Stake Bed Photos.....

[Dennis_MN]

Here are a few photos taken at the Back to the 50's show. The stakebeds caught my eye so here are some details....

Dennis

[Tony_Urwin]

I am almost finished with the rebuilding of my stakebed, but I am confused about the angle iron that goes across the back. How is this piece installed? Do the skid strips mount on top of the angle or below it? Is the wood routed to allow the angle to sit flush?

Sorry to sound so clueless, but I bought this bed as a pile of parts. Here's a lousy photo of the bed as it sits. Not sure how to finish this part.

[Dennis_MN]

I am almost finished with the rebuilding of my stakebed, but I am confused about the angle iron that goes across the back. How is this piece installed? Do the skid strips mount on top of the angle or below it? Is the wood routed to allow the angle to sit flush?

Sorry to sound so clueless, but I bought this bed as a pile of parts. Here's a lousy photo of the bed as it sits. Not sure how to finish this part.[/quote

I was thinking of you when I took the photos, I wish I had taken a overhead shot of the back of the bed.

If it were me, I would dado the wood so that the rear angle fit flush with the wood deck but the strips would sit on top of the angle. On the other hand simply adding the angle over the top of the wood and the strip would serve the same purpose, that is to save the edge from damage.

Here is the rear of a Chevie with a different bed design

[MBF]

What I did was exactly what Tony shows in his phote (to lay a piece of angle iron on top of the planks at the rear). That way it was even with the top edge of bed frame on the sides. My truck is by no means perfect, but I liked the way it finished off the rear of the bed, and the angle iron that I used acts as a clamp to keep the rear part of the planks flat against the bed stringers. Mike

[Merle Coggins]

Tony,

It looks like the side rails sit on top of the wood, so wouldn't you want the rear piece to match that? I was thinking that making it flush with the wood surface would make a nice clean finish, but I'd try to make it match the sides.

Merle

[Tony_Urwin]

The side rails are formed out of 18 gauge sheet metal, and the angle iron is much thicker. I expected the angle to clamp down over the skid strips, but that makes it sit even higher. Seems like it would make it difficult to unload the truck.

Maybe someone will see a stakebed at Carlisle. I think there's a big Mopar meet there in July. I'm hoping to drive the B1C to Iowa for a reunion that weekend.