I know this was discussed for a while. Did anyone ever come up with a source for bed bolts that actually fit? I know the ones from LMC et al are too small a head. Behemoth had some made, I don't remember what size he had turned down.

 

Dennis Carpenter has the correct bolts, I assume you're looking for the styleside bed bolts.
The bolts are correct but the nuts and lock washers aren't. His set comes with standard nuts, flat and lock washers. The originals were lock nuts and no washers.
A company called AMK Products in Winchester, Va. sells the correct lock nuts.

 

Here is a picture of the bed bolt from DC along with some other fasteners from AMK.

 

"You Da Man!" The nut is the flanged lock nut in the picture, correct? I checked DC a while back and didn't see the styleside bed bolt, need to get my glasses cleaned I guess. Thanks!

 

Actually, the flanged nut in the picture isn't the 100% correct one. I liked the look of this one better so that's the one I'm using on my project.
If you are looking for the 100% correct nut AMK has them also. The factory nut is a non-flanged lock nut.
Also, DC just started listing the bolt in his newest catalog. www.amkproducts.com

 

Actually I like the look of it better too! I am not building a show stopper, my interior will be totally non-stock and I am seriously thinking of controlling the electrics with a PLC set up from ISIS power. I just wanted the bolts to be right so the bed looks right. LMC for one sells bolts that don't fit the holes correctly. Thanks again for the information.

 

i used the ones from lmc and they were right, although that was 5 yrs ago

 

I don't know about five years ago but what LMC supplies now is just a standard 1/2"-13 carraige bolt, not even close to original.

 

any other places to get the bed bolts from? called dc this morning and they didn't have any. they guy gave me the name/number for another place and they didn't have anything either. also called npd and no luck there either. are the lmc ones that far off? any one know of another place to get them?

 

Two thoughts:

Are they still available through Ford?

ID rather have Stainless Steal bolts of the same shape. any one ever seen anything like that? I suppose they could be turned down from some stock.

 

1973/79 F100/350 Styleside's:

384865S40 .. Bolt-Step Type / 1/2" -13 x 3 3/4" / Obsolete

No Ford Dealer or obsolete parts vendor shows any.
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33773S2 .. Locknut / 1/2" -13 / Obsolete

34 Ford dealers show 209 / GREEN SALES CO. in Cincinnati OH has 104 = 800-543-4959.

No other obsolete parts vendor has any.
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Most Ford Dealers did not inventory Standard Parts (hardware), and most never throw any hardware away, which means that...

Just because the in-house Ford Dealer Parts Locator System doesn't have any of the above bolts listed, and only 34 dealers list the nuts...your local dealer could have 100's of each.
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EDIT: I found another bolt in the Standard Parts Catalog that will work, but it's longer:

385283S40 .. Bolt / 1/2" -13 x 4 3/4"

5 Ford Dealers show 13 / GREEN SALES CO. has 38 / JST AUTOMOTIVE in Lebanon TN has 4 = 615-443-3086.

No other Ford Dealer shows any. No other obsolete parts vendor has any.