Just finishing up my bed and was wondering about the holes at the cab end. When I took the bed apart I noticed holes in the center of the wood planks, but don't remember seeing any bolts. Are you supposed to add these bolts or is the bed fine as is?
Last edited by UtahYork; 10/27/20257:36 PM. Reason: Edit picture
~ John in Utah 1946 1/2Ton w/4-speed manual transmission w/1960 235 engine Here We Go Follow in his DITY Bay
- If you think about it, it has been one year ago today!
Looks like those bolts hold the front panel to the wood bed .My 54 has bolts that close to the end but they also go through the metal strips.
On the AD series trucks, the front bed panel bends toward the rear and then down, and bolts to the front cross sill. It looks like the earlier beds didn't have the front panel bolted to the front cross-sill. You can see the bolt holes in the vertical flange of the front panel in the attached picture. The cross-sill isn't bolted in yet. [on edit] This is probably true only for beds with angled top bed sides per kevinski's observation (below) on his '54. Mine is a '51.
Last edited by klhansen; 10/27/202510:47 PM. Reason: corrected an oops and added a note about year range
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Very likely the 54 & 55 beds with the flat top bed sides rather than angled top were different.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
As long as the offset mirrors the hole on the other side, I'd put one in. It'll look fine.
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)
OK - I installed those last two carriage bolts on the outside boards. They're not centered on the boards and offsets look the same on each side, so it looks fine. Thanks Otto for giving me a little push.😁
Last edited by UtahYork; 10/31/202511:46 PM.
~ John in Utah 1946 1/2Ton w/4-speed manual transmission w/1960 235 engine Here We Go Follow in his DITY Bay
- If you think about it, it has been one year ago today!
