I would use wood soaked in linseed oil or some other kind of oily preservative. Most of my beds have the wood buffer but I also have one that only has a bracket mounted to the frame for the bed to "land" on when down. It's steel on steel, don't know if that's correct or if there should be a silencer of some sort there.
Scott


Scott Ward

2 1948 1.5-ton Loadmasters
The red one and The snow pusher
1 1950 3100
1 1955.1 Chevy 6500
1 1954 Chevy 6500 2-Ton
1 1955 1st Series COE 5700
1 1963 K20 (454)
1 1964 C10 (350)
1 1951 1.5-ton Dump Truck
1953 and a 1956 Ford F800

Raising a teenager is like trying to nail Jello to a tree!