Havi, are those original taillights on your bed? My truck hs a 9 foot flatbed, but the tail lights are mounted below the rear section, instead of in it. Looks pretty sharp!

 

Boy, I dunno. Looking at Bob,s pic, and Stu's diagram, neither show the taillights. Good question.

 

Scott - I'd keep it the way it is. Less chance of a kid on a cell phone having a bad day.

 

It may be a later model bed, o rdo you think it was retrofitted?

 

Stu, I 'll keep them where they are, if having them hang below is anything like my buddy's trailer when he brings it to my house, they will get broken off in a minute.

Abe, I haven't looked behing the channel to see how they are mounted yet. I wonder how long Ford used the script on the back?

 

The light are retrofitted. I have never seen a bed with them mounted like that. Here's a shot of my bed when it was still on the Ch**y:



Earlier Ford beds had "Ford Truck" stamped in the back rail and later Ford switched to the block FORD on the back rail, maybe in the mid '60s.

I like the lights in the back rail, it'll keep the lights safe and since your bed isn't going to be exactly stock what difference will it make?

 

That makes sense, Bob. I remember the FORD in block letters on the trucks I drove at a lumber yard in the mid 70's.

 

indeed, the lights are retrofitted. I looked.

 

finally removed the flatbed from the IH. Boy did that IH rust!!

Anyway, here's a pic of it upside down. My question would be if the vertical channel irons are part of it or if it was fabbed to make it fit. They have carriage bolts holding it to the wood.

 

I'm betting those vertical irons were added to make it fit. They're not on my truck, though they may have been removed when the dump system was installed. I don't see anywhere that it looks like they would have been, though.

 

Havi, i remember following this thread awhile ago........ glad it came back up, i'm starting to think about my flatbed again.

mine is similiar to yours, (but don't have the "Ford" script) it wasn't on at truck when i got it, but was told it came off a 1969'ish Ford.
mine measures about 8'4" x 6'2"........seems alittle odd to me...........

also mine didn't come with any sort of channel pieces like in your picture.

 

don't mean to hijack your thread, but what color you planning on painting the frame? have any ideas to protect the cab? vertical slats etc.......

I'm goint to use correct year lights, and make a 2" ball trailer hitch that looks like something it's from the 50's, but don't have any plans yet........

 

just goin with a flat black, and oak boards. Stainless strips if they're available in that length, and it will go on my uncle's '49 F6, whenever I get it. I may end up getting them this year if my workplace allows me the trailer and truck this Fall, which it sounds like they might. I'm thinking of keeping his F8, too.

 

Just sold my 48 F-5 with Ford Scripted Dump/Flatbed. With Sloid Rims and Radials too!
Reamer

 

I measured mine rail to rail (pockets on the cab side are outboard of the rail, didn't measure those) at 9 foot 1 and 3/8th's inches, and 7 foot 3 and 1/2 inches.

Coincidentally, the 1973 IH 4x4 frame is also 34" wide, but the frame kicks up and levels out just aft of the front spring hanger for the rear.