Bed

[blohmiller]

Does anyone have a pattern for drilling the holes on the two outside boards for the bed my boards are too far gone to be of any use

Bryan

[Byronb3b]

I still have the original boards from my truck, 99 per cent solid, Maybe I could make a paper pattern for you, as the boards won't fit in the mail box.

[Merle Coggins]

I still have the original boards from my truck, 99 per cent solid, Maybe I could make a paper pattern for you, as the boards won't fit in the mail box.

Byron,

Just put a stamp on the corner and lean it up against the mail box. Then set up a camera to see the postman's espression when he arrives. :D

Bryan,

You could set the boards in place and then mark the hole locations through the bed side flange. Then remove the boards and drill away.

Merle

[Big50Dodge]

Bryan,

You could set the boards in place and then mark the hole locations through the bed side flange. Then remove the boards and drill away.

Your bed sides could have warped over the years, so if you follow Merles idea and mark the holes, you might want to use a straight edge and adjust the "line" of marks.

[grey beard]

You can't assemble your floor without angle strips where the outside boards meet the sides - the angle is what holds up the metal sides. Just buy new angles from Mar-K - they're only $7 each. They come pre-drilled, so there's the hole pattern for you.

By the bye, you can also bolt these angles to your boards in the spots that do not fall over crossmembers before you lay the boards down. Then you will have to either mig weld or bolt the angles to the metal bed sides after you are sure they are placed correctly. Their position vertically is critical. The outside boards are the only ones that get holes drilled in them. The rest are held in plaqce by the rub-rail/strips between each board. Lots of Luck.

[blohmiller]

my angle strips are still there and look ok but it's the other 6 holes that hold the bed to the frame that I'm not sure on where to drill thoses holes

I think I'm phrasing this right

Bryan

[Merle Coggins]

Well, you could set something into the holes in the cross members that will make a mark on the underside of the boards when installed. Then remove them and use the marks to drill the holes.

Or, you could set the boards in place, then crawl underneath with a pencil and mark the hole locations through the bolt holes in the cross members. Then remove the boards and drill the holes.

Then, before you reassemble everything again, be sure to seal the wood, including inside the holes.

Merle

[grey beard]

If your angle strips are still in good shape, just jack up your bed sides and slide the two outer boards underneath. Then drill your seven holed and bolt her down. Then you can leave the box down against the frame and complete the rest.

I have seen a bed assembled without these six bolts. Had I seen this before I completed my own, I would have done mine this way. Just bolt your 5 corssmembers down to the frame with the rubber pads underneath each one and then install the six boards on top. The strips will hold them down very nicely and you don't need those six separate bolts. When they are present, as are my own, they only hold two boards down anyhow. The rest sit on the crossmembers and are held in place by the strips.

It is my opinion that these beds were fully assembled at the mfr. plant, and then set on the chassis as a complete unit. It was for this reason only that the six 1/2-inch bolts were used. You can make the entire assembly much nicer by bolding each crossmember down to the frame individually, and then putting on the boards. Too time consuming for an assembly plant, but just honkey dory for restorations, AND you omit those six honkin big bolt heads sticking through your floor that usually are the first place the boards begin to rut, anyhow. Floor looks a lot nicer without them. JMHO

[blohmiller]

ok thanks guys I have an idea what to do now I think. I couldnt see spending 350 for a set of boards when I can get the lumber to do my own for around 200

Bryan