Bed wood installation
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Junior User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 76
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Bed wood installation
I am installing my bed wood and the washers I have for the four major bolts to the frame don't fit the holes cut into the wood. The holes are about 1/8" deep and 1.5" wide, but the washers that came with the kit are about 1.25" wide and are tapered to accept the bolts.
Am I missing something obvious here? I can see drilling out the bolt hole to accept the tapered washer, but they are still not nearly as big as the overall opening. I haven't had a chance to look at someone elses truck so I don't know if this gap around the washer is normal.
Am I missing something obvious here? I can see drilling out the bolt hole to accept the tapered washer, but they are still not nearly as big as the overall opening. I haven't had a chance to look at someone elses truck so I don't know if this gap around the washer is normal.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,300
Likes: 1,059
From: NM
There is some slop needed on the holes to be able to account for variations in beds and frames. A 1/4 difference in diameter (hole in plank vs washer) gives you 1/8" in each direction. I countersunk the bolt holes to clear the taper on the washers.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,005
Likes: 2
From: Santa Clarita
I'm not sure where you got the wood kit from or if you made it? I recently did my bed a week ago. I was going to order the bolt down kit and they ran about $45 for four bolts and washers. I got some information on using regular bolts 1.5" long and putting them inside the crossmember through the frame, instead of coming from the top of the wood down. This allowed me to eliminate those four hold down bolts altogether. I actually preferred it without those four bolts and washers. If you already have holes in the wood, you probably limited to using what you got. I went to a bolt supply house and they had all the washers with taper etc, may want to check there.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: northeast texas
I didnt use the bed bolts/washers either. I got the front bumper clips and bolts from a 66 Ford Galaxie. These clips are long enough to fit inside the bed crossmembers. I had to grind about 1/8 inch off the crossmember so the clip would go in deep enough and had to trim the sides of the clips as they were just a tad wide. My frame and crossmember holes were wallowed out enough to accept the larger 1/2 inch bolts. At the front I removed the factory loops on the bed crossmember and could easily put a bolt in from the bottom without going through the weak bed strip.
jim
jim
