er... maybe I should say with wood...
er... maybe I should say problems installing bed wood hold down strips...to keep our "G" rating

the details..

bed is assembled on a frame matching the truck frame


it is square to 1/8" ... plumb and level

I installed the bed wood for fit and to mark holes to be drilled and then the SS strips...



the gaps are 7/16" on all but center boards and it is 3/8"

when I line up the strips so the front punched hole lines up with the front cross member hole as so....



then look at the rear cross member for alignment... well here's what I see



the hole in the SS strip hits right on the front edge of the rear cross member

WTH ?????


rear cross member is in the right place in the stake pockets... where else could it be ???

I'm stumped at the problem AND a solution... I know Henry's boys didn't fret over this, they just hammered on crap to make it fit... but it seems I need to stretch the bed or shrink the strips... neither of which I can do...

I temper this with the caveat that I am somewhat OCD and cursed with growing up as a surveyor's son and later a precision alignment engineer... I itch if things don't line up perfectly... it's a curse... I want to straighten pictures in restaurants and can spot something 1/8" out of level across a room...

but I digress... looking at the pictures... I welcome all constructive comments and will suffer the others


Opinions ??:

thanks
j

 

Try turning your strips around, front to back. The strip bolts don't have to go through crossmembers. Most of them 'float' and are just there to keep the wood together.

 

John, I know you have way more smarts than I but, do the ends have equal spacing from ends to bolt holes. I know stupid thing to ask but I have never checked. I will be able to look at my trailer later today and maybe get some measurements for you. The only reason I say that is my trailer is still the way Henry's boys put it together IE un molested and less chance I can mess it up. Good luck on it, Kurt.

 

I second what 53 Merc said about the strip mounting bolts going through the crossmembers. Mine are the hidden mounting type and they are positioned where you want them. None are going through the crossmembers as I remember.

 

Hey John,

The strip bolts don't go through the crossmember. The bolts that hold the 90 degree cap strip do go through it.

Dan

 

thanks guys... I did know about the different punches in each end but trying either one I'm still messed up.... they are 1/2" and 3/8" respectively from the ends.... using the 3/8" punch on the front on the bed moves the strip forward.. the punch hole at the tailgate end puts the bolt right up against the rear cross member.. no room for washer and nut... using the 1/2" hole up front makes it even worse..... I guess I could lengthen each square punch maybe a 1/16" and still have the hole under the carriage bolt head...





but that is a lot of work and still wouldn't gain but about 1/8 " and that means no washer and a very awkward bolt up...

 

I'd call the girls at MF..

the pic in their catalog (bed wood kit) page 128 (2011 catalog), shows the bolt has to before the rear cross member.

wonder why its so tight for you.. these beds have been like this forever..
unless you got the rear cross member set wrong?

Sam

 

Could the rear cross member be in backwards. Check the lip on each side of it and see if that could be offsetting the member

 

here's a pic of the rear cross member from the trailer hitch install...



it can only go one way... or the tabs to bolt in on would stick out the back... if it were upside down the opening would be on top... been there done that... it's snug in the stake pockets...if it were wrong the roll pan wouldn't have lined up properly. tailgate fits good, bedsides are plumb, bed sides are the proper distance apart.....

got me baffled

j

 

Well I hope you figure it out and post the solution because this is still on my to do list and I really don't need a other problem to solve Good luck

 

here's a little update

spent 3 days trying to get an answer from Mid-50... seems Diane is the guru on beds and she's a very busy lady so call backs are hard to get... I sent her all the pics above and finally talked her through my problem... she had no answer but was referring the problem to Sy.

Talked again today and Mid-50 didn't have a solution. I had offered her an option that I had come up with and they couldn't find an alternative fix... so here's what I'm gonna do...

fabricate a new rear cross member from 2x4x1/8" rec tubing. Which involves welding two pieces together since I don't have a 53" long section... I only have 48" piece so I have to add on 5" section. Then do this...



Probably do this with a hole saw and only do half circle cuts like this




now questions....

sound reasonable ??

what about the end strip... how does it attach ??? if I use solid tubing I can't put nuts on the carriage bolts for the end strip can I ?? more cutaways ???

flaws or stupid thinking ???


thanks guys

john

 

FWIW, and I realize we're talking different size animals here but they are similar vintage Ford. When I rebuild the nine foot script stake bed on Missy Green I used the original skid strips in which the holes matched the bed frame cross members. The skid strips do have different dimensions front to rear.

 

yea, I know about the difference in the punches, Ray... one end is punched 3/8" from the end and the other end is 1/2" from the end... using the 3/8" end at the front of the bed will bring the other end further away from the rear cross member.... but not enough... I need at least 1/2" to get a washer and nut on the bolt in the strip

It's tough being that close and not there !

j

 

...if the problem persists for more than 4 hours you should contact your physician (at least thats what the commercials say)

Sorry John, couldn't resist

Fabricating a whole new rear x-member seems like a tons of work. How is the x-member held in the frame? Is it possible to move it rearwards 1/4" to 3/8" or so?

I tried waving my magic wand but it appears as if the batteries are dead

Good luck
Bobby

 

If you're gonna do all THAT, why not just notch the existing cross member.. its only 6 places. (between the 7 boards).

how does the rear flange mount? bolts thru the flange, thru the space between the slats, thru the rear cross member, nuts on from below.

MF catalog shows both with holes.. here's my bed assembled just out of the box.