I can remember when things were easy, well, easier than they are now. You ustacood have a project to do, gather some tools and go do it. For the last twenty years ??? everything is hard. Case in point... My bed is 3/4" lower on the right side rear than the left. I thought on it and figured, easy, just loosen the 4 bolts holding the bed to the frame and shim as needed, tighten them back up and Bob's your uncle

Well the very first glance showed me that I'd have to drop the fuel tank, not a big deal, just take out those four bolts and it's out (after you drain it of course._ Well, half the rear wiring is loomed and attached to the tank frame with screws and clamps. So, get that out of the way and wiggle the tank around and it drops down as planned onto the floor jack with a plywood platform attached...roll it out and there is a nice small pond of jack fluid under the jack.. something else to fix.
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From here it's clear sailing, right...loosened up the rear bolts to the crossmember and then the two rear bed bolts that hold the bed and the second crossmember to the frame and do a little pushing upwards... nothing moves... next try is floor jack (my other one) and a 2x4 nothing moves. I mean not even a 1/4".

It's late in the day and I got so many tools scattered I can't roll a creeper. My next plan is to loosen the front bed bolts and see if I gain any slack there but that's for another day... my old body is tired and dirty and it needs food. I'll restart on Monday... it'll be easy.

question ??? is there anything other than the four bolts holding the bed in place ?? I know the running boards are attached but that shouldn't hinder it being that far away ,.... right ???

john

 

"It's no fun getting old." That was my Dad's oft said line. And finding it to be true.

There are 8 bolts, two in the very front, four big ones in the middle and two that attach the rear cross member to the frame that you don't see from the bed.

 

Abe is correct , there are 4 bolts per side .

 

yea, I forgot about the front bolts.... think I'll loosen all of them Monday and see what moves around... thanks Abe

j

 

So what was the reveal of the tire to fender, from right side to left side, before you raised it? I am having a hard time seeing how this could be. Is the frame level from side to side. Been years since I have owned a pick-up and I am not there to see your situation so I really am not the most knowledgeable person here. If the bed is square, the frame is level and all the bed structure parts are correct, I would think the bed would be level. I had a 56 and it had that issue. I remember I just replaced the rear cab mounts as the rubber in them were worn.
Following this thread to see your fix, it has peaked my interest. Good luck with it and hope a cure is found sooner than later

 

Hell if this was any easier, I’d had my truck done 10 years ago. Besides, I’m waiting on you John to see how to do my next cool mod so keep up the good work

 

Just make sure the frame is level and it's not a sagged spring or suspension piece .

 

My trucks bed is off kilter as well and because of your additional variables, I never could care less about the issue. Lots of work to correct a half inch. When I tore my bed off for painting a couple years ago I found that a good amount of it was actually extremely worn cab mounts. Corrected a bit but it's still off and when I put the bed on initially it looked great, but after a couple weeks I noticed it was uneven still.

Good enough.

 

There must be something else causing the bed to be lower on one side than the other side. Not merely shims where the bed mounts to the frame. Leaf springs bad, even a bad front leaf spring? Take some other measurements before shimming the bed.

 

My suspension builder came over yesterday and we measured everything but the length of the garage. Jacked up the rear end the cab showed level but the bed was off 3/4" on the pass side. the measurements from the frame rails to the floor were identical telling us that the frame is ok, I'm using AVO coilovers on the rear with ladder bars... everything we measured was spot on. his expert opinion was shim the bed... BTW I had already reinstalled the tank before he showed up... so I sent him home and dropped the tank again. I shimmed the passenger side rear cross member 3/4" and then next one right in front of the rear wheel 1/2"... snugged it all down and let the truck down... (now understand this is a 73 y.o. guy with bad shoulders and hip... this ain't no easy task.) ANYWAY, sitting on the ground and the bed is |0| bubble is deal center in the level and the rear end looks much better now. Can't explain it and don't want to ponder it any longer... now to put the tank back in...good times, eh ???

j

 

I'm glad you got it figured out and fixed. Everyone should have a suspension builder that does house calls!

I was under my truck today replacing the gasket at the end of the exhaust manifold. I was covered in grease. The underside of my truck is very dirty. Thank God for my new shoulder!

It'd be nice to have a lift!

 

I've known my 'suspension builder' since grade school. He is a renaissance man. At work he was a maintenance utility man which means he was proficient at electrical, welding, hydraulics, pretty much everything in an industrial setting. He's a retired drag racer
with multiple wins and people still want him to build cars for him. In one respect he's like me... he's too old to do that crap anymore. He's been helping me since 1995 on this build and will drop what he's doing to come to me and help. I can never pay him.... he says I
can't afford him !! I wish I knew half of what he knows and am always amazed at how he can explain complicated crap like suspension geometry to a dummy like me and make me understand it. He's a good good friend.

j

 

Priceless.

 

The older I get the more I find everything is hard and nothing is easy!

 

I’m shy of sixty, don’t think I am but my driver’s license confirms this fact. I replaced my rear diff and suspension and getting up of the garage floor and lifting all in place takes its toll. I’m moving this month to a home in the country so I’ve been busy packing and this has included loading the truck into a cargo trailer. Once loaded the box was at eye level and I noticed the right side of my box was lower by a few inches. Was my frame bent? Did I install the suspension correctly? As I stepped back to ponder I saw the problem, right tire needed a few pounds of air. Save my back and yoga classes for another day.😅