The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Layout for exterior support brackets 1951 3600 long bed

Does anyone have a layout diagram or sketch to properly position the center exterior side wall mounted support bracket that gets spot welded to the exterior of the bed sides? the front and back are easy to layout but the center would need to be more precise to properly fit against fender. The steel is new for the sides and doesn't have bolt holes yet for the Fenders. Layout for fender bolt holes are needed as well. 1951 chevy 3600 Long bed

Can't help you on the location of that support bracket, but someone with a long bed truck should be able to measure that for you. If you don't get a response on fender bolt hole locations, I can measure mine on my 3100, which is accessible without the fenders installed yet. They should be the same for a 3600 as for a 3100 referenced from the back of the bed.
An alternative would be to contact Mar-K. They may be willing to help you out with some dimensions.

Kevin, thanks for your reply. I was not aware of Mar-K, seems like a great resource and they have quality parts! I called them and am waiting for their engineer to get back to me with layout dimensions. If anyone has a quick measurement as referenced from the back or front of the side wall that would be much appreciate (in case Mar-K does not respond). Thanks again!

Kevin, thanks for your recommendation. I left a message with Mar-K, waiting to hear back. Hopefully someone on here can provide a quick measurement referenced from the back of front of the bed wall. Any help is appreciated! Thanks! Chadd

Looking at your picture, that is the back of the box. Your tail gate chain hooks into that slot. The stake pocket is only in front of the fender where the side is longer. There would be no room behind the fender for a stake pocket. I can measure my 47 3600 today if you need it.

I inadvertently dry fitted the stake pocket incorrectly, yes it should be in front of the wheel opening, so the picture that I provided shows it incorrectly. If you can provide a measurement from front or back that would be much appreciated! Just need some reference point. We are fabricating with parts off the truck, the rolling chassis is at another location. If its not too much trouble, can you share a photo looking square to the panel? Thanks!

I went and took this picture, and it is measured from the front of box driver's side. From the front of the first pocket to the front of the second pocket is 21 and 3/8 inches

Maybe this helps you. John

I think Johhny N's picture is for TaskForce beds. As it doesn't match up with lumbersawyer's dimension off his 3600.
If lumbersawyer can provide you with a dimension from the rear of the bed to the rear fender bolt at the angle strip, I can locate the rest of the fender bolt holes for you.

Kevin I think you’re right. Sorry for the confusion. John

No confusion - I appreciate everyone taking the time to support. This in invaluable!

I can get that. To be clear; measure from the back of the box to the rear most fender bolt on the angle strip.

Measuring from the rear cross sill to the fender bolt is 8 1/4 inches. There is one bolt below the box angle in the fender.

If you measured from the back of the rear cross sill, that will be what he needs.

Chadd, Attached is a pic of the sketch I made when I was restoring my bedsides. I needed to replace some of the metal around the bolt holes. Use lumbersawyers measurement as a datum point. It'll be the one that's 4-7/8 from the front of the rear stake pocket. Note that all of my horizontal measurements are referenced from the front of the stake pocket, so you'll need to adjust them (or use that as a reference point after you install the rear stake pocket.

Hope that helps.

If I'm understanding correctly, these measurements should be the same on a 3600 long (medium range) bed correct? I believe the extension of bed length is at the front such that the rear stake reference point and lateral distances to the fender bolt holes would not change from 3100 to 3600 series? please advise either way. Your knowledge and support is much appreciated!

Also, please see attached picture and advise on the base point for your measurement (i.e., A, B,C, or D) with point D being the end of the sides which is the same as the end of the stake pocket. Thank you!

I'm pretty sure that I used point B for the base point of my measurements.When it gets light, I will go out and confirm that. Lumbersawyer gave you a measurement on his 3600 from Point D to the hole that's in the angle strip, so you could use that hole as a base point for your measurements. The two attached pics are the basis for my contention that you could use the 3100 measurements for your 3600 bed, as the 1951 Vehicle Info Kit shows the measurement from the rearmost point on the bed (your point D) to the rear wheel center to be very close (just 5/16" difference). The only rub might be the attachment of the running boards to the rear fenders. I would use lumbersaywers location for the bolt he measured as the base point for the rest of your measurements. That should get you spot on.

I just went out and remeasured. I used the back edge of the stake pocket (your point A) - see the attached pic. There may be some differences in the flange width of the aftermarket stake pockets, but my stake pocket is original and didn't change position. There's a notch on the rear of the bedside that matches up to the back of the rear cross-sill and I believe lumbersawyer's measurement would be to the back of the rear cross-sill which is a bit forward of the rear of the box, and equivalent to your point C. I would use that notch as your starting point with lumbersawyer's measurement, which shoudl bet you in the right location.
Hopefully that's clear enough.

I summarized the above information to the attached sketch. Hope this helps others. Thanks, Chadd

Good stuff! Were/are you by chance an engineer?

[on edit] One minor point. the dimension for hole 5 assumes that the cutout in the bedside is the same as mine. Not critical for me, but yours might be slightly different. I could measure my bed to find the distance between your y and yy reference to confirm they're the same. I see from your profile that you're an engineer.