The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed 41/46 long bed vs shortbed fender placement

Does any one know if the extra bed length in a long bed is all ahead of the rear wheels? I am using 1950 bed sides for my 41 and need to relocate the fender mounting holes. If all is forward of the rear wheels, then the relationship of bolt holes from the end of the bed will be the same on the long and short beds???? I measured a 41 short bed and there seems to be a difference of about an inch. Thanks for any help. Ron

I can't answer your question directly, but I do have a couple of obscure thoughts for you to consider.
1. On a recent TV episode on Velocity, the crew created a shortbed out of a longbed. It happened to be a 73-87 truck...I know-not particularly relevant here, right? But, they proceeded along with the assumption of fender location as you have postured here, and all was just hunky-dory. No problem. Uh-oh, when they came back from break, they said that what they thought was true, was in fact not true. That all of the difference was ahead of the wheels. In fact, there was also a difference behind the wheels. This COULD be the case with your truck.
2. The rear axle on both the 41-46 trucks and the AD trucks have the appearance of being too far forward in the wheelwell.

So why the long-winded diatribe you ask? My conclusion would be to set the bed on the chassis and locate the fenders by eye and correct the "error" of the factory and have the wheels more centered in the opening. I would not completely center the wheels, I'd just make it better. So while the simple answer may be to just do it as you propose, I think the better answer is to measure from the actual truck, and have a result that will satisfy you.
I take it that this will be more work than you wanted to do, or you would have done it already.

Ron

sent you an e mail

it is 41 1/4" from the backend of the bed side to the center of the top fender mounting hole on my '41 3/4 ton.

Thanks for the replies. I like the idea of centering the fender, but I think that would mess with the running board placement. That particular dimension becomes a problem as I don't have the front fenders on. Kip was kind enuf to measure his long bed at 41 1/4. The short bed I have access to has the measurement at 42 3/8 to the top most bolt hole. I placed an order yesterday at MAR-K and asked them the same question. They indicated that fender placement holes on the long and short beds were the same from the rear of the bed. Good folks at MAR-K, who so kindly sponsor this forum, would you care to weigh in on this???? Thanks, Ron

On a 41-46 it should be the same from the fender to rear of the bed, just an additional 9" from cab to fender.