I have been googling all evening (no dirty jokes!), long story short(er) I need to install a flat bed I bought tomorrow. It's a nice built bed going on my 89 f250. It's a bed I bought so I know there will be some variables but this is my everyday work horse so I just want it on and secure, nothing fancy. I regularly carry a pallet of salt in the winte so 2500 lbs or so. (It has air bags). I could just use some pictures of people doing an easy quick mount with wood. I can run up to menards and get all I need I just want to get it done. Thanks in advance if anyone has some pics.

If I end up having to weld something to the bed real quick I can do that, I just want this done.

Z

 

Mine is mounted with Ubolts, simular to axle U bolts but they are squared off instead of rounded. There's holes drilled thru the frame rails of the flat bed which the U bolts go thru then down bothsides of the truck's frame rails where there is a peice of flat stock with holes for the U bolt legs under the frame rail then nuts and lock washers.
I used CCA 2x4s and 5/4 boards ripped down to level out the tops of the frame rails.
One thing you will have to watch out for is the gas filler necks. Mine are mounted into the flatbed frame but they are still too low to fill the tanks, so I have to drive up onto a 4x4 block of wood in order to get enough slope for the gas to go down. Even then sometimes I have to hold the trigger part way so it won't pump too fast or even have to turn the pump handle one way or another. to keep the gas flowing when filling.
I could turn the necks upwards and cut holes in the bed floor but then I have to keep the bed clear in those 2 spots so I can fill up when I have a load on. It's a pain one way or the other.

 

You can use long u-bolts or all threat and flat plates top/bottom.

For the wood, you want something DENSE as to NOT hold moisture.
White oak and aping are two that come to mind.
Pine is a BAD choice. It may not rot, but your frame and bed sure will where it touches

 

With all thread do you just drill through the 2x that contours the rails? Thanks for the responses!

 

With all-thread you use a plate on top of the bed frame and below the truck frame, same as you would use at one end of a u-bolt.

Here's a guide from US Truck Body that may help you some. Granted their process is a little different on a bigger cab & chassis truck but still very similar.

http://www.ustruckbody.com/literatur...tionManual.pdf

 

With allthread you put a plate on top of the bed rail and another under the bottom of the frame then one piece of allthread inside the frame and one outside the frame. That way you have a bed-frame sandwich with wood in the middle.

 

Ahh, got it! Glad I asked. Thanks gents

 

Really thanks guys. I am pretty handy but run a landscape company (small but not solo). I bought this truck 3 years ago to get me by and it has just been unstoppable. I leave it hooked to the trailer very night. It can get dirty inside and out. Get scratched etc and it doesn't bother me much (I do take care of it and touch it up etc ). I just can't afford to let it go to get a new one until it starts to get me trouble. We don't use ac anyway because using it on and off during the day makes you not want to get out of the truck at each job. It's just been phenomenal. Plowed probably 200 hrs last season.

Anyhow I haven't had time to think about it and don't want to use my dd for the week next week so I want to get it done. This has helped me visualize it. Thanks!

 

Good job JK! That was some pretty neat reading. Kudo's on the locate of that info!

 

Wow just read that and that makes me feel a lot better! I figure 3 beers and 4 hrs and only one trip to the hardware store (ok two trips and 4 beers who am I kidding!)

Thank you!