Stovebolt.com Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Bed Mounting to Frame

I am in process of refurbishing my bed sides, installing new angle brackets, rear stake pockets, etc. and decided that I needed to install enough of the bed to confirm some things. In the process I find in the bed installation instructions from Mar-K that the 2 longer bed-frame mounting bolts are intended to be used in the front (closest to the cab) locations. However, my frame only has a hole in the bottom flange on the passenger side (long bolt slides in correctly) but the driver's side only has a hole in the top flange. The obvious fix is to shorten the bolt to be the same as the remaining bed-frame bolts but I'm curious if others have found this same condition?

Not directly related but I am installed all new cross sills and initially located the sills that mount to the frame, layed out the new boards and angle strips and all the holes lined up very well (as expected). Now that I have mounted the angle brackets to the bed sides and repeat the process the holes seem a lot harder to get aligned. In part I beleive the addition of the front panel being attached to the front cross sill, and the bed sides being attached to the front panel, third cross sill, and rear cross sill is making the jig saw puzzle a lot harder to "adjust".

I fully anticipate that the bed assembly process will be repeated at least 3 times before all is said and done; the current fitment assembly, another check fit assembly after everything is primed and ready for paint, and the final after paint. Given my hisotry with this sort of thing I will not be surprised if that number increases but I can hope.

My frame had holes in the lower frame flange on both sides. I have no idea why yours was one side only. I recall another 'bolter had the same issue. I would probably drill the lower flange mainly because getting to the nut below the upper flange would be harder to get to to tighten.

Good luck on keeping all your holes lined up. I recall that the angle strips needed to be held back from the front panel just a bit. I measured carefully from the rear cross sill (temporarily installed) bolt holes to be sure the angle strips were located in alignment. You may have gotten yours off slightly.

Thanks Kevin, I may drill the hole through the lower flange of the frame but find it strange that some are and some are not that way originally.

I think I have the fore/aft location of the angle strips pretty good but really struggling to get the vertical position correct to allow the edge board to slide in place, primarily the front. Fortunately I am bolting the angle brackets to the bed sides so if some adjustment is require I can make it without too much difficulty.