The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Assemble bed on truck......or not?

Should be receiving a Mar-K bed next week for a '53 3100 and have heard two options on the assembly. My question for the experts: Is it better to assemble the bed on the truck to assure correct fit/dimensions or to assemble the bed "on the floor" then mount the assembled bed on the frame? I had thought assembling the bed on the frame would be best, but since this is my first experience with bed construction, your recommendations would be appreciated.

I put mine together on some large sawhorses.

I did as Ssrjim did, but I last did this almost 18 years ago.

I think I laid a couple of long 2x6" boards lengthwise (front to back) under the bed assembly. I forget how we moved the bed assembly onto the frame - probably me and three friends?

I assembled mine on jackstands then set it as a unit on the frame. Some of the bolts may be hard to reach if you assemble on the frame. Mistake I made was tightening everything before checking if the bed-to-frame holes in the wood were lined up perfectly with the holes in the cross sills. A couple were slightly mis-aligned. I could have shifted the boards or cross sills slightly for better line-up if I caught it before tightening the bedstrip bolts. Just make sure the bed assembly is square as you tighten the bolts. Your assembly instructions should guide you through the process.

Mar-Ktech

Thanks everyone for the info and I'll go the "floor" route. By the way, the folks at Mar-K have been amazing with their information, assistance and interest. Special thanks to Vickie for all her help! Thanks to the Stovebolt forum for recommending Mar-K.

It was not too hard to move. I did it with a buddy.

I assembled on a small flat deck trailer. 8x6. Squared it up and installed it by myself on my 1 ton. I used 4 adjustable ratchet straps in each corner and ran them to my chain hoist and overhead crane frame and viola! 5 minute job and was able to very slowly bring it down onto the frame.

5ptstar,

If you assemble the bed (including bed-boards) on the floor, how will you get to the nuts/bolts under the bed? Will you have the bed raised-up on wood blocks?

The on the truck method:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/albums/72157631884205225

A bed with out boards is not hard to lift and move while on the truck. I propped mine up with some 2x4 bits. Gave me enough room to reach the bolts that are hard to get to. I put the boards in from the left and the right working towards the center. When it was assembled and just needed to be set back down a floor jack gave me the control I needed. Only 4 long bolts to the frame through the wood blocks and rubber/fiber pads. Was not too hard. It did take some time, but , was not too bad. With the bed down on the frame some bolts are hard to get to and work tight. Lifed it was not bad. The only other bed I have done was on saw horses. Still had to work from under so not a big advantage IMHO.