Hey y'all, if this isn't in the correct place, please let me know. I'm new here, and couldn't figure to where to ask this. I have a Canadian made 49 GMC 9434 1 ton 9' long bed. I am planning to make some stake side rails within the next week or so. I want to maintain the farm truck look and feel, and I have looked at so many examples of stake rails. On trucks with a pickup bed they all seem to have the rails on the outside of the stakes, and on flat beds it is the reverse, stakes then rails. I am wondering if anyone has done the rail THEN stake like the flat beds on a pickup bed & if you have pictures? I like the rustic look, and my 9' bed might look great like this, but I cannot find a single picture on a pickup bed. If I go with the stake then rail, I am going to leave a reveal at the top of the stakes. If I do the rail then stake, it will be a cleaner, no reveal.
Thanks!
Last edited by Gdads51; 10/01/20252:26 PM. Reason: add detail to title
I think the rails are on the outside of the stakes on pickups because it looks better and allows slightly more room for cargo.
I've seen stake bodies built both ways depending on the position of the stake holes. If the holes are outside the footprint of the bed, the rails are on the inside. If the stake holes are inside the footprint of the bed, the rails are on the outside.
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
JustG - Just my personal opinion, but I think the look of stakes inside and rails on the outside for pickups is much more eye appealing.
Here's a link to some truck pics with bed side rails that show a variety of home made setups. I scrolled through and didn't see any built with the rails on the insides of the stakes.
The purpose of the rails on the inside of the stakes on platform/flatbed trucks is primarily cargo carrying and security. Not really meant to be eye candy, although there are some fellow Bolters trucks (like this 1949 1 Ton Dually GMC in Bolter xgrex's Gallery pictures thread ) that look really nice.
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
thanks for the links. Ive been crawling all over the internet & Pinterest looking. My bed is so doggone long, I was thinking the rails on the outside might look just too much. Although, I will actually have a need for the rails...otherwise I might just let it go.
