i just got a request for some pics of the box on my truck,the thing is FORD52F2 says his box had a 1/8 steel plate on the floor of his box.well my box is/was a dump boi just remove the PTO and rams today and they will not be going back in.)and it has a steel plate as well.
does anyone know if this is factory or not,and how many of you have this plate?the wood is still under the plate,but i dont see any steel cross members to fasten it to the frame.
i will get some pics tomorrow so you can see what im talking about.

 

Wood plank boxes without the metal cover were started in 1951.

Now I'm not sure if that was the "Pick-up" Box and the "Express" Box or just the Pick-up Box that had the metal floor 48-50. I asked Bob Jones and I seem to recall that he said the Express Box was uncovered wood plank.

The boxes that had the metal floors had it over wood planking!

Someone with a 48, 49, or 50 Salesmans Handbook could post the specs page for the Express Box.

 

i had a really nice shortbed for a bonus built here that was turned into a trailer that had a metal floor and stu seen it and said it appeared to be one of the ones equipped so from the factory . i also had a express a.k.a long bed that had the metal floor and it did not ever appear as it had anything but a metal floor ever , on my 1 ton .

 

Kevin - What year was that Express bed truck of yours, do you remember? I've never seen any F-2/3s that had a factory steel covered bed floor, but IIRC this is the second recent mention of them. Just as Julie said of Bob's response, all I've ever known of had "5 quarter" hardwood planks, with metal skid strips, supported by four hardwood cross members. It sure would be good to see pictures of one to help give a hint of whether they were factory or aftermarket. Stu

 

I also had one that had a piece of ¼" floor plate welded inside but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a factory option. I've never seen any sales literature showing or offering an option of a steel plate. It's an easy enough thing to weld in and I can see the wood floor not working too good for hauling heavy loads like rock or metal parts. Also, I would think, in the case of a farm truck with a dump option, grain would slide out a lot easier on a smooth piece of sheet metal.

 

stu i'm not real sure but i think it was a late 60's early 70's . it was a real nice job too , not like someone threw a piece in there and zapped it , like my poor 53's .......... did'ja get out too see that 51-52 3/4 ton we stumbled and bumbled upon ???????????? the guy i got the express bed from said it was a 50's era , but all he seemed to have sitting around was derelict 60-70's stuff he was getting rid of .

 

Not been out there yet. I need to go exploring I guess. Stu

 

My 1948 F-68 with express box has wooden cross members, wood deck, no steel plates.

 

Stu,this is the express box for my 50 merc m-68.if this isnt factory then who ever did it did a pretty good job as far as fit goes.






it was raining by lunch time so i couldnt take the forklift there to lift the box to get some pics of the under side.
so now i removed the lift for the box,how do i fasten the box back to the frame?
[IMG]file:///C:/Users/wathendad/Pictures/Adobe/Digital%20Camera%20Photos/2010-03-22-1753-54/DSCI0202.JPG[/IMG][IMG]file:///C:/Users/wathendad/Pictures/Adobe/Digital%20Camera%20Photos/2010-03-22-1753-54/DSCI0202.JPG[/IMG]

 

I'm certain that's not factory installed. First and foremost, that took a long time to weld in and get it to look so nice. Ford would never have allowed that much time to be spent on the production line. Every weld pretty much was a quick spot weld.

 

This is what the cross braces look like. I should have looked again before saying there were four. Actually there are six, or is it seven? I can't remember if there is also one at the tailgate. To reattached the bed you'll have to drill holes in the floor, the cross braces, and the frame then bolt it all together. Stu

 

thanks Stu
that will be a big help when i go to put my bed back on.
i think for how i will leave the steel plate in for how.i better finish some of the other stuff i have started first.

so how high would i make this? like just enough to clear the hump in tn frame,or is there a body line on the cab it should line up with?

 

Roy - In the morning I'll remeasure each piece and look to refresh myself on whether there is a seventh support that, in the above picture, would be under the metal rail below the gate. What I can give you now is the info in the below line drawing I did of the middle two cross members. Probably not so important for you since your bed will be stronger than others, but on the wood beds there are two metal inserts on the ends of the middle two cross members that add strength where they meet the bed sides. Like you suggested, these middle two wood cross members are thinner than the others because of the rise of the frame over the rear axle. I'll also post below the pic of the Express bed from the '52 Dealer Handbook. Stu

 

Hey Bob, Stu?

Do we know anyone who has a 48, 49, or 50 Salesmans Handbook?

I have the 51 and Stu has the 52, but in those Express Boxes, we know they had wood floors. I'd like to see the page from the 50 Salesmans handbook that is the equivelant of what Stu posted for the 52 page above.

 

Chuck has one. I'll email him in the morning. My gut, though, says he'll simply tell me they were all wood.

I now have a '51 and '54 in addition to the '52. Chuck and I worked a swap. He got my '38 book and some cash in exchange for the above two. Stu