The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Attaching Bed to Frame w/t Using Offset Washers

For aesthetic reasons, I have been noodling on ways to secure the bed to the frame only using the carriage bolts within the metal bed strips, eliminating the 6 holes required for the offset washers.

For each attacment place (6 of them) , thinking of a metal plate that would run along the top of the cross member, where one end would bolt to the frame where it is supposed to connect and the other end of the plate would run to a nearby carriage bolt that secures the metal bed strips to the bed wood. I would use a router on the bottom of the bedwood such that the thickness of the metal plate would be absorbed, thus not changing the height of the bed relative to the rest of the cab etc.

Has anyone done something like this? Any hints and tips to save me some work?

Thanks

Yes, I eliminated the holes with the offset washers. Of course, I have a '54, so the bed is different.

The cross sills were bent on my truck, so I replaced them with 2x2" square hollow tubing. I used Rivnuts on the bolts that attach the cross sills to the frame. I needed long carriage bolts for the one that go through the tubing.

The bed strip bolts are significantly smaller diameter than the bed retaining bolts. I am not sure they would provide enough strength to secure the bed. Larger diameter carriage bolts could be installed but they may not fit well into the bed strip shape.

WICruiser;
What if we start with the bed set onto the frame, then use the standard carriage bolts to secure the bed thru the frame in the 6 usual places but without the wood being installed. Next, we route (inset around the bolt head) the bottom of the boards just to allow the 6 carriage bolt heads to "not protrude" and upset the lay of the wood bed.

When it comes to securing the bed wood, the extreme side boards are firmly secured to the bedsides and each individual board is secured to all 3 of the cross sills that are attached to the frame. As you know, one of the cross sills (let's call it the fourth one) is not attached to the frame.

Do you think this might be doable and strong enough?

Gib that is exactly what I did when I replaced the boards on my '56 truck. The previous owner had done that with new boards stained black. I wanted natural color bed boards. I placed the boards in place one at a time. I ran a strip of tape down each metal strip to hold the bolt down in place. Then I got under the truck and began bolting everything down.

That bed turn out nicely MickeyP!

Thank you John.

Agreed, look’s awesome and just what I may do to my build. Thanks for the idea!

MickeyP... I would like to claim that great minds think alike, but I have serious doubts about mine. You have confirmed that this approach can work and your results are beautiful. Thanks for confirming that I can take this approach.