Bed removal

[cokeman277296]

Is it hard to take the bed off a 83 silverado? I think one of my gas lines is cracked and need to check. Well actually might as well replace the regaurdless. Can it be done with just a cherry picker? Or do I need one of those bed lifter attachments? OR can I just lift up the driver side where the tank is? Its been down for a couple of months now and I miss driving it and need to fix it.

[Blackstone]

Since you only need to raise the front end of the bed, it can be done fairly easily with a cherry picker. It would help to fabricate some sort of under the rail attachment, but some beefy eye bolts through the bed's mounting holes will get the job done.

[cokeman277296]

You know about how many bolts hold the bed on and if they are hard to get off?

[Malo83]

There are 8 bolts holding the bed to the frame, easy to get from underneath, disconnect the gas fillers from the bed and disconnect the rear taillights from the wiring harness and your good to go.

[cokeman277296]

I will give it a go this weekend weather permitting. Get some eye bolts like Blackstone said and try it. will I have to disconnect the wiring harness just to lift the front of it up?

[old Rusty C10]

i wouyld crawl under there with a can of PB Blaster or liquid wrench and spray the bolts down so it maked it easier to get them off with all the crud and all

[GM72K10]

I usually drill the bad bed bolts out. Get a good 1/2" drill and use the good cobalt bits.

[tyjoja]

mine came out no prob. I did spray with pb blaster first though, guy on each corner and some saw horses and its done. Also gives you a chance to clean up the frame and springs etc. while its off. I also turned the bed upside down and work on it at the same time ( primer and undercoating). good luck bob

[cokeman277296]

I got it unbolted today. I got 7 off without problem. One it was so stuck it rounded the square hole lol, so I got my angle grinder and grinded the top off and it fell right threw. I couldnt get the big gas filler tube off but will try again tomorrow when i lift the bed up abit. I cant wait to get it off and see if my gas lines are cracked so I can get my truck back on the road. And of course take it a spin while i got the bed off lol. It will roast the tire with ease with, i bet it be alot better with the bed off... Does anyone know how much the bed weighs?

[Blackstone]

Originally Posted by cokeman277296

I got it unbolted today. I got 7 off without problem. One it was so stuck it rounded the square hole lol, so I got my angle grinder and grinded the top off and it fell right threw. Does anyone know how much the bed weighs

You're lucky, I had to grind the heads off all eight of my bolts. Northeast rust sucks! If you're only lifting the front of the bed, I don't believe you'll need to remove any wires. Just take a look first to be sure the harness isn't clipped to the bed. If I remeber correctly, mine were all attached to the frame with the exception of the rearmost crossmember.

Regarding weight, I'm guessing 300-400 pounds. I was able to remove my 8' bed by myself using lots of blocking-up, sawhorses and a couple of 10' beams. I'm not a large dude, but was able to lift the front of the bed while adding blocks.

[cokeman277296]

I got it off today and still had to drop the tank to get my hand underneath to change the 3 rubber gas lines. Sure enough one was kinked and in the kink there was a crack. I replaced all 3 and replaced the other 3 under the cab. So I started to to check for leaks and what not had none but still had little or no fuel pressure. Im beginning to think I have a bad fuel pressure gauge, its a mr gasket from advanced auto. Didnt get a chance to drive it yet to see if would run and not die going down the road.

[old Rusty C10]

it couldnt weigh more than a couple of hundred pounds.. me and another guy ( neither of us are what you would call buff) was able to lift one off and lay it on the ground, as opposed to taking four of us to lift and move a stripped cab