Hopefully will be drivin to wisconsin this coming week to get a bradford built flat bed installed, little bit cheaper if the box is already off and then i wont have to deal with taking it all the way back home (plan on keeping it around), anybody removed their box before? 8 ft box, srw

 

It just bolts on; there are the lights and fuel necks to deal with. You'll need to fab up some fenders and taillights to make it road legal, though. Indiana cops like to pull over WI/IL/MI plates for the smallest thing.

Might be better just to do a "dry run", make sure all the carriage bolts and nuts will come loose, and the fuel necks won't give you any trouble, before you leave out. Then drive it over here with the bed in place and pull it off just outside the Bradford place. Then strap it to the flatbed for the return.

 

It's not bad, if you have a welder its easier.

Weld the bolt heads to the bed of the truck so they dont pop up on you while you take them off.
A tack weld should do it, or 2.

You have to disconnect the gas tank fillers and unhook the lights.

I don't recall anything else you need to disconnect.

Oh, the rear axle breather is clipped onto the bed IIRC.

You'll have to get some temporary lights for it as well.

I hope its not a long drive, because it will suck without that weight back there.

 

Yeah, I'ma agree with this.

 

Removing the bed is pretty easy to do. May need a few friends to lift it off if you don't have access to a lift.

You'll need to disconnect the lights and the license plate lights. Disconnect the fuel filler hoses at the door, remove the bed bolts and lift it off.

If you plan on driving with the bed off, be sure to put you lights back on and secure the fuel filler hoses. I've seen the lights zip tied to the bumper before. I guess as long as the are there and secure you should be OK. You may need to make a bracket to secure the fuel filler hoses.

You may need to install some type of mud flap as well. You may be able to get a length of 1" square tube the width of the truck and find some holes in the frame to bolt it down and mount mud flaps to it.

Might want to keep and bring all the hardware (bolts and rubber mounts) with you incase they need them for some reason.

Hope this helps.

 

I pulled into the garage and used 4 ratchet straps to lift the box off. Worked pretty well

 

Thanks guys, i might just leave it on because of the fender issues, ive got mudflaps on the frame already cuz i got sick of washing it every 3 days. But i am hoping to take the car ferry across lake michigan so i would miss indiana. The guy says it will probably take him half an hour since he knows what hes doing and hes got all the proper tools. Anybody know how much the box weighs? The flatbed is 902lbs

 

8 foot box is around 400 lbs.

 

The new ferry is fast, but it's crazy expensive isn't it?

Are the mud flaps attached to the frame somehow and not the bed? If so, they would prob. constitute "fenders" for road legal use. You do see cab & chassis trucks with just the mud flaps.

 

I believe its something like $175 for just my truck one way, plus my own fare. Flaps are on the frame directly.

 

you get the flat bed yet?

 

Yup, ive had it for a week now and i love it, ill put some pics up when i get a chance. The only thing is the fuel fill caps now sit level with the top of my tanks which makes it so i have to back on to a car ramp under my rear left tire before i can put fuel in. I might look into moving them to the top of the bed rather than the sides. Theres another guy on here (i cant remember his username) that has a bradford built too n he put 5" or 6" lift just under the flatbed to solve the problem but i didnt want to go that route because i think it looks better with it just being 2" above the frame. But all in all, i love the bradford built bed, looks great and has sides that fold up and down to suit my needs. Also love the built in gooseneck hide a hitch. I would definetly recomend them to anyone whos looking to put a flatbed on. $2600 installed.