Flimsy box sides
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2009
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From: NW Iowa
Flimsy box sides
Looking at a 1979 F150, it has the usual rust above the rear tires, floor pan, and cab corners. The box overall is in nice condition but the the box sides are easily moved from the rear 6-8" it has a nice tailgate, although it is laying in the box, I would assume because the box sides are to flimsy to keep it in place. Are there braces in side the box sides that are rusted out, and can they be replaced?
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2007
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The factory sheetmetal supports at the end of the bed around the tailgate reciever are either stressed and/or rotten away. What I'd done on my old 79 years ago was plate/weld that whole area with 2 inch angle iron. Held up
well, and I beat the crap out of that bed. (scrap metal and masonry construction)
Ugly, but very effective, especially if you plan on using it as a truck. Get your chop saw and MIG welder out, its gonna be a long weekend, lol.
well, and I beat the crap out of that bed. (scrap metal and masonry construction)
Ugly, but very effective, especially if you plan on using it as a truck. Get your chop saw and MIG welder out, its gonna be a long weekend, lol.
Moderator & parts slinger
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: S/W Missouri, Polk county
6" to 8" of movement that box is wore out, if that play is on the bottom of the bed the tail gate might not even stay on.....hence why its in the bed.
You can put in some prerunner bed stiffeners, to help.
You can put in some prerunner bed stiffeners, to help.
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,083
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From: Victoria , BC
Get some 1 1/2x 1/4"(or up to 3/8") flatbar bent in a 90 about 20"s in total length.Make 2. Pull box sides together with strap until its just slightly narrower than needed for measurement of tail gate latch widths.
Tack the angles. Release strap. Should probably release back out a bit after strap is removed, that's why I over tighten strap a bit.
Stitch weld flat bar , paint it and no more floppy bed sides. Done this on both of my trucks.
Tack the angles. Release strap. Should probably release back out a bit after strap is removed, that's why I over tighten strap a bit.
Stitch weld flat bar , paint it and no more floppy bed sides. Done this on both of my trucks.
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2009
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From: NW Iowa
I was looking around on LMC's website and it looks like maybe the culprit is a tailgate post, I would assume from the pictures that that is what is rotted out and causing the bed sides to be flimsy. If I buy the truck I want to fix it the way Ford had it, I do not want extra steel straps or braces welded in the bed if at all possible.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,806
Likes: 2,604
From: The Shenandoah Valley
My '77 has been mine since 1986, and it was in the middlelate '80s that I reinforced my bed sides at the tailgate before they began to flop.
I took a piece of 1/4" thick 4" wide piece of steel same length as tailgate and bolted it to the lower lip between tailgate and bed, below the kick in place so that it's actually flush with the edge of the bed.
I then cut and notched two pieces 1-3/4" x 1-3/4" X 3/16" steel angle so that the angle wrapped the inner rear corners of the side supports of the truck, but where I trimmed part of the angle off is where it goes down below bed level to bolt to the afore mentioned 1/4" x 4" steel cross bar.
I then also added a gusset of 3/16" steel (took a square piece and cut it diagonally) and welded to the angle starting about 2" above bed and it fastens to that steel cross bar as well.
I bolted the angle to the stock bed side box supports with some 3/8" bolts and I also used some 3/8" U-bolts from cable clamps with 4 nuts each to give me some hook points for tie downs. Remove taillight to access inner side of box to tighten.
All this was done with tailgate and hinges off. I reattached hinges afterwards. Pardon any rust, it looks worse than it really is. You can drop the tailgate and grab a bedside and shake all you want and only the truck shakes, there is no shake in the bedsides.
My whole bed floor also got a sheet of 11 gage steel cut from a 5 x 10 foot piece notched for fenders and I used the left over length to make a thicker front wall. I also tied bedsides together at front top with a piece of that 1-3/4 x 1-3/4 angle and some end brackets, stiffened it up for hauling a bike, etc .
Way way back in the 80s when I did it I had originally thought about doing simple "pre-runner style" braces but keeping the inner points 49" apart ....
.... and then I decided to try to keep whole tailgate area free of obstruction so I decided on the very rigid bracing ..... and I enjoyed the welding / fabricating.
I took a piece of 1/4" thick 4" wide piece of steel same length as tailgate and bolted it to the lower lip between tailgate and bed, below the kick in place so that it's actually flush with the edge of the bed.
I then cut and notched two pieces 1-3/4" x 1-3/4" X 3/16" steel angle so that the angle wrapped the inner rear corners of the side supports of the truck, but where I trimmed part of the angle off is where it goes down below bed level to bolt to the afore mentioned 1/4" x 4" steel cross bar.
I then also added a gusset of 3/16" steel (took a square piece and cut it diagonally) and welded to the angle starting about 2" above bed and it fastens to that steel cross bar as well.
I bolted the angle to the stock bed side box supports with some 3/8" bolts and I also used some 3/8" U-bolts from cable clamps with 4 nuts each to give me some hook points for tie downs. Remove taillight to access inner side of box to tighten.
All this was done with tailgate and hinges off. I reattached hinges afterwards. Pardon any rust, it looks worse than it really is. You can drop the tailgate and grab a bedside and shake all you want and only the truck shakes, there is no shake in the bedsides.
My whole bed floor also got a sheet of 11 gage steel cut from a 5 x 10 foot piece notched for fenders and I used the left over length to make a thicker front wall. I also tied bedsides together at front top with a piece of that 1-3/4 x 1-3/4 angle and some end brackets, stiffened it up for hauling a bike, etc .
Way way back in the 80s when I did it I had originally thought about doing simple "pre-runner style" braces but keeping the inner points 49" apart ....
.... and then I decided to try to keep whole tailgate area free of obstruction so I decided on the very rigid bracing ..... and I enjoyed the welding / fabricating.
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Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Victoria , BC
I was looking around on LMC's website and it looks like maybe the culprit is a tailgate post, I would assume from the pictures that that is what is rotted out and causing the bed sides to be flimsy. If I buy the truck I want to fix it the way Ford had it, I do not want extra steel straps or braces welded in the bed if at all possible.
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