Problems mounting OEM bed rails
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New User
Joined: Feb 2015
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From: Whittier, CA
Problems mounting OEM bed rails
Hey everyone,
My 72 f100 long bed needed some rails. So, I recently purchased a complete set of OEM bed rails with all the mounting hardware... on eBay (and probably over paid a bit
). I went to mount them up today aaaand the mounting nuts, that should link up under the bed walls, are too long (in especially the middle of the bed). It looks like the support brackets on the inside of the bed are restricting access to the mounting nuts and I'm stuck. Anybody know how to work around this? through this? fix this? Are there, maybe, other mounting hardware I should be using?
My 72 f100 long bed needed some rails. So, I recently purchased a complete set of OEM bed rails with all the mounting hardware... on eBay (and probably over paid a bit
). I went to mount them up today aaaand the mounting nuts, that should link up under the bed walls, are too long (in especially the middle of the bed). It looks like the support brackets on the inside of the bed are restricting access to the mounting nuts and I'm stuck. Anybody know how to work around this? through this? fix this? Are there, maybe, other mounting hardware I should be using?
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,396
Likes: 4
From: Cupertino
I will give it a shot.
I believe you have a problem with long 1/4-20s interfering.
Figure out what length you need, run a die down the bolt until the amount you wish to cut off protrudes, vise up the die and hacksaw off excess. That way you get a bolt of proper length with a good thread. The die will cut thread on the way off.
I believe you have a problem with long 1/4-20s interfering.
Figure out what length you need, run a die down the bolt until the amount you wish to cut off protrudes, vise up the die and hacksaw off excess. That way you get a bolt of proper length with a good thread. The die will cut thread on the way off.
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New User
Joined: Feb 2015
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From: Whittier, CA
Ok, Hopefully these pictures help to see what I'm talking about.
This is as far as I can get it in (in the middle pockets as well as the front):
Here's the mounting nuts and plastic gasket to the side and how well they should be fitting together:
Here you can see the nuts just wont fit at all:
On the middle and front , these pockets are whats blocking access:
This is how they should fit. As you can see they fit perfectly on the rear:
PLEASE HELP! I'm really lost here. Do I need a different mount hardware? Do I need to remove the pocket brackets on the inside of the bed? Did I purchase the wrong thing?
This is as far as I can get it in (in the middle pockets as well as the front):
Here's the mounting nuts and plastic gasket to the side and how well they should be fitting together:
Here you can see the nuts just wont fit at all:
On the middle and front , these pockets are whats blocking access:
This is how they should fit. As you can see they fit perfectly on the rear:
PLEASE HELP! I'm really lost here. Do I need a different mount hardware? Do I need to remove the pocket brackets on the inside of the bed? Did I purchase the wrong thing?
Tuned
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 387
Likes: 25
Those particular rails were not available until the late 1970's so they weren't really designed for the the 67-72 beds. Years ago, I took a set of those rails off of my father's 1979 F150 and put them on my 1967 F100 (My dad was a good guy). So, it can be done and they looked perfect, but I just can't remember if the threaded cross bars (mounting nuts) were too long--it may have been necessary to shorten them by grinding the ends. The same rails were also sold for the 1980 and up trucks but the chrome mounting stands were different due to the different contour of the bed. The threaded cross bars and plastic pads may have also been different. Are you certain that the bed rails you bought are for 73-79 trucks and not the later trucks? I see a D9T? part number on one of the plastic pads so they should be the correct parts.
I have made new threaded cross bars before when the originals have been missing, so that is an option too.
I have made new threaded cross bars before when the originals have been missing, so that is an option too.
Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 15
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From: Whittier, CA
Those particular rails were not available until the late 1970's so they weren't really designed for the the 67-72 beds. Years ago, I took a set of those rails off of my father's 1979 F150 and put them on my 1967 F100 (My dad was a good guy). So, it can be done and they looked perfect, but I just can't remember if the threaded cross bars (mounting nuts) were too long--it may have been necessary to shorten them by grinding the ends. The same rails were also sold for the 1980 and up trucks but the chrome mounting stands were different due to the different contour of the bed. The threaded cross bars and plastic pads may have also been different. Are you certain that the bed rails you bought are for 73-79 trucks and not the later trucks? I see a D9T? part number on one of the plastic pads so they should be the correct parts.
