The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Couple of questions on a new bed for my '56 3100 step side

I've been doing a lot of reading up on putting in a new bed. Not a lot specifically on the '56. I'm really hoping I don't have to remove the bed. I've checked and it looks like I can get to every thing. One thing is different from what I've seen so far. For one there are no bed bolts through the wood to bolt to the frame. For another there is only one small rivet/bolts attaching the angle strip to the side of the bed. I've posted some pictures and you can see how the bed is bolted to the frame. SO, do you see any reason why any of this needs to be changed? As long as I can get to all the bolts? Only problem i see is getting the angle strip off. I haven't yet seen where that rivet / bolt comes out on the fender side and I can't see if it's welded on.
Yes, it is a new bed. I want it painted the same color as the truck (red) and I love natural wood. The current bed will be a really nice buy for someone after I get it all out.

The angle strips are likely spot welded to the bed sides. That's the way AD trucks were built, and likely the Task Force as well.
It's possible that the bed to frame bolts are short ones with the head up inside the brackets on your first three photos. Normally, they'd extend thru the wood with carriage bolt heads and offset washers.
Mar-K offers a wood kit with hidden mounting bolts (see the attached screenshot.)

Why are you wanting to remove the bed or the angle strips?

my guess is they bolted all the metal to the frame without wood and the bedbolts that normal hold it to the frame are under the wood. (that is how mine is) and then they put in the bedwood with strips.

mine side strips are welded (i have a 1956)

Take out your bed wood strips and I'll bet you will find the bolts thru the crossmembers and you can undo and lift it off.

If all you want to remove is the bed wood you should be able to remove the bed strips and the bolts through the angles that go through the bed wood. Start in the middle and work your way to the sides. The edge board should slide out from under the angle but may take a little pursuasion.

If you want to remove the bed sides and front panel there are a lot of bolts to remove starting with the rear fenders.

Seems a shame to take it apart, it looks pretty good the way it is.

Looking for a red colored natural wood look? or a translucent wood grain with a red tinge? Just paint what you have red.

If in the angle strip was reversed front to back (and as such left to right), the single thru hole in the angle strip would receive the rear fender brace. In your case maybe the angle strips were used in reverse.

Just to be more clear about what I want to do.
First off I do not want to have to remove the entire bed to replace the wood. Looks like that will be doable. Next I want to paint the inside of the metal bed the body color it would have been when first built (red). Then I want to replace the black painted wood with natural color oak planks with a clear finish. I know that the black is original but I just prefer natural color wood. Lastly I'll replace the black painted metal strips with chrome ones. I believe the angle strips are welded to the side panels and will leave them alone to be painted red with the sides. Haven't started yet. Waiting for it to cool down a little. Running above 100 degrees every day. Thanks for the above advise. I did a bed on a 1931 Model A Ford pickup a few years back and it was much simpler.

Everything went as you guys suggested.
I got the installed black bed boards removed without any problem and found the interesting way the installers had put the boards down (as shown by our friend klhansen) without drilling holes through the boards for mounting to the frame and then using the offset washers. As you can see they used rounded top bolts to bolt the bed to the frame and then ground dimples in the underside of the boards to match up with the head of the mounting boIt. Worked very nicely. So, if I can just duplicate with my new oak boards what they did with their pine boards all will be well. Now to get the truck off to the paint shop.

I few more bolts to install and it's finished.

Very nice!