bed alignment/install

[ggdad1951]

I asked the question earlier in another thread, but didn't seem to garner a response, since I'm picking up my bed wood today and will be working on it this weekend I have questions:

do you transfer the old holes for mounting and let 'er buck?

OR

do you put the bed together and set it on the frame spacing out the fenders w/ the running boards, mark the hole locations and remove to put the holes and washer relief's in?

I can see logic in both ways.

Thanks!

[Merle Coggins]

Toss the long bolts in the garbage and just bolt the cross members to the frame from underneith, unless you really want that original look. That's what I did. I used regular 1/2" bolts to bolt the cross members to the frame, but I left everything loose until it was all assembled and aligned, then tightened everything. I didn't have to measure and drill through my outer boards for the long through bolts. It's held up well that way so far.

Merle

[Young Ed]

Merle I might do my next one that way just for a smoother look. Mark I'm sure wants the long bolts to look original.

Mark I assembled mine and then marked and drilled the holes. Of course that was the only way I could as I didn't have a pattern. My 46 is different too as I have wood cross members to make and align too.

[pflaming]

My bed floor is an 80" x 48" sheet of marine plywood. That slid in and that made my bed square. If I were putting in individual boards I would square the bed with a sheet of plywood.

I did the same thing Merle did. The holes are already in the cross members and the frame, all that was required was six good bolts. I guess the engineers figured the beds for what they were used in the 50's needed to be attached as they did for added strength. If one were to haul grain all day long on non-paved roads, the bed bolted just through the cross members might not be sufficient.

Today, the big washers do look nice. I've got mine, maybe I ought to powder coat them black and put them in, . . . . h-m-m-m-m.

[Dave72dt]

The long bolts still need to go through the crossmembers so I would preassemble the bed and crossmembers, square it up, mark for your long bolts using the crossmembers for location. Any adjustment for fender and running boards I would do by adjusting the holes on the frame rail.

[ggdad1951]

The long bolts still need to go through the crossmembers so I would preassemble the bed and crossmembers, square it up, mark for your long bolts using the crossmembers for location. Any adjustment for fender and running boards I would do by adjusting the holes on the frame rail.

so if I need to move the bolts/bed, slot the holes on the frame rail instead?

Edited August 3, 2012 by ggdad1951

[Dave72dt]

Yes, because the ends of the crossmembers also have fixed locating holes that are visible. The frame holes are not.

[ggdad1951]

Yes, because the ends of the crossmembers also have fixed locating holes that are visible. The frame holes are not.

since I am going for "original" and using the long bolts that's what I'll do...make life a LOT easier than putting it together and taking it all apart again for those 8 holes!

[Young Ed]

You wouldn't have to take it all apart just those two boards right?

[HanksB3B]

Mark,

If I do know you, you want to do it right and you want to do it as it was done originally. Well here goes..., you guessed it..., another Bruce Horkey plug. Give him a call he'll answer every question you never thought to ask. Buy all the hardware from him. He offers it in various grades. I chose the polished stainless and was nothing but Wow'd when I opened the box and looked at he quality. Three years later, it looks the same

Hank

[ggdad1951]

yes hank! such a man crush!

I actually got a bunch of the unique fasteners from him for the fenders and some other odd stuff. Just got back from the 4 hour round trip for wood for the bed...nice white oak, NO knots....I almost feeel bad that I'm gonna paint it....but I can always pop them out, plane 'em down and stain lacquer if I want. My bed strips are the correct shape from Midwest Military, but I'm ordering some stuff from him today so I'll see if he has any hints for me.

[Jeff Balazs]

Mark;

You can drill those holes with the bed assembled.

The metal cross members on the underside of the bed have holes that have to line up with the mounting points on the frame. You can use a center punch or a forstner bit of the appropriate size to mark the center of each hole. Then drill a 1/16" hole up from the underside. Now your hole locations are marked and you can finish drilling and / or countersink like I did for the main mounting bolts.

Jeff

[Reg Evans]

Hank, when ya gonna come up here and haul a couple yards of mine rock back to your place ? It's cheap and will break your bed right in.

Mark,

If I do know you, you want to do it right and you want to do it as it was done originally. Well here goes..., you guessed it..., another Bruce Horkey plug. Give him a call he'll answer every question you never thought to ask. Buy all the hardware from him. He offers it in various grades. I chose the polished stainless and was nothing but Wow'd when I opened the box and looked at he quality. Three years later, it looks the same

Hank

[ggdad1951]

spent the day getting the wood machined down and ready for paint. I plan on a thread to document all this. I spent a while talking to Hank's best buddy yesterday. Yes Hank he remembers you!

Bruce gave me a few pointers that I utilized today and will explain in the thread.