Can't figure out how bed mounts

[bluebanshee]

I'm ready to mount the bed on my 1957 D100 but am stumped on how it fastens. I had thought that it sat on the cross braces but they are by more than an inch. The bed would hit the cab before it would sit on top of the front/rear braces.

 

I looked at pictures and posts on here but many of them are older trucks so I do not know if that is the same. I don't see anything in the pictures I took during disassembley. It would seem if I bolted the braces together they would extend far enough for the bed to rest on. 

[Dave72dt]

It appears it should fit the same way the older trucks do, with the wood floor sandwiched between the cross members and the bedsides.  bedside angles sitting on top of the wood.  different length cross members, looks like the shorter ones go in front of and behind the axle arch. Long bolts with the washers go through the wood, then the cross member, then the frame.  On the front panel, the wood sits on top of the lower lip.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Dave72dt

[bluebanshee]

Dave, thanks for the response. That part of the process I do understand. I do have the new angle strips for on the side of the bed, in stainless, but may not even install them.

 

What I don't understand is how to mount the bed/box to the frame of the truck. I've attached a very crude imagine of my issue.

 

The bed is about an inch from the cab but the back sill of the bed is just sitting on the frame by a 1/4 inch right now. The front cross member will not line up with the lower angle of the bed. The bed would hit the cab before it could sit on top of the rear cross brace.

 

If I would weld some angle to the front/rear braces to extend them forward on the front and rearward on the rear it seems it would work. It seems like I am missing some parts and should be very straightforward.

Edited November 6, 2014 by bluebanshee

[Dave72dt]

Try switching your angles from side to side which will reverse the hole pattern on them and may line up your front cross member. My wood at the back sets on the rear spreader bar, not a crossmember per se,  Mine's a '51, so how much hangs over the frame could vary

[bluebanshee]

I'll take a 2nd look at the original cross supports (whats left of them anyway) but I don't think any is to be gained.

 

I will have to get some better pictures.

[Dave72dt]

Cross members will only go where those I/2" holes are in the top of the truck frame.  the angles I was talking about are the bedside angles that may need to be reversed.  I don't know if your bedside angles are I piece or several pieces per side.  An inch from the cab at the front sounds abut right unless the front bed panel has been bowed forward (common) which would mean the box may need to go forward more after the panel has been straightened.

 

 

You may want to check with Fargos-go-far,  he has a 55, I believe which may be closer to what you have and may be able to give you better insight to dimensions and box placement.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Dave72dt

[bluebanshee]

My bed angles are 3 per side. I was going to put them on last, if at all.

 

I should be able to fully mount the bed to the frame without any wood or the middle cross members right?

 

I could see if the wood was attached the front and rear of the bed how that would hold the bed up off the frame. Doesn't seem like that would be correct to me. If it is, I will make some modifications so I can mount the bed then do the wood at a later date.

[Dave72dt]

You need the center cross members installed to support the wood in that area.  Without them, the bed will be weak and feel spongy, possibly crack and break if any amount of weight is placed on them.  Bed angles are needed to fasten the bed to the wood which support it at the correct height or you'll need to devise some other method of fastening the bed to the cross members. You could get by with just installing the outside boards or spacers at the ends of the cross members.  Wood boards will spread the box weight out and spacers will concentrate it.

[bluebanshee]

My mistake if it seemed like I wanted to add the wood without all of the cross members. I plan to use all of them.

 

I didn't realize the weight of the bed was supported by the angles, which I do not have installed. It won't take much work to mount the bed differently.

 

My new cross members: http://p15-d24.com/topic/36645-1957-d100-resto-mod/?p=386663

[William Davey]

Blue - if your '57 is like my 2nd series '55, the bed is bolted to the wood boards along the outer edges through the L angles, the boards are supported but not bolted to the cross frames with about a hundred bolts down through the metal bed strips and 6 big bolts with counter sunk big washers go down through the outermost board through the frame.  I know it's scary, but on mine, the wood is what's holding all that metal on the frame. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bluebanshee]

Thanks, William.

 

That is how my bed is. It does seem very strange to me that the bed is only sitting on the outer two boards.

 

I will be bolting the bed to some supports as I will be going a slightly different route with mine.

[Merle Coggins]

It may seem strange to you, but William is right. The boards are clamped to the cross members via the metal strips and hardware. The bed sides then sit on top of, and are attached to, the outer boards. then the outer boards are also used to attach the whole thing down to the frame. This is quite common for wood floor beds of that era. No need to reinvent the wheel it actually works quite well the way it was intended.

 

Merle

[bluebanshee]

My bed is already painted but I do not have the angle strips on it. I did not want to weld stainless angles to the bed and have the possibility of rust behind them. That is the reason I will mount the bed differently.

 

Welded c channel with the open face down to the back cross member and two small sections for the front. This way the bed will be mounted with the 4 large bolts through the wood.

 

Edited November 7, 2014 by bluebanshee

[Jeff Balazs]

I am baffled. I know I am not the brightest bulb but how are you planning to attach the bed without the angle strips attached to the bed sides? They provide the only real mounting points. As others have already said the original design is plenty strong. One thing that is often misunderstood is that the frame on these trucks has a fair amount of flex built into it. It is nothing at all like a modern truck in this regard. The way the bed was designed it allows the frame to do it's flexing and actually compensates for it in the way it is constructed. I can't imagine you improving upon this simple but effective design.

 

Please post pictures of what you end up doing.

 

Jeff.

[bluebanshee]

Jeff,

The bed is already mounted. C channel was welded to the front and rear cross members. Those cross members are bolted down with the 4 1/2 bolts. Once the wood is secured to the front and rear lip in the bed it will be secured down even further.

 

I am not trying to improve anything. I am just not ready to do the wood (or whatever I go with) at this time. I want to get the bed, fenders, lights, bumper all done before the wood. This allows me to do that now and without installing the angle strips. I am confident this is about as secure as stock. I can always add brackets behind the rear fenders if I felt it was needed.

[Jeff Balazs]

I see. How will the two center brace pieces attach to keep the sides from bowing etc...?

 

Jeff

[Dave72dt]

From what I see in post #13, you have the bed lowered about 3 inches from it's factory location.  The bottom flange on the inside fenderwell would normally be sitting on top of the wood bed, not hanging below it and it sounds like you will be suspending the bed sides from the front and rear only of the bed floor.  Detailed photos of the connection points between the floor cross members and bedsides may help us understand better what you are doing.

 

Stainless bed angles can be bolted or riveted on if you wish without destroying the paint.

[bluebanshee]

Dave,

I should be stock height in the picture or within 1/4. I am almost certain that the lower lip of the fender well sits 2-3 inches below the wood.

 

I do have stainless Phillips head screws to mount the angles but not sure I want to be able to see the screws from the outside. I may only use the middle strip that goes on the wheel arch. That way the bolts would be hidden from the outside but still give support for a large part of the side.

 

I will get some pictures up tonight or over the weekend.

[Dave72dt]

Sorry, you're right about that lip.  Would still like to see the pics

[ruff1148kr]

Did the stainless angles on a 69 dodge utiline wooden bed, used small stainless bolts with acorn nuts on the outside came out OK

[JBNeal]

Grey Beard's thoughts on Bed Reflooring here & here