Hello, I’ve got a 1972 F250 Ranger and I’m wondering if anyone has ideas for a bed divider? My 2006 F150 has the notches in the bed for a piece of lumber but my 72 doesn’t. Thoughts?

 

You won't find anything like this until 2004. My 2004, 2011 and 2015 F150's had this feature, but no truck before 2004 had it.

 

Good to know. I wonder if anybody has rigged something up that works well. Having the diver is handy

 

Agree totally. First thought that comes to mind is something shaped like a Simpson Strong-Tie I think they're called? Basically a joist hanger but without the sharp edges to make us regret the decision later when it's not in use.
Or if you could "hide" the edges behind something less sharp, such as some more wood, it would not be too bad.
No matter what, it entails drilling into the bed, in case you're against such stuff. Never quite understood that thinking myself. For me, if my bed could benefit from attach some handy device to it, I say drill baby drill!

There are those cargo-bars too of course. Some are better quality than others, but you could try to find a cheap or used one to test proof of concept on your particular bed. To hold them tight they need to be squeezed out pretty far. Not sure how rigid the bed sides are, or if they would deform, but I'm betting that your older truck's bed is thicker/stronger than many.

Speaking of cargo-bars and drilling, you could drill two holes (say 1/2" to 3/4" diameter) per side about 2" apart or so, and extend some metal tubes into them. Anchor them so they don't slip out under normal conditions and slip a 2x6 or 2x8 piece of wood vertically between them.
Obviously, this is more modification to the bed and has no versatility in where you want it to sit unless you drill a few more holes in different areas, but it's cheaper than two Cargo-Bars to hold the wood.

Getting high-tech now, those "load rails" or whatever they're called now, would probably accept some device (if someone could make it) that would hold the aforementioned 2x6 vertical and could be moved fore and aft to your heart's content.
Not sure if it exists, and it would still entail drilling into the bed floor to mount the rails system, but it would be trick as all get out.
I've got the early version on my inner bed-rails, with the typical caribeners to hold ropes and tie-down straps, and have seen them on trailer and bed floors before, but never thought of doing it myself until you brought this up.

Good luck.

Paul

 

A cheap way to do it would be to use conduit/pipe unistrut laying on top of the inner bed side.
Then using strut nuts and bolts, fasten a piece of unistrut across to restrain loads.

 

Cut them from a later model bed and install them on your Bumpside... some fabrication required.

 

Check out Pinterest. I just found quite a few good DIY ideas, Using 2X framing lumber, and some plywood ones.

 

All you need is just a cargo bar or 2, they can be placed where ever you want them, high or low, front or back.
And the good thing no drilling of holes in the bed.
Dave - - - -

 

The bed dividers are part of the bed liner in the 2006.

 

Yep, I remember when they finally thought to do that kind of stuff in liners. The first few years of liners I was selling most brands did not offer anything but a mimic of the older bed. I wonder if the liner companies thought of it first, or if the OE's started putting the notches in the beds and then the liner companies caught on then? Don't remember the progression.

But does anyone make a liner for a '72 or older Ford? Nobody did that I could find back when I was selling them. Big frustration around here, even with all the new trucks there were still a ton of old ones rolling around feeling all left out of the "accessory-excitement".

Paul