Got a couple of questions for you flare-side buffs:

I am gathering parts for a chopped down F350 4x4 diesel project truck, and found a really nice flare-side bed that I could not resist. My self-inflicted dilemma is that this bed came from an F150 that only had a front 16.5 gallon tank, and only one fuel door. I really would like more capacity than that, and I will be running a Gear Vendor overdrive unit, which creates a speedometer cable interference problem with the front tank. I think GV makes some special 90 degree adapters for single cab truck applications, but it looks like it will be REALLY tight if it will fit at all...

I would rather run a rear 19.5 gallon tank. Anyone ever run a fuel filler hose from the front of the fender flare to a rear tank? Anyone know of a bigger rear tank that 19.5 gallons that will fit? Do I have options or am I pretty much stuck with the single 16.5 gallon tank and hope those GV adapters work?

It seems like I've seen flare side fenders with TWO filler doors, but I've looked everywhere and can't even find a picture of one to verify that they exist, let alone actually find a replacement for my single door fender. I don't want to spend a fortune, and I don't want to "hack" one in unless I can make it look really nice. Any ideas? Anyone else have any creative solutions?

Truck will have a 6.9L IDI, typ4's torque cam, waste gated banks sidewinder, 7.3 PSD intercooler, ZF 5 speed and gear vendor overdrive, BW1345 transfer case, D60 front and Sterling rear axles, 4.10's, contemplating other goodies. My shed is filling with parts and the weather is warming up.... time to start wrenching

 

If you give me about I'd say an hour or two I can upload a picture of my fender I had an extra fuel door put in it

 

That would be great! I knew I couldn't be the only one with a flare side bed that was disappointed with only a 16.5 gal tank! I can't believe that they did that... if there was only going to be one, they really should have fitted it with the larger capacity rear tank

I'm not afraid to modify mine as long as it looks nice... it's not like my bed is a collector's item. The box is rust free, but the driver side flare has been repaired. They did a really good job, but it has been repaired. The precious tailgate was long gone and I'm NOT paying $500 for a new one from LMC. I will weld up my own thanks... and make it a lot stronger than stock while I'm at it. So it's not like I'm doing an all original restoration project, but I do want it to look sharp.

 

Local junkyard has a really nice extended cab on a "trailer special" frame that is 1/4 inch thick like my F350... Maybe that would solve my problem Get a 19.5 gallon front tank and shift it aft of my GV unit... wonder how a flare side bed would look on an extended cab truck? I have a crew cab long bed right now, and some of that length has GOT to go, but maybe an extended cab short bed would be nice... 139" wheelbase IIRC...

 

heres mine i have a 16.5 gal tank in front and a 19 gal in the rear, hince dual tank fender (custom) next time im at the shop i will get better pictures for you like the whole fender and how my tanks are laid out

 

I am not sure if it will help you or not, but I have a dually bed with dual tanks that I am parting..looks alot like the flareside tubs.

 

Dually fenders won't work lol I tried it different setup on the dually fenders that's why I had to find a flare side fender and get another gas tank hole I guess you would say put in it

 

Another option is to cut in a fuel access door in the bed floor for a rear tank. I have seen some classic restored trucks do this

 

Ehh idk flare side bed floors are wood with metall strips holding the wood together it sounds hard

 

I have had one for many, many years...and if memory serves me correct, the fenders are symmetrical. thus flip the fender to the other side and your fuel door will be on the back right side. you will have to plug two holes in the lowest part of the fender and drill 2 new ones for the steps to mount to but that should be it.

Kenny

 

That would be the easiest route to go. It would be like filling a fuel cell

 

This would be easiest unless the truck was loaded! I'll have to think about that one... or try to make it come out the back just under the tailgate. Might only work if I lifted the body though, and I'm not a big fan of body lifts.

I thought about reversing the fenders too, but there is more to it than just the holes for the step. The fender flare is actually molded around the metal step and has contours that are lacking in the back.

My long bed on my crew cab has an aftermarket locking fuel door that you rivet on over any "hacked" hole. It works, but it's a bit ugly IMHO. The rivets would probably have to be replaced with threaded fasteners backed by washers if I wanted to do this on a fiberglass fender. It's way down on my list, though, for aesthetic reasons. Maybe there are prettier ones out there, but it isn't going to match the front door unless I put one over the front fuel door hole also, or I graft in a second OEM hole like treese17 did!

 

There are larger tanks you could get. This is a 38 gallon tank.
Spectra Premium/Fuel Tank (F26D) | 1986 Ford F150 1/2 ton P/U 4WD 8 Cylinders N 5.0L FI | AutoZone.com

With this tank have to modify the sender and put your spare tire somewhere else.

 

Thank you! This is exactly what I need! I don't like the spare mounted under the bed anyway. I never liked switching tanks either. With my diesel there were always air bubbles that got in the return line and made it run really rough when switching tanks. Always made me nervous that it would stall and I would have to bleed the injectors to get it started again... now all I have to do is figure out how to run a filler hose from the front of the fender to the rear tank area.

 

Lol that should be fun to figure out & can you use the old sending unit for that tank?