Hi all, been lurking for awhile but finally bought my 55 F250. Still getting familiar with the truck but one thing is bugging me. The running boards have been bubba'd to say the least. It's a 250 but it has a short bed installed. Among other things to figure out, I have to figure out a replacement for the boards. Bottom line, they don't look level. Any thoughts?




I can get better pictures but I'm confused on how a new set would mount. I've never seen the small (red) step the way it's molded. Something like it is it's own independent step-side. Is this a different model bed perhaps?

 

Nice looking truck! Welcome to FTE


Looks like the bed/fenders are off a 57+, they had the short running boards on just the bed like that, and they where mounted about an inch up. Should be able to find a set of F100 running boards from 53-56 and have work (the bed is no different, just those mounting holes on the fender). The front running board on your truck sorta looks custom to me, hard to tell from that angle but stock boards tend to follow the line of the front fender rather than be cut perpendicular to the cab.

Thankfully these are being reproduced, places like Mid-Fifty or NPD sell them. Will run you about $450 for a set, might be able to find used ones cheaper but it will take longer to find a pair that doesn't need repair.


Does look like your truck has had some custom work to it. An F250 had a wheel base that was 8" longer than an F100, so usually the frame is shortened to fit a short bed on it, or if I had to guess on your truck swapped out with a newer chassis. Both are solid options, it tends to be more work to swap out the chassis but there can be many benefits to it.

 

I found out while replacing the brakes that they were 1/2 ton axles...or at least wheels for the drums. So there has been a decent amount of chopping. So I may get away with 53-56 boards (I've seen them in catalogs) and just modify the bed mount with a longer bracket?

 

You should be able to re-drill the fender mount holes and lower the bracket that goes underneath (that's connected to the chassis) and have it work. You can take off the old running boards, put an F100 one up and see where everything should go at the bed end of it pretty easy, then put the holes where you need, that's how I would do it.

However it's possible that it might need a little a little more custom work if it has a non-stock frame on it. I don't have a set to measure but someone here should know exactly how long the running boards are before you buy some, because if you have a different chassis under it depending on how it was done you might not have the same wheel base. (which would require shortening the running boards, if your distance is longer instead of adding to f100 running boards I would shorten f250 boards, it's easier.) A f100 has a wheel base of 110", an F250 is 118", but you'll want to compare the distance between fenders to see if you'll need to modify the running boards or not to fit. I don't think you will though.

Another problem you might have if the chassis is different is the bracket that goes on the frame for the boards at the bed might need to be lengthened. Modern chassis tend to go up after the cab, these old ones where pretty flat:




See how it goes back to the same height after the bump for the axle? Modern ones tend to stay up higher. The reason I think yours might have been swapped out is in order to make the bed sit at the right height with using a modern chassis some of the space inside the bed gets taken up. I don't have measurements for a 53+ bed handy, but on a 52 and earlier it's about 20" from the wood to the top of the sides of the bed. I only notice it because I spent a lot of time researching out swapping chassis on a truck.

Great looking truck, so what all do you have planned for it other than the running boards?

 

Ill take some shots of the board mounts to see what you think. I believe I'll be able to modify the bed mount as you described. Without seeing F100 boards uninstalled I really don't know what to expect. I really don't want to buy some boards without knowing if they'll fit.
Haven't planned much else yet for truck, just ensuring its road ready enough now. The drivers door latch barely closed and the fuel gauge didn't work. I've Los been redoing the brakes...man I forgot how bad drums were! I'll get some pics to you shortly and thanks for the info thus far!

 

Here's a picture of them uninstalled:

Early Ford Store of CA - Antique Ford Parts - Original & Reproduction 1928-1959 Ford Cars & Trucks




Someone on here should be able to get you a quick measurement of how long they are. I would be surprised if they didn't fit for you. My truck is custom so I don't have the same running boards so I can't tell you what the length of them would be, lol.

 

There is another problem with a 57-73 bed. The fenders on the 57+bed were mounted about 4 inches higher than on the 53-56 beds. I found out too late. My running boards are cockeyed upward to meet the higher fender bottoms...

 

I wondered about that very thing Abe. Here are some shots of the mounts:





So I had a few questions. Do you think it would be feasible to lower the bed mount? What about mounting 55 fenders? I'm just not used to the idea of swapping body components. Finally would there be any custom options for lining the cab up with the bed, like the 57 models are? Maybe cutting the board mounts under the cab and remove the boards all together?
In the end I want to keep it easy as I'm getting to learn all this stuff.

 

The stock boards are 64" from tip to tail.

 

if you are stuck on keeping the bed then you have 2 options, both mean you need to buy good used or repopped 53-56 running boards.

1. fill the old holes on the bedsides, and drill new holes to position the fenders where they were for 53-56. A lot of work and you will see the patched up old holes.
2. keep the fenders where are and force your running boards to fit. Noticeable to you and me but not to most people.

 

Abe
I see my two options as either manipulating the boards to fit the current fenders as you suggested; or research replacing the 57ish fenders I have with 55's. Not even sure about fender replacement procedures but a re-paint is on my agenda anyway.
Back to point, Abe do you have any pics of your set-up so I can prove its been done? I don't mind the higher fenders in the back but these stupids makeshift boards have to go soon!

 

Abe
I see my two options as either manipulating the boards to fit the current fenders as you suggested; or research replacing the 57ish fenders I have with 55's. Not even sure about fender replacement procedures but a re-paint is on my agenda anyway.
Back to point, Abe do you have any pics of your set-up so I can prove its been done? I don't mind the higher fenders in the back but these stupids makeshift boards have to go soon!

 

I thought the beds from 53-72 where the same, and the only difference was the mounting holes for the running boards on the bottom of the fenders. I thought the fenders themselves sat in the exact same spot on the bed. I could be wrong but that's what I found with my research when I went through finding my own bed.

As far as the mounting bracket goes, I would get one from an F100 that attaches to the chassis like the front two. Least that's how I'm doing it with my truck, first I've seen it attached to the bed like that.

 

No, the fenders on the 57+ beds are mounted about 4 to 5 inches higher. The place where the short running boards mount to the fender are higher than the 53-56 running boards.

 

before as original:


now with a 71 bed:

notice how the vertical sheet metal piece of the running board does not meet the bottom of the bed panel nicely.

here you can see how high the fenders are on the bedside. I only noticed this after I got the truck home and sitting in my driveway. I thought a lot of the rear wheel showed...