The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Need some information about this flatbed

I was at the Syracuse nationals the other day and fell in love with this bed. http://www.hotrodders.com/gallery/uploads/28451/101_3932.JPG When to my local flat bed/ Utility place and they said they could have it custom built. I spoke to the people that were building it and they are doing square corners.... Not what I want. I have even called the place and left a message trying to get information about the bed, but have not heard back. Figured one of you bolters might know, I want to replace the reading lead block on mine with a lighter duty one since I will never carry anything on it again.... Thanks

Ok lets try this link
http://www.hotrodders.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/36095

that's the factory configuration with the rounded corners, doubt you'll find anyone to make the same ... or find a used one for sale

Bill

I too have been looking for a modern manufacturer of flatbeds with the rounded corners and beaded side rails like the original one you pictured.
I would really like to have one made in aluminum, but so far no luck finding aluminum or steel.
Preferably I would find the components, primarily the side rails and corners, and assemble it all myself.

I'm curious what you find.

Grigg

So this size was a standard size? It did not look like it was OEM though and I swear that I have seen one before like this. I did not even realize that it was original. Interesting

Interesting bed. I have a '55 3/4 ton with a similiar bed. Rounded corners and all. It has stake pockets. I believe it is an original style bed. I say original, but actually think the cab and chasis were ordered and the bed cab from Omaha Standard and was dealer installed.

A company like this would allow you to design and have manufactured your own rounded corners or whatever else your wallet could bear. This company suggests several buyers grouping an order together or ebaying a few extra parts to help recoup your costs. Just an idea to consider.

http://www.emachineshop.com/

We have alot of newer 1 tons at work that have similiar beds, rounded corners etc. Maybe that will work or modify one. Didn't make it to the Syracuse Nats but passed a lot of cars on I 90 on Saturday. Have fun and good luck.
Dan

What beds are those? because most places end up ordering in the beds after the trucks show up.

The steel panel with oval cutouts directly behind the cab actually had a different purpose than the one that it is currently fulfilling: it fit directly behind the rear window on a full-height stake bed and allowed better visibility to the rear.

The elbows on the horizontal wood runners appear to be custom. Although pre-AD trucks factory-equipped with flatbeds often had steel corners that looked like quarter oil barrels:

http://www.brads41-46chevys.com/id24.html

You will find newer trucks with the ribbed bedrails (into the 1970s). Talking the owners out of them will most likely be a challenge.

Good luck.

If you look back at styles, everything in the 40's 50's had round corners, from refrigerators to trucks. Suddenly someone discovered square corners were different and considered cool. I would be afraid that the jigs to bend the round corners have been retired for a long time.

Hi Jackyl. The body in the photo you attached is an old original GM factory ordered platform built by MidWest Body Co, now out of business. The bodies were not installed at the [censored]'y plants but sent out to MI outfitters and then shipped to the dealers. F*&d had the same thing except they had the F*&d script logo embossed in the rear bolster. Same thing happens today but the dealers order the chassis and equipment from "pool outfitters" who keep the trucks locally.

Knapheide makes a similar design in thier Pacesetter X series platforms and it's available in 7'-5" and 8'-5" X 80" for single wehel applications. Dual wheel models are made 96" wide. You can specify wood, smooth or treadplate floors. After 43 years in business I can tell you without reservation that finding one in an upfitters inventory will be as likely as finding chicken lips. So be prepared to order it. They will have the cheaper small bodies that are not the same appearence. The Knapheide unit has only one roll at the top and one at the bottom so it isn't quite the same but close enough for government work but it does have radius corners. Stake racks are made to fit them also. There are Knapheide stores and distributors everywhere so finding one is not a problem.

It is not likely you'll run across too many old GM units after such a length of time, but who knows. I'd look in the south first. A lot of them went there and they shouldn't be as rusty.

I have looked around at a lot of places for Grigg for someone who still rolls that particular rubrail design. Haven't found one yet but he wants aluminum and that means an extrusion so most unlikely. Hope this info is of some value. I know just about everybody in the equipment business so let me know if I can help.

Thanks Dave,
More good info as usual!

I would like to get some accurate measurements on the profile of the bed side like pictured, or I can guess at it.. But draw it in Auto-CAD, then present it to a well know aluminum bed manufacturer or two. With luck someone will be interested enough in the shape/style to offer it as a regular production item and then they can foot the bill for the aluminum extrusion dies to make it possible.
It may be wishful thinking, but worth a try, as many of these aluminum bed manufacturers already have custom dies and extrusions made, so they already have contacts and suppliers in that field.

There is also a chance the side rail shape can be made in multiple operations on a press brake, in steel or aluminum. Then the corners could be turned on the lathe to the same outside profile, and bored on the inside to give the nominal rail width. Cut the circle into 1/4's on the band saw and you have the 4 corners. The sills and cross rails/joist are stock aluminum channel or I beam. Major cost on this option is the corners, mostly in material cost for the aluminum chunk, unless heavy wall tube could be found, about 12-14" OD with 2" wall thickness?

Grigg

Thanks Dave, there is certainly a lot of information right there. I was originally looking to just lighten the Reading bed that I have on mine now. The fact that it takes 4 of us to lift it on and off is insane. Plus I need to recenter the support rails to make sure that it fits tight. I like the look of the bed in the picture and it is too bad that it isn't readily available anymore. I will have to make do with the big Iron anchor.... haha. Or pay the 1100 that the one company wanted to make me the aluminum one that I could add the boards to later, but if it doesn't have the rounded corners that it really would not be worth it to me.

I pulled one off a 1961 chevy 1 ton for partial use on my COE. I have yet to pickup the other flatbed I aquired which has the same style to it, but its on a 1964 1 ton. Between both I should have a good bed with a few left over pieces.

All the bolts that hold it together are huge clutch head bolts, so as stated above, they were built for GM.

Those rounded corners and the ribbing on the side look really cool on an old truck. Far better then the square cornered beds.

Jeff

I have been thinking this over, and I will probably end up making my own aluminum flat bed with the beaded sides and rounded corners.
First step is to make up a sketch of the profile of the side rail and get some input and quotes from fab shops who can make the side rails, probably using a press brake.
I can make and weld the rest, just need the side rails to start with.

Anyone have a nice flat bed they can take some detailed pictures and measurements of the rail profile and the corner radius?

Thanks,
Grigg

I also saw this bed at the nationals.... ( I took 5 pictures of it - called "Saved from the Grave") was surprised to learn this is original.

Griggs let us know how you progress.. Maybe you could make a bunch :-)

Here is a new aluminum bed that is not quite original looking, but as close as I have found so far http://protech.net/product.php?product_id=1

It needs rounded corners and a few more beads on the side rails....

Grigg

for what it's worth, here's my 53 with a flatbed dump from Obeco

shutterfly

Couple of trucks with the beaded side rails

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1477448919067287234ezpdYU

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tooheyworld/1509330908/

Any wood craftsman worth his salt could duplicate that bed from the picture. It might not be exact in the areas the picture does not show, but the end results would look almost identical.

Are we talking about wood or metal beds?
I was thinking beds with metal frames and wood decks?

Grigg