bed clearance

[marinetanker]

i tried to put my bed on finnaly after getting my bags on an welding in my notch. I knew there would be clearance problems but the way it looks im gonna have to cut out all but three of my lateral floor supports. The bumper sits on the ground at full dump. the tires and drive shaft are hitting. Plus it is a long bed. It dosent look like it would be very sturdy with all this cut out. What would be the best way to regain support to my bed?

[N2TRUX]

Can you post pics of your set up. It's easier to offer advice when we can look at what you have.

[XXL]

Originally Posted by marinetanker

the tires and drive shaft are hitting. Plus it is a long bed.

You don't want to put lateral pressure on your driveshaft. Even moderate pressure can knock out your transmission's rear seal. Sitting on the tires is a nice little anti-towing feature while you're stopped on purpose, but if you bust a poorly run air line or rub a hole in a bag at 70 mph down the highway, you're going to be hatin' life. To be safer, your vehicle should be capable of rolling when completely dumped... if even by 1/4" or so.

[scotts62]

thats what i did on mine. Id rather limp it home very slow with no air than to be limping (or worse) and have a truck scattered all over the highway if something stupid happens..

But yeah post up some pics to show us whatcha got working now.

[marinetanker]

Ill try to get some pics tonight to throw on but for now i got other problems. I got the bed cut and every thing is clearing. But it seems my bed holes arent lining up. The front of the bed is rubbing the cab and there is still an 1/8 to 1/4 inch till the holes from the bed to frame line up. The holes on the bed the ones being farther back. But only on one side. The other side is fine. Then not going off the mounting holes, but just trying to line it up by eye i still cant inch the rubbing side back because it is touching the step bumper in the back. Its as if the drivers side has grown a hole 2 inches. Any help??

[XXL]

Originally Posted by marinetanker

Any help??

For the future, you want to tack in bracing before you do much cutting so you don't end up with a racking prolem... which it sounds like you've got here. Pull the bed off or out of the way of the frame and run your bed mounting bolts up from the frame holes. Stick a nut on them so they won't fall out. Then you can get the bed in the right place by dropping the alignment holes over the studs sticking up. Once there, you can do some measuring, marking locations, and bracing to the bed. Then you can move the bed again, take the studs out, and put the bed back on by aligning to your marks and measurements. It's work, but you'll get it right in one pass.

[marinetanker]

yeah hindsite is 20/20. plus im new at this. Anyway all that sounds good but how will tht solve the driver side being " to long" no amount of bracing will fix that. How could that have happend. Plus the front of the bed is bent twords the cab. How could i pull it back? Thats themain part hats rubbing

[XXL]

Originally Posted by marinetanker

yeah hindsite is 20/20. plus im new at this. Anyway all that sounds good but how will tht solve the driver side being " to long" no amount of bracing will fix that. How could that have happend. Plus the front of the bed is bent twords the cab. How could i pull it back? Thats themain part hats rubbing

Read my post again. I offered you a method to solve your current dilemma. You know that the metal didn't actually grow longer.

[SCOTI]

What type of notch? Did you remove an entire section of frame & then re-attach?

[N2TRUX]

marinetanker- What XXL is saying is it sound like you have tweaked your bed. It might be out of square making everything impossible to line up. As suggested re-read the method he describes. It should help you get back to where you once were.

[XXL]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

What type of notch? Did you remove an entire section of frame & then re-attach?

Ahhh... I didn't read his original post like that. You may be onto something (the metal really did grow) *gulp*

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by XXL

Ahhh... I didn't read his original post like that. You may be onto something (the metal really did grow) *gulp*

As low as he was describing, it sounds like a step notch was added. This means something could be off dimensionally.

With out knowing what was done, we're all just guessing (but we are trying to help!).

[marinetanker]

Hey XXL sorry it took a couple hours for your method to mke sence but i think i got it. And YES it is notched. im not so worride with the bed holes lining up because i know my frame is sound, square maybe not so much but if not its all way after the trailing arms so i dont think it will matter so much. HOPEFULLY. but i was scooting stuff around and got things lookin pretty good aftre i finally realized what XXL was saying. thanxs everyone.

But for the other part of my first Q. What is the best way to brace bed. Metal type and locations? thanx