The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Mini Tubs on a 1952 Chevy 3100

I am planning for relatively small mini tubs on the truck. Problem is that I do not have the bed on the frame. In order to "do it right", one would have to know where the center line is from the bed side to the middle of the rear axle. I am asserting that the highest level fender mounting hole on the bed side is in fact, the center line (that is, when I mount the bed on the frame and drop a plumb line from that center hole, it will hit the middle of the rear axle). Has anyone gone this route before? Of course, if there is not consensus from the Stovebolt community on this assertion then I will mount the bed on the frame to determine the right place to center the mini-tubs before I cut away any bedside metal. Thanks for your experience on this issue.

You should be able to find dimensions to use HERE for what you want to do.
I wouldn't necessarily assume that the top center fender hole is directly above the axle centerline. It would probably be close, though.

Thanks again, Kevin. This is a great reference text.

Keep in mind the original rear axle location is not centered in the rear fender for some unknown reason. It was approximately 1-1/4" forward of the fender centerline on my '51-3100. It was not a problem as I was replacing the original rear axle and leaf spring set up for an open axle, four-link, and coilovers. I recommend you install the bed and drop a plumb bob down to the axle to be safe. Good luck!

Thank you Charlie... I will mount the bed to be sure that I have the correct positioning for the mini-tubs. I too have a non-stock frame with 4 link, panhard, coilovers, and a Ford 9 inch rear end. When I mocked up the original truck bed, which was not in good shape, that center hole was just about right, but I am awaiting a new Mar-K bed and I was hoping that I could use the collective wisdom of this community to install the mini-tubs before actually constructing the bed. Based on your feedback, and Kevin's, I am concluding that it is wiser to build enough of the new bed such that I can drop that plumb bob down and be certain of dead center before I cut up a new Mar-K bedside. Thank you both for talking some common sense into me.

I believe in the old carpenter's adage- - - - -"Measure twice- - - -cut once!" Assuming anything where parts locations are concerned is pretty much a recipe for disaster. That's why the average custom engine buildup I do involves assembling the engine and measuring tolerances and the location of non-standard parts multiple times. Body work doesn't involve hair-splitting dimensions like engine building, but obvious errors in the location of something like wheel position in a fender well stand out from across a parking lot!
Jerry