I need some help rebuilding our 1 ton bed, the 8' size. No one makes 1 ton bed kits so we are stuck with what we have. The bed sides are pretty rough but with some patch panels and hammering they should work, new stake pockets are smaller but will work with some creative tapering into the old ones. I have 5 rotted wood cross members, 3 measure 2.5" high the other 2 are tapered to fit the curve in the frame. It doesn't appear that the three 2.5" members were bolted to the frame, there is no hole in the wood where it sat on the frame. So it looks to me like the whole bed was held on with just 8 bolts, 2 in front 4 tapered and 2 in the roll pan. Does this sound right?? I planned on making the new cross members out of steel so should I attach them like the original or try and bolt all of them to the frame? How have others done this? Thanks!

 

yea 8 bolts is what i'v run into on holding it down
i'v got a 63' 8' flareside bed i'm working on and got a front panal from mar-k
got a 54" front crossmember from npd
no side panals around
and made my own stakepockets
welding skills well help
good luck

 

Let me know if you are still looking for a Bed for your 1- ton as I know where there was one and still may be there high & dry and in real decent condition.

 

what shape are your leaf springs in? ask about rearching or having them heat treated i had 5.25 clearance between top of tires on a 78 1 ton. springs were original they were good til i overloaded it then tire hit bottom of bed. on new one im going two inches higher and have to see what springs will take. check spring hangers ford spring hangers are llike cups and hold water and rot depends were you live. put wolmanized wood down cut to make the frame level you can skip over the hard spots. now im going with square tube kthe with of the frame and the height i need then im going to weld the cross pieces to the sq tube if you cant weld look for channel iron thats flat not tapered they make flat beds for pick ups out of it but i never looked for it. check steel shop it wood be a good way to go. Its lighter . ive got heavy channel iron and i want to use it so im not looking If you get flat channel it be alot easer to bolt together if not get tapered washers to fit beveled channeled iron Get cross pices on, and wrap outside with 1/4 flat steel it should be thick enough to hold binders your put on it to hold load down get sq tube pieces size of 2x4s weld plate on bottom of sq piece weld pieces to flat plate to hold upright 2x4 for sides check archives on this sight look at any flatbeds you see good luck the next one will be easier.

 

forgot question get ubolts at auto store to bolt sq tube and wood to frame 8 foot long my guess is 3 per side is enough .

 

Great input, thanks. 5 Star you can email me with the information, is it OK to post my email address? Good sources of bed parts I hadn't checked already.

 

OregonJen

You did get my message that i sent to you regarding the Bed, with phone number I hope.

Let me know if you wouldn't mind, thanks.