I was wondering if any of you have any experience or photos of installing a new rear bed cross member and rear stake pockets? I'm having trouble lining up the bottom of the stake pockets to the cross member. When I bolt the cross member to the bed side rails and set the stake pockets where they should be at the top, the bottoms do not line up with the cross member. Any thoughts?

 

While your jig is quite innovative, I'm thinking it might allow for some flex. You are set up on a concrete floor which means it probably it's true level to start with. Have you ensured your two primary cross members are true level before placing the bed on them? Did you ensure the bed was level once placed on the cross members?
I don't mean to question your abilities or your prep. It just appears there may be room for disparity before you even get started.
Another thought might be, where were your parts made? Some of the stuff coming out of Asia, for example, has a long history of being less than perfect.

 

Who built the bed? If northern classic I have instructions step 7 is where you are I think


I can take a pic later but the pocket looks correct to me is there a inner bracket inside the roll pan that you use to support the pocket

 

Here is a pic of my 49 bed pocket


I drilled 3-4 holes in the roll pan for plug welds into the inner bracket
Here is a pic of my new bed


The bedside is close to what you have at the pocket
In these pic you can see the bedside is maybe 3/8 to 1/2" below the pocket

 

The roll pan on my bed needed to be pulled in to Match up to the pocket and still needs to be pulled in the middle



Under the white cover is a SS strip to straighten the roll



Bracket inside the roll pan

 

Thanks for the reply and the photos, they are a big help. The bed is original and I bought new cross members and rear stake pockets from National Parts Depot. The parts say made in the USA and I believe they are Northern Classic parts. I was working on it today and was getting closer. Your help is much appreciated.

 

I left a slot in the bottom of the roll pan to help drain water about 1/2-3/4" long by 1/8" at the joint of the weld