ok folks you have been really great. i hate to be a bother. i need some advice. since the big blue bolt is down for a little repair i of course decided to go ahead and do all of those little "round-to-its" i have been putting off untill the truck wasn't busy working and impressing the neighbors. My dump bed was mounted over some 1x6 planks between the bed and frame and they are in desperate need of replacing. my pa-in-law, a 50yr veteran mechanic advised using 1/2" steel plates and some welding to alleviate the wood and frame bolts altogether. This is something he had done on quite a few "full size" dumpers in the past. my question is, is this a good idea or not and is the wood better as a buffer between frame and bed. i do almost all of my hauling out of rough country and over rougher roads. Am i asking for some serious frame torque if i replace the wood with steel?
