Great guys! THANKS! Just what I needed!
Looks perfect for what I have in mind; make a flareside box out of my rusted out styleside. here is even more area ouside of the inner wheel wells than i thought... --its hard to see the offset with the outer skinin place-- Won't have to narrow it as much as i thought.


Gary.

 

very cool pics! few questions

1. any clue how many spot welds there are?

2. what bed sides did you all use? what brand/supplier?

 

Answer to #1 = a LOT. I don't have any idea of total number, but if I remember right there are 15 or so along the top rail where the bedside comes over into the inner bed. There there are a bunch at the vertical front of the bedside where it is right next to the cab. There are then more by the tail light area (this may not count though as much of this area may get cut out due to tailgate/light, etc. differences. Lastly there are I think 8 per inner fender. 4 on the side where it connects to the inner bed and 4 where it connects to the bedside. That's all from memory of looking at it a few months back though.

#2 - my answer won't really apply for many as I said I am running a fiberglass bedsied that has a 3" larger wheel opening and has been flared out 3" wider than stock per side. Mine are made by Autofab if anyone is into the "prerunner" look.

 

I stopped counting the spot welds when I was removing the panel from my donor bed, there is alot. To my surprise the spot weld cutters from Harbor Freight did a great job.

I have never bought a whole bedside panel but I have bought small repair panels from LMC and NPD. After doing so I realized LMC and NPD has the exact same panels. Not as thick as oem and not as crisp body lines but they still look good when put in right.

 

good info. looks like i need to find a later model bed

 

Did anyone here have a later bed that just bolted right on to the 70's frame? I have what I believe to be an 87 2wd bed on my '74 2wd F-100 supercab and while the rear 2 bolt holes lined up - the front 4 or 6 (my '74 had 8 bed bolts total - the '87 had 6) were just slightly off. I haven't bolted the bed all the way down yet so I don't know how much work it will take to open up the holes or re-drill them or whatever - but is this common? I seem to remember reading that the 80-96 beds would bolt right on to an earlier 2wd truck (SCS aside obviously) but this didn't seem to be the case for me.

 

My wifes truck is going to get a 83 stepside bed I will get pictures when It is on and painted

 

arnt the earlier 73-77 slightly narrower? maybe thats it?

 

Highboy's are the ones with the narrow frame...2wd's, Lowboy's and half tons don't have the narrow frame...excluding SCS trucks of course!

 

ohhh, gotcha. scs?

 

F-350 "Super Camper Specials", and F-350 "Super Trailer Specials", have a 140" wheelbase and a spare tire compartment in the side of the bed on the right side. These beds are very unique, and the regular beds are not compatible to fix them.

 

Yeah SCS trucks had the narrow frame rails like the "highboy" 73-early 77 F-250 and F-350 4wds. I thought all the 2wd's and later 4wds had the same frame widths as the "newer" (80-96) trucks did, but after trying to put this bed on I'm not sure everything is exact.

 

How close is slightly?
Like within the dia of the bolt type difference; the holes could be wollowed slightly to line up? or having to completely drill new holes?

I just thought, it'd be great to cut up a later bed for my idea, in case it doesn't work, i can still patch panel the stock one and put it back on...

G.

 

It's just F-350 Trailer Special, not Super Trailer Special...

 

When you put words into quotes, it means one of two things. You either are quoting somebody else, or you are quoting yourself in your own words.

I know Ford didn't call them, "Super Trailer Specials", but I myself called them that in my post as to not confuse people with "Regular Trailer Specials".

However, I take your point, and should call them, F-350 Trailer Specials, as these have the same beds as, 1973-1976 F-350 Super Camper Specials, and 1977-1979 F-350 Camper Specials. Each of these have a 140" wheelbase.