duty, Brothers was way to expensive.

[Guest Sams1950B2D]

I'll be ready for bed wood soon too and I could use the dimensions of the boards for the 3/4 and 1 ton beds (54 inches wide). Just the board widths - length will vary by box.

I got my angle and bed strips from Mar-K. Had the stainless angles welded to the box sides. We'll see how well it goes together. It was a long time ago when I took the box apart.

[woodscavenger]

Years ago I had a 69 chevy that I was too cheap to do the way I wanted to do but a piece of oak plywood fit in great with only a little trimming. I coated it with exterior deck coating and it looked great. Not original, but functional!

[Bouncy B]

"Shoe String" you say? Well that happens to be my middle name (or is it tightwad, I can't remember) I recently completed my truck on a very tight budget. I started with a $500 truck and wanted to keep it fun and cheap. It looks great and I'm very pleased with the results.

Here's how I did my bed:

Cross Rails: There are four of these that go across the frame. Most of the time these are gone or at least bent. I went to the metal supply and bought 2" square tubing. They didn't have anything like the original. (See my posting on bed rails.) $20 they even cut it for me for free

Wood: 3/4" Oak Plywood from Lowes Very nice quality. $40 they also cut it to length.

The rest of the hardware I ordered from Mar-K. They have free shipping right now. I think it was about $70.

The bed hardware will screw right into the plywood as well as the metal tubing and no one will be the wiser.

You can spend several hundreds of dollars on wood.

My friend had a 1957 Chevrolet truck that he stored inside of a trailer in his garage. The bed still split and the finish was peeling.

Sooo, save yourself the money.

Plus my kids like to jump in the back and occasionally it gets used as a truck.

If the plywood only lasts a few years I haven't lost much at all.

I like my truck and it looks correct.

So there's a shoestring bed.

Richard