The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Bed mounting

53 1/2 ton

I have read the information available on bed mounting. I still have two questions.

1) All the information that I have read shows a 2" hard wood block for a spacer. I can only assume that it is 2" high. I would like to know the outside dimensions. I really want to have spacers cut out of solid aluminum (won't have to worry about rotting again). I bet it would be a good idea to just measure the bottom inside top of the cross seal and make a square measurement from that. Does anyone know the outsided measurments of the spacer block?

2)I have read and seen spacers mounted on the first cross sill (front bed panel) and the third cross seal behind the frame kick up. I know the back cross seal at the tail gate has built in spacers. I read the second cross sill floats above the frame rail. I also saw one set up showing a spacer on the second cross seal. Is it just the first and third that use the spacer blocks?

I am getting my information form http://50chevy.freeservers.com/Bed_Restoration.html and from stove bolt tech tips bed mounts.

I have Tom Brownell's "How to Restore Your Chevrolet Pickup" New Edition, and he never talks about the spacer blocks or where they are mounted. I can't believe he didn't show a re-mounting of a bed back onto a truck.

Thanks for any help.

Dan
Woodland Park, CO

My blocks are 2-3/4 by 2-3/4 by 1-3/4 (approx, but close). I bought a set from Mar-K (they've been great - I bought a whole bunch of bed stuff from them), and another mfg., and they're pretty much identical. The bed cross-sills sit 2-3/4 above the frame, so you can figure out the rest. Don't forget there are rubber pads between the wood and the metal too. I put the pads between the wood and the frame...don't know if that's exactly right. I must have had some tweak in my frame, because I ended up having to put an extra rubber pad (or two) on one corner, and no pad on other corners, to get the bed to sit straight and level compared to ground level. Yeah..the first cross-sill forward of the rear sill has a set of blocks - same dimension I'm pretty sure - too.

Kevin,

Thanks you for the information. I just returned from vacation and read your response.

That will help. I have seen the Mar-K site. And I plan to get some items from them as well.

Take care,

Dan Dilts

If you use treated wood, it will last longer than you. :•D