Thanks very much. I did the search and found some of what you linked but they just didn’t look like they would fit. I thought they would bolt to the flat plate you see, not under it. OK, now to get me a pair!!

 

Wow this is really slick! *adds to project list*

 

Just noticed that I built this little platform and started using it almost 10 years ago. As mentioned earlier, it serves more as a load management tool in the bag of my truck (keeping my boxes/bags of supplies and tools from slinging all around the bed of the truck). I have used it, though, for extended periods of time. Some 5-6 years ago, I spent many many hours on that platform while performing engine valley cleanup, PS fuel line, HPOP hoses, fuel bowl o-rings, EBPV delete, bellowed up-pipes, etc.), and then again right after Christmas while fighting with my IPR replacement routine.

Conclusion...
1) It's still an excellent payload management barrier, at least for my own needs.
2) No evidence of wear or reduced usefulness on any part of it (aside from some slightly peeled coating on the wood and metal parts), including the original snap carabiner clips.
3) I wish it were a little taller, but making it so would be more complicated than I'm willing to invest my time into.
4) I'm perfectly comfortable on the platform and the swinging nature of it actually helps with it's utilitarianism.

 

I built something similar, but the design and execution by Pete is superior to my design.

Just in case anyone would like to build one of these in the future, the link to this thread was already in the 7.3L PSD Tech Folder and will remain there until the end of the internet.

 

For those of us with a front receiver hitch, I finished my receiver hitch mount work platform today (except for paint). As some of you may remember a number of years back I built a top side creeper for the receiver hitch, which works great but it is heavy and not so portable, and sometimes a platform across the whole front end is what you need. I built it all from free stuff I had laying around, some left over aluminum drain grate, some 3/16" plate, 1/4" diamond plate aluminum and some receiver tube. Even the bolts were free, I have a surplus of 3/8" carriage bolts that come with a part we use all the time at work but we never need the carriage bolts. I wanted something height adjustable and also be able to bring it out away from the truck if needed for laying way over the engine without crunching your knees into the grill. I made it secure by tapping some holes in the tubing for bolts to secure it from rocking. It weighs 38 lbs all together and knocks down for storage or travel in 30 seconds or so. It has about 10" of height adjustment in 2" increments and 18" of in-out adjustment by sliding it in and out of the receiver tube then tightening the bolt. First pic is lowered all the way, 2nd is up all the way and slid out. I will be packing it along when we go to Mexico in April.

 

Very cool! Extra points for making it adjustable.

 

Today I finished plumbing the brake lines for the driver side front after an 05-07 swap into my '99. Anybody know the OEM distance between the shock mount bolt center to bottom face mount for a F250 4x4 Diesel, SCLB?

 

Wow, I just saw this. A great idea and will definitely build one for myself. I sure could have used this earlier. I spent most of the day last week chasing down a very slow Freon leak in my A/C system. Turns out it was the Schrader Valve on the High Side of the system. The package of assorted schrader valves & caps was $18.00 and the special tool to reach down and remove them was another $16.00 from O'reilly's and they had them both in stock.