Bed size question
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Senior User
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From: Charleston Illinois
Bed size question
I was looking at Dirty 30's post (1946 ford), very nice truck.
I have a similar assortment of parts. I was hauling some stuff around yesterday In the 41 half ton I have and noticed that the bed is about four inches short of four feet wide. The stuff fit in my 46 just fine. When did the beds change size?
I have the 51 style rear fenders, should I assume that the bed is also 51 or do the 46 trucks have a larger bed than the 40/41. Most of the stuff I'm fitting up will be custom (running boards and tailgate) so it doesn't make that much difference, but If I were to build this thing again and got to choose the bed I would certainly want the larger one. What year did it change?
Thanks
I have a similar assortment of parts. I was hauling some stuff around yesterday In the 41 half ton I have and noticed that the bed is about four inches short of four feet wide. The stuff fit in my 46 just fine. When did the beds change size?
I have the 51 style rear fenders, should I assume that the bed is also 51 or do the 46 trucks have a larger bed than the 40/41. Most of the stuff I'm fitting up will be custom (running boards and tailgate) so it doesn't make that much difference, but If I were to build this thing again and got to choose the bed I would certainly want the larger one. What year did it change?
Thanks
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 1999
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From: Kalispell, MT
I can't find my source, but I'm nearly certain it was '42 when the bed was made wider. '42-50 use the same bed but fenders are two distinct styles: '42-47 and '48-50. Then things changed in '51/52 for both box sides and fenders.
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From: Orange County, CA
mtflat is correct. The bed change is a mid '51 thing. The bed sides went to a flat panel, rather than the raised design of the '50 and earlier. The fenders are also flat where they mount to the bedsides.
In '42 the bed went to 49" wide, previously the beds were 46" wide. The new bed was touted in Ford literature as able to carry and standard sheet of wallboard (48" wide)
In '42 the bed went to 49" wide, previously the beds were 46" wide. The new bed was touted in Ford literature as able to carry and standard sheet of wallboard (48" wide)
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From: Charleston Illinois
Okay, so let me make sure I got this straight.
My bed sides have a little indentation down the sides and a half circle indent where the wheels would go, if they were deep enough to be good for anything. It is 49 inches wide.
So this is likely the original (or at least correct) 46 box?
The fenders are clearly 50's style, I'm just trying to figure out what was changed out. You can't know too much about old trucks.
My bed sides have a little indentation down the sides and a half circle indent where the wheels would go, if they were deep enough to be good for anything. It is 49 inches wide.
So this is likely the original (or at least correct) 46 box?
The fenders are clearly 50's style, I'm just trying to figure out what was changed out. You can't know too much about old trucks.
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From: Orange County, CA
The bed sounds correct. I think the '48-early '51 fenders will work on the '42-'47 bed. I have a mid '51-'52 bed here, with the '52 fenders, and they are flat. It sounds like the original bed for the '46 you have there, or possibly from a '48-'early '51. There iun't much different about the beds from '42-'47 and '48-early '51. Early '51 is where it was a new bed with flat side panels, square stake pockets, and a slightly different latching system for the tailgate.
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From: Charleston Illinois
The 46 is so far from stock, that originality will never come into question.
It's odd that they would have bothered to change them at all. They certainly look similar. I'm sure there were reasons for the changes.
Insatlling a truck bed today that can't carry a full sheet of plywood seems ridiculous. I have to keep reminding myself that plywood is new and the truck isn't. Still, I'd have to look really hard at my 41 bed if were going to rebuild it all over again.
Thanks for the info
It's odd that they would have bothered to change them at all. They certainly look similar. I'm sure there were reasons for the changes.
Insatlling a truck bed today that can't carry a full sheet of plywood seems ridiculous. I have to keep reminding myself that plywood is new and the truck isn't. Still, I'd have to look really hard at my 41 bed if were going to rebuild it all over again.
Thanks for the info
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Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 1999
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From: Kalispell, MT
Actually the box change from raised panel to flat sides happened in mid-50, not 51.
Fix, I'd guess someone swapped a whole box/fender combination on your 46 if it has 50's styled fenders.
The fender bolt pattern (and shape) is completely different for 42-47 and 48-50. Early is a tear-drop shape and later is more of a flattened arch. Since the bolts are welded to the box sides it requires a good bit of body work to swap fenders. Much easier to just swap the whole box and fenders as a unit.
Fix, I'd guess someone swapped a whole box/fender combination on your 46 if it has 50's styled fenders.
The fender bolt pattern (and shape) is completely different for 42-47 and 48-50. Early is a tear-drop shape and later is more of a flattened arch. Since the bolts are welded to the box sides it requires a good bit of body work to swap fenders. Much easier to just swap the whole box and fenders as a unit.
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From: Charleston Illinois
OH, my.
I forgot all about the fender bolts. Thanks mtflat. Now I just feel stupid.
I had to cut all of those bolts off in order to move the fenders forward (shorter weelbase). The fenders had to be stock for that box, which would make it a 48-50 box. Duh. I should have been able to figure that out.
It's just been so long since I cut all of those little bolts off.
I forgot all about the fender bolts. Thanks mtflat. Now I just feel stupid.
I had to cut all of those bolts off in order to move the fenders forward (shorter weelbase). The fenders had to be stock for that box, which would make it a 48-50 box. Duh. I should have been able to figure that out.
It's just been so long since I cut all of those little bolts off.
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Joined: Oct 1999
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From: Kalispell, MT
Mike, I'd like to see the pics but I'm not much good at posting pictures. Could you just add them to your 36 gallery?
Fix, don't beat yourself up - this thread is how old and I just remembered the fender shape difference this am. More and more I find myself saying something like, "Oh, yeah, I used to know that............"
Tim
Fix, don't beat yourself up - this thread is how old and I just remembered the fender shape difference this am. More and more I find myself saying something like, "Oh, yeah, I used to know that............"
Tim
