The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Replacement stake pocket problem

Was working on my bedsides today and noticed a problem with a rear stake pocket I got from JC. The only holes in it besides the hook hole were the ones for the tailgate hinge. On the replacement stake pocket, the holes were 1/4 inch too low, which would make the tailgate hang crooked. They'll need to be welded shut, redrilled and the upper nut welded in place. Good thing I found it before welding it to the bedside, as it would have been harder to fix then.
Here's a couple pix of the problem.
original stake pocket & hinge holes
Replacement stake pocket & hinge holes

Before you cut and weld, check the position of the hinge bolts measuring down from the top bend of the bedside. It looks like that new stake pocket may be a bit shorter on the very bottom which would throw off your measurements from the bottom. We use that top bend for reference when punching the holes. I don't know if that is a Mar-K stake pocket or not. We usually punch the holes for attaching to the rear sill unless customer specifically requests they be omitted.

Thanks

I did check it with the bottom lined up with the original bedside with the pocket attached and it fit well to the top bend. I also measured from the top of the chain hook slot and it was long between there and the top hinge hole. The notch at the rear bottom isn't right either, being about 1/2" off. That may be what you were referring to.
Here's a pic of the two sitting side-by-side
stake pockets

Not related to the problem but I notice the upper interior corners in the new pockets don't look pressed clean and square like the original, is this so?
Are any of the reproduction stake pockets indistinguishable from original?

Girgg

Yeah, the new stake pocket corners are a bit more rounded than the original. Not going to be that noticeable once installed though. I got that one thru JC.