I have made new threaded cross bars before when the originals have been missing, so that is an option too.
I have made new threaded cross bars before when the originals have been missing, so that is an option too.
Unless anyone else has any other insight here, I think I'm looking at having to make some new cross bars. The pockets are unobstructed from left to right so I may need to make a few H-shape cross bars, thread them up and see if I can make that work.
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From: Elk
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Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Simi Valley, CA
Several years ago, I found a set of NOS bed rails at a dealer in AL with the last updated part number (E7TZ-99322B30-B) for FTE member Phil105. He installed them on his 1970 F100 without a problemo.
And btw, D9TJ-9932242-AB is the Ford ID Engineering Number for the pad, it's not the Ford part number. There are no part numbers marked on parts after 1956.
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Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Feb 2015
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From: Whittier, CA
Well, the plastic gaskets have notches for the cross bars which run from the front to back and none from left to right. So turning the gasket would mean that the rail arms would not fit into the gasket as intended and would not be flush. I could run the risk of cutting new notches into the gaskets but would not be able to go back if it did not work out.
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New User
Joined: Feb 2015
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From: Whittier, CA
6 1/2' & 8' Styleside bed rails are the same 1967/91 .. as FoMoCo updated the original part numbers multiple times.
Several years ago, I found a set of NOS bed rails at a dealer in AL with the last updated part number (E7TZ-99322B30-B) for FTE member Phil105. He installed them on his 1970 F100 without a problemo.
And btw, D9TJ-9932242-AB is the Ford ID Engineering Number for the pad, it's not the Ford part number. There are no part numbers marked on parts after 1956.
Several years ago, I found a set of NOS bed rails at a dealer in AL with the last updated part number (E7TZ-99322B30-B) for FTE member Phil105. He installed them on his 1970 F100 without a problemo.
And btw, D9TJ-9932242-AB is the Ford ID Engineering Number for the pad, it's not the Ford part number. There are no part numbers marked on parts after 1956.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
It's so obvious I'm surprised the so-called expert didn't catch it.
The rails might be the same but what about the mounting system? That part has a "D3TJ-" cast on it and yer attempting to install it on a Bumpside. It would be a relatively safe assumption that the mounting system is intended for Dents......
I've got a Dent and two Bumps. A real-life, real-world, non-MPC comparison indicates the pockets on the Dent are physically wider fore and aft. The only pocket on a Bump with the same clearance is the rear-most on my longbeds. The middle and forward pockets are narrower... the fore and aft "walls" are nearly the same width as the pocket.
The rails might be the same but what about the mounting system? That part has a "D3TJ-" cast on it and yer attempting to install it on a Bumpside. It would be a relatively safe assumption that the mounting system is intended for Dents......
I've got a Dent and two Bumps. A real-life, real-world, non-MPC comparison indicates the pockets on the Dent are physically wider fore and aft. The only pocket on a Bump with the same clearance is the rear-most on my longbeds. The middle and forward pockets are narrower... the fore and aft "walls" are nearly the same width as the pocket.
Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 15
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From: Whittier, CA
It's so obvious I'm surprised the so-called expert didn't catch it.
The rails might be the same but what about the mounting system? That part has a "D3TJ-" cast on it and yer attempting to install it on a Bumpside. It would be a relatively safe assumption that the mounting system is intended for Dents......
I've got a Dent and two Bumps. A real-life, real-world, non-MPC comparison indicates the pockets on the Dent are physically wider fore and aft. The only pocket on a Bump with the same clearance is the rear-most on my longbeds. The middle and forward pockets are narrower... the fore and aft "walls" are nearly the same width as the pocket.
The rails might be the same but what about the mounting system? That part has a "D3TJ-" cast on it and yer attempting to install it on a Bumpside. It would be a relatively safe assumption that the mounting system is intended for Dents......
I've got a Dent and two Bumps. A real-life, real-world, non-MPC comparison indicates the pockets on the Dent are physically wider fore and aft. The only pocket on a Bump with the same clearance is the rear-most on my longbeds. The middle and forward pockets are narrower... the fore and aft "walls" are nearly the same width as the pocket.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
But all is not lost. Fab up some different mounts using the same principle... maybe some else in here can provide pics and dimensions of bump-specific brackets.