Bed support C-channels

[bkahler]

For the most part I think I know how the bed is assembled and where all of the piece and parts go.  There is one thing however that has me baffled and that is the three longer C-channels and the one short C-channel.

 

It's my understanding the three long C-channels sit on the frame with the open part of the C pointed rearward.  The shorter C-channel (it actually has an inner wall) points forwards.  Also, all four channels line up with large  holes on the frame rails.  From what I can gather the shorter of the channels sits on two pads that have a nipple that sticks into the hole in the truck frame.  This shorter channel does not bolt to the frame, it just sits on the pads.

 

What confuses me is many years ago I ordered a bed rail pad set that came with six pads with nipples on them.  I would assume all of the longer channels also need pads under them.  However if I use any of the pads with nipples that I have then there is no way to run the long bolt from the top of the wood down into the truck frame.  It seems to me the three long channels should be sitting on pads with holes in them.  

 

What am I missing here?!!!

 

Thanks,

 

Brad

Edited December 18, 2019 by bkahler
Added picture.

[jpwuertz]

  Here is the layout that was in my B3B.

[bkahler]

9 minutes ago, jpwuertz said:

  Here is the layout that was in my B3B.

 

That's interesting, you have the short one all the way to the front.  All the write-ups and pictures that I have seen previously show the short one at the back.

 

 

[Merle Coggins]

Short one goes at the rear, like you have it. There are only 6 long bolts that attach the bed to the frame. They go through the front, third, and rear cross members. The second one is only attached to the bed and floats above the frame. I suppose there could be a rubber pad underneath it, but it doesn't get attached to the frame.

Edited December 18, 2019 by Merle Coggins

[bkahler]

1 hour ago, Merle Coggins said:

Short one goes at the rear, like you have it. There are only 6 long bolts that attach the bed to the frame. They go through the front, third, and rear cross members. The second one is only attached to the bed and floats above the frame. I suppose there could be a rubber pad underneath it, but it doesn't get attached to the frame.

 

Merle,

 

After my initial post I decided to go back and look at the few pictures I took of the truck as I was dismantling it to see if I had anything of value.  I don't normally look at these pictures as they are in 320x200 format which makes it really hard to see anything in detail.  The attached pictures have been enlarged to 800x600 which helps.

 

It appears the third cross member on my truck is the floater as it has the rubber pads with the nipples and no bolts.  Numbers 1, 2 and 4 seem to have some sort of belted rubber under them with the large bolts and washers for mounting to the frame.  Just the other day I was digging through a box and found some of those rubber pieces.  I'll have to look tonight to see if I can still find them.

 

I wonder if at the factory they randomly chose which of the cross members was going to be the floater?

 

Thanks!

 

Brad

 

 

[Young Ed]

11 minutes ago, bkahler said:

 

Merle,

 

After my initial post I decided to go back and look at the few pictures I took of the truck as I was dismantling it to see if I had anything of value.  I don't normally look at these pictures as they are in 320x200 format which makes it really hard to see anything in detail.  The attached pictures have been enlarged to 800x600 which helps.

 

It appears the third cross member on my truck is the floater as it has the rubber pads with the nipples and no bolts.  Numbers 1, 2 and 4 seem to have some sort of belted rubber under them with the large bolts and washers for mounting to the frame.  Just the other day I was digging through a box and found some of those rubber pieces.  I'll have to look tonight to see if I can still find them.

 

I wonder if at the factory they randomly chose which of the cross members was going to be the floater?

 

Thanks!

 

Brad

 

 

 

The 39-47 trucks at least for some years also used a floater even though the cross members were wood. The floater was the third one back. At least on my truck I went more symmetrical and used 8 hold down bolts.

[ggdad1951]

the "belted" material is basically anti-squeak and spacer to get things to line up to the cab right.  Almost like a conveyor belt type material, I just can't remember where I got mine from,  just checked Horkey's site and his are thicker than I found.

 

[JBNeal]

Looking at my money pit, the B-1-B-108 has 4 x-members, the B-1-D-126 has 5 x-members, and the B-4-B-116 has 4 x-members...the short x-member is closest to the tailgate, and the next x-member is the floater on all of them

[48Dodger]

Being a rancher kinda person.....I have cut up used Horse Mats as bed spacers, transmission mounts and more....They work great.

Just a thought.

 

48D

[jpwuertz]

23 hours ago, bkahler said:

23 hours ago, jpwuertz said:

  Here is the layout that was in my B3B.

 

That's interesting, you have the short one all the way to the front.  All the write-ups and pictures that I have seen previously show the short one at the back.

 

That is the way they were when I took the original floor out.  When I got the truck the box floor had a metal plate over the original wood which leads me to believe they were installed at the factory in that order.    

[bkahler]

47 minutes ago, jpwuertz said:

That is the way they were when I took the original floor out.  When I got the truck the box floor had a metal plate over the original wood which leads me to believe they were installed at the factory in that order.    

 

It kinda makes you wonder if they paid much attention at the factory when they were building these trucks!

 

Do you remember if the short panel had bolt holes in it?  It's my understanding the bed wood doesn't screw into the short cross member.  

 

Thanks!

 

Brad

[Merle Coggins]

23 hours ago, bkahler said:

 

Merle,

 

After my initial post I decided to go back and look at the few pictures I took of the truck as I was dismantling it to see if I had anything of value.  I don't normally look at these pictures as they are in 320x200 format which makes it really hard to see anything in detail.  The attached pictures have been enlarged to 800x600 which helps.

 

It appears the third cross member on my truck is the floater as it has the rubber pads with the nipples and no bolts.  Numbers 1, 2 and 4 seem to have some sort of belted rubber under them with the large bolts and washers for mounting to the frame.  Just the other day I was digging through a box and found some of those rubber pieces.  I'll have to look tonight to see if I can still find them.

 

I wonder if at the factory they randomly chose which of the cross members was going to be the floater?

 

Thanks!

 

Brad

 

 

Yup... I had it backwards. My memory wasn't as good as I though it was. I also looked at a photo of my truck, from back when, and see that #1, #2, and #4 have the long bolts . #3 is the floater.

[bkahler]

5 hours ago, Merle Coggins said:

 

Yup... I had it backwards. My memory wasn't as good as I though it was. I also looked at a photo of my truck, from back when, and see that #1, #2, and #4 have the long bolts . #3 is the floater.

 

At least you still got a memory!  That is one of my bigger problems, remembering things and it isn't getting any better.

 

 

[bkahler]

On 12/19/2019 at 5:30 AM, 48Dodger said:

Being a rancher kinda person.....I have cut up used Horse Mats as bed spacers, transmission mounts and more....They work great.

Just a thought.

 

48D

 

A rancher kinda person......  Interesting profession! ?