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2005 5.4L 8' bed F250 - I've searched around, but can't find support sill dimensions for a long bed F250 (lots of information on shortbeds). It looks like there are 5 cross members and mine are in horrible shape (chunks of metal falling off). Just bought this truck a week ago and didn't check
Anyone know the dimensions for each support?
I think having a shop fabricate them would be less expensive than paying $300+ online. My friend can weld them onto the bed for me.
Thanks for replying, but I saw their product and it doesn't include the 5th support. Also is $340 on Amazon and I read others had success for around $100 getting them fabricated.
Mine are so bad I want to verify dimensions because there's not much to go off of with them hah
Thanks for replying, but I saw their product and it doesn't include the 5th support. Also is $340 on Amazon and I read others had success for around $100 getting them fabricated.
Mine are so bad I want to verify dimensions because there's not much to go off of with them hah
All you need is an approximate measurement, you shim the bed to the frame with washers after. That's how I did it in the thread you listed.
All you need is an approximate measurement, you shim the bed to the frame with washers after. That's how I did it in the thread you listed.
Okay, I took some rough measurements and after rounding and what the metal shop had in stock:
Front support: 5' x 3" x 2" @ $32.86EA
2nd support: 5' x 3" x 2" @ $32.86EA
3rd support: 4' x 2.5" x 2.5" @ $24.36EA
4th support: 4' x 2" x 2" @ $26.96EA
5th support: 5' x 1" x 2" @ $20.80EA
5th support spacers: 1' x 1.5" x 2" @ $17.50EA TOTAL: $155.34 + tax
I'll use washers too since the measurements aren't exact.
This weekend I put in about 30 hours of work getting this done. I recommend you have a week or more and take your time... I could have done a better job, but had to drive three hours home from my friend's for work the next day. In the OP I linked to several threads that guided me.
Materials used:
1 gal POR15 Cleaner/Degreaser (Marine Clean)
1 gal POR15 Metal Prep (Prep & Ready)
2 cans Goof-Off pro-strength 16oz
2 qts POR15
2 Spray bottles
Gloves for painting
Brushes (foam will deteriorate, better to use ones with bristles)
New bed bolts/clips (takeoffs from eBay)
New support sills (1/8" thick will last for years, but heavy)
4 self-tapping screws
Washers (I cut my own from a tire tube. for setting bed on frame)
Lots of rags
Before removing the bed, hit each bed bolt with penetrating oil and bang them with a hammer. Also remove your gas filler neck and wiring from bumper for tail lights.
A ton of much rust! It must have been a salt truck at some point. A hammer will be your friend getting the chunks off. Whack the frame like you mean it and finish with a chisel. The rubber coating was the hardest part to get off. I scraped what I could with a chisel, then sprayed the Goof-Off, let it sit, and wiped it cleaned with a rag. A final pass with an electric wire brush removed most of the rust left. I was short on time, so I didn’t pull the gas tank or wiring on the driver’s side and skipped that inner frame section. Also would have liked to replace my shocks, but didn’t have the money for that at the moment. Spray them with penetrating oil and loosen the bolts while they’re easy to access.
***When shimmying under the truck, don’t get the fallen melted rubber in your hair… I thought I’d have to get a buzz, but luckily it came out with alcohol/hairbrush, letting conditioner/olive oil sit in my hair for a half hour, and washing it out with hot water and some shampoo.
The cross-members were completely rotted. Use penetrating oil and unbolt the four support arms before you remove the sills. Drill the spot welds and chisel them until they separate. FORD welded every other rib in the bed-floor, so expect this to take some time. A few of the welds pulled through the bed and I’ll be using filler on them.
***Remove the mud flaps before setting your bed down. Mine got a little bent, but aren’t too expensive if I ever want to replace them.
Read the instructions for the degreaser, metal prep and POR15. In the short time I had, I think it came out pretty well. Even just knocking the old rust off the bed would have been an improvement and slowed down future rust. I applied two coats.
It’s good having nice friends to help get the project done. Prep the metal surface to be welded and screw the support arms into the cross-members with self-tapping screws. You really should grind all the old primer, spray with degreaser/acid and then paint but I didn't bother. I forgot to take a picture of the underside painted. Last picture shows a piece of 20 ga sheet metal getting welded into the bed to cover a big rust hole.
Next step will be grinding the bed down, filling the holes and painting it with POR15.
I had some free time so I took the plastic bed rails off, grinded down the welds, wire brushed the loose paint and sanded the whole bed with 60 grit. Then I painted two coats of POR15 to help protect it for years to come (or until I scrape it up with loads haha). I bought a bunch of navy blue enamel spraypaint which will be the next step for UV protection.
Looks great! Anything you would have done differently?
Thank you! By the end, I was regretting not just buying a brand new bed haha. But my bank account is happy only spending about $350 on this project (versus the $1,500+ for a new bed).
Mainly wish I had the equipment and welding expertise to do this on my own property and could have taken my time (gas tank removal and reaching ALL the frame).
Also would have used bristle brushes from the start. I went through six foam brushes that would deteriorate and fall apart (they were free when I purchased the paint off eBay).
The weather was pretty humid/rainy and ideally I would have liked to do this on a dry, sunny day. The paint would've dried faster.
Finally, do not forget to dry out the leaf spring shackles after cleaning and rinsing the frame. Water collects inside them and I ended up painting them a day later because of the pooled water.
After I did this repair, I also found my brake back-plates rusted trough. It was hard to see from the back side, but a little push revealed a plethora of rust.
After I did this repair, I also found my brake back-plates rusted trough. It was hard to see from the back side, but a little push revealed a plethora of rust.
I didn't notice this, I'll have to check it out later today. Thanks for the info and for writing your guide that helped me so much.
Originally Posted by redford
Get the top coat on ASAP. POR-15 is not UV stable. Exposure to sunlight will screw up all your work.
Had a chance to spray paint it this weekend. I quickly sanded down the POR15 and used 7 spray cans of the $3.50 Rustoleum Gloss Protective Enamel paint and applied two coats. I chose a color (rather than black) because it'll be easier to notice when the bed needs touch ups.
I didn't notice this, I'll have to check it out later today. Thanks for the info and for writing your guide that helped me so much.
Had a chance to spray paint it this weekend. I quickly sanded down the POR15 and used 7 spray cans of the $3.50 Rustoleum Gloss Protective Enamel paint and applied two coats. I chose a color (rather than black) because it'll be easier to notice when the bed needs touch ups.
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