Bed Bolts Stainless ??
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New User
Joined: Feb 2010
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Bed Bolts Stainless ??
Have a "05 F250 6.0 and plan to Line-X the bed . I would like to leave the bolts untouched but would like to find a source for stainless hardware for the bed and tailgate .
Anyone knows of a source.
I posted this under "Paint Work " but got no suggestions .
Thanks,
Roberto,
Anyone knows of a source.
I posted this under "Paint Work " but got no suggestions .
Thanks,
Roberto,
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,524
Likes: 2
From: CA Bay Area
Are you looking for SS bolts, or special hardware?
I love SS bolts and even they are not cheap and we don't have corrosion problem in CA -I install them exclusively on my motorhome and several other applications as well.
We do have huge ACE hardware close to marina in our county. They have whole double row of fasteners only. M8x25 pan head in SS? No problema.
I love SS bolts and even they are not cheap and we don't have corrosion problem in CA -I install them exclusively on my motorhome and several other applications as well.
We do have huge ACE hardware close to marina in our county. They have whole double row of fasteners only. M8x25 pan head in SS? No problema.
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 10,101
Likes: 40
From: Pa
The bed bolts have a Torx head (were in my 04') and were a pain in the *** to get out. Ford and other manufacturers like to get custom hardware made for their vehicles. Your best bet for finding what you need is from www.mcmaster.com . Might want to pick up a metric and standard pitch gauge along with a caliper to determine the size and pitch of the bolts, most should be metric.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,273
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Thread on bed bolts are 9/16 coarse, not a common size to buy. The bed bolts are really hard, grade 8 atleast, probably harder, and the clips on the frame are originally not threaded , and whatever ford uses has alot of brute force to selftap the clips when driving the bolts in. I recently swapped beds on an F250 which had been a work truck, and ended up cutting off some of the old bed bolt heads with an oxy act torch since they were siezed. Then I lifted the bed off, and used a sawzall to cut the bed bolts short so I could remove the clips. Each bed bolt wore out atleast 1 sawzall blade easily. Then I took the clips and with a vise, cutting torch, and vise grips, heated the clips and eventually unsiezed the cut off bolts except 2. So I ended up taking a new bed bolt to a major screw and bolt wholesale warehouse, and they were able to find me a couple nuts which I used on the 2 bed bolts nearest the gate. I was lucky they had the nuts, since 9/16 is a very rare size.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,524
Likes: 2
From: CA Bay Area
I have pretty good experience in industrial mechanics from past jobs.
Black hex-socket bolts are very hard steel, what might be impossible to drill out. But hard steel is easy to crack, or rust. Those are usually used in couplings and set bolts.
Stainless steel is softer, but is having extremely high pulling strength.
Don't want to doubt Ford engineering, but IMHO pulling strength on the bed bolts is more important than hardened steel.
Fact that owners have to use "red point wrench" (torch) for servicing the design speaks for itself.
When you use SS bolt be extra careful with inserting the wrenches. Being softer steel it is easier to round the head.
Black hex-socket bolts are very hard steel, what might be impossible to drill out. But hard steel is easy to crack, or rust. Those are usually used in couplings and set bolts.
Stainless steel is softer, but is having extremely high pulling strength.
Don't want to doubt Ford engineering, but IMHO pulling strength on the bed bolts is more important than hardened steel.
Fact that owners have to use "red point wrench" (torch) for servicing the design speaks for itself.
When you use SS bolt be extra careful with inserting the wrenches. Being softer steel it is easier to round the head.
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Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,202
Likes: 1
From: Illinois
Thread on bed bolts are 9/16 coarse, not a common size to buy. The bed bolts are really hard, grade 8 atleast, probably harder, and the clips on the frame are originally not threaded , and whatever ford uses has alot of brute force to selftap the clips when driving the bolts in. I recently swapped beds on an F250 which had been a work truck, and ended up cutting off some of the old bed bolt heads with an oxy act torch since they were siezed. Then I lifted the bed off, and used a sawzall to cut the bed bolts short so I could remove the clips. Each bed bolt wore out atleast 1 sawzall blade easily. Then I took the clips and with a vise, cutting torch, and vise grips, heated the clips and eventually unsiezed the cut off bolts except 2. So I ended up taking a new bed bolt to a major screw and bolt wholesale warehouse, and they were able to find me a couple nuts which I used on the 2 bed bolts nearest the gate. I was lucky they had the nuts, since 9/16 is a very rare size.
Man I had no idea they were that difficult to remove. How long did that take you??
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Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 10,101
Likes: 40
From: Pa
Thread on bed bolts are 9/16 coarse, not a common size to buy.
The bed bolts on my 04' were M14x2.0, verified by a thread pitch gauge and caliper. I also know because I bought a die to run over the poor rolled threads on the bed bolts I bought from Ford. There are two lengths of bolts for the bed. You can use standard bolts and washers but you need the right length. The nuts that the bolts thread into are captive nuts.
Black hex-socket bolts are very hard steel, what might be impossible to drill out.
No you can drill and tap the stock bed bolts pretty easy. I drilled and tapped one of the bolts I couldn't get out for a smaller bolt. Whenever I need to drop the fuel tank I'll replace it.
Man I had no idea they were that difficult to remove. How long did that take you??
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,449
Likes: 70
From: South Jersey
mine are all rusty too makes my rhino liner look like crap with them like that, i take mine out all the time with a 1/2 ratchet no problems at all. the local fastnel all said they can custom make them all i have to do is leave one long one and one short one so they can copy them
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