The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Bedside metal gauge

Can anyone tell me what gauge steel is used on the original bedside for my 46 with the 9ft bed. Also, the upright stake pockets or beside stiffeners whatever they're called, are they the same length for 1/2 through 1 tons?

FarNorth, I don't have any immediate answers to your questions, but do know that you will get much better responses in the Making a Stovebolt Bed forum. You thread has been moved there as it's the best on-topic forum.

Am sure others will be along shortly to offer help and info!

Below is a screenshot taken from a 1942 Chevrolet Trucks document that describes the bed constructions as "Heavy-gauge steel". Probably the same as your 1946 GMC as they shared many of the same features and construction grades.

Mar-K who is the go-to for reproduction beds for our Chevy and GMC trucks lists their bedside panels are made from "16-gage electro-galvanized steel".

Mar-K only lists 1 size front drivers/passenger side and drivers & passenger side rear stake pockets for all their bed side panels and those are also listed as constructed from "16-gage electro-galvanized steel".

Perhaps one of our fellow GMC Bolters can chime in with more detailed info to answer your question???

Dan, Its a little off topic but I have seen that image in the past and always wondered about the bed sides shown with the inner wheel 'tubs'. Did GMC or Chevrolet ever make a step side bed with those as shown in your picture?

Mark

The inside of the fenders on my truck do flare into the inner bed, the rounded pieces in the picture attach to the floor and there is a piece of wood formed between the fender and that rounded piece. I have read about this somewhere in the past but cannot remember where I seen it. You can see in my bedside pictures how it comes inside the box. My drivers bedside is repairable but my passenger side I think maybe unusable, I'm going to try to salvage it though cause it seems that the 9ft bedsides are non existent, otherwise I would look into purchasing a pair of new ones. Both rear fenders are also shot. This 1 Ton is really starting to look like it will be hard to get parts for.

I know that bedsides for '51 trucks (and likely 47-55.1) were 16 gauge. That's what I used when I patched mine. I would guess that your '46 also used 16 gauge metal. If you have a caliper or micrometer, you can check the thickness of the existing metal. 16 gauge should be darn close to 1/16" or 0.0625 inches thick.