Just picked up a 56 F250 and its really showing its 55 years of use and abuse. The top of the bed sides are bent down and dented, and being the novice body man I am, I can't figure out how to straighten them out. Would it be easier to buy new ones, and where can I find them for a 250? Thanks in advance

Brian

 

Brian, welcome to FTE 48-60 ford trucks!!
These trucks were used and abused mostly, and after 54 years almost cannot believe they still exist at all...LOL
I just had my sides welded and longbed sides are out there if they are too far bent and twisted.
Watch ebay and craigslist.....I also know they repop them and can be bought from mid fifties in Arizona. Shipping will always be a killer, because of weight and length.......but you may check junkyards in the area where you live. Also, when you look for beds ....expand your search to 1953-1956 and make sure the newer beds have different fender-bolt holes.....but make sure you check first.

 

One of my bedsides was bent down pretty good. I fabbed up a lever from some scrap steel and bent it back in place. I should have made the pice that presses on the top of the bed a little bigger to spread the force out a little more as it made some small impressions that will be murder to fix.


Bobby

 

My bedsides were a little beat as well, especially along the rolled edges on the top. I bought lengths of tubing (1-1/2 inch I believe), cut the old rolled edges off the bedsides, and welded the tubing on in its place. Once the rolls are removed the sheetmetal is fairly easy to work with...when the tubing is welded in place it makes the bedside very rigid again. If you opt to make your own it's not that difficult, buy a sheet of 16 ga cold rolled steel and have it sheared to length. Most sheetmetal places around here also have brakes where they can put a bend in it for you. Weld the tubing along the top and you're good to go... BTW, if you have wheel tubs then you can cut those out of your old bed and reuse them.

 

Thanks for all the responses, think I'm going to try making one of those levers.... if I can ever get more than 1 day off work a week.

 

If you fab up some kind of lever things, use something bigger to spread the load out on the bedside. In the pic of the one I used there is a piced of 2x2 square tubing used to spread the load. It ended up leaving small dents at the upper edge of it. Nothing major but annoying none the less. A piece of flatbar the same width as the angled part of the bedside would have helped a lot

Good luck
Bobby