Baby Gets Back..... Tubbing a stepside.

[Fitz]

I decided to tub my stepside using fleetside wheelhouses. The first photo shows the distance between the frame and the bedside. That makes the width of the wheelhouse 6-1/2 inches. Using masking tape, I marked the cuts to get that width and cut them with a 3 in grinder and a cutoff wheel. After scribing the halves so that there was no gaps I Tack welded with a MIG, then finish welded the tubs with a TIG. A little Grinding and surfacer got them ready for priming. That's one day. More to follow.

[darkhorse970]

Cool, I am following along. I'm going to mini-tub my stepper too.

[Fitz]

Primered and prepped for finish paint.

[slow-1]

Is your shop in your dining room or do you just have a really fancy garage.

Nice work on the tubs so far.

[ole dollor]

Originally Posted by slow-1

Is your shop in your dining room or do you just have a really fancy garage.

Nice work on the tubs so far.

LOL.... that is a nice shop...

[BugzC10]

Originally Posted by slow-1

Is your shop in your dining room or do you just have a really fancy garage.

Nice work on the tubs so far.

It can't be that hot in Tucson yet to start working in the house.

You should start selling them...nice work!

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by slow-1

Is your shop in your dining room or do you just have a really fancy garage.

Nice work on the tubs so far.

I always shoot pictures in my dining room. Don't you?

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by BugzC10

It can't be that in Tucson yet to start working in the house.

You should start selling them...nice work!

Why turn a great hobby into a...J O B? And no, it's not cold in Tucson but there is a lot of stuff in my shop.

[SierraMtns]

Any updates? You have any pictures of the bed tub?

[Tom Vogel]

Originally Posted by Fitz

I always shoot pictures in my dining room. Don't you?

You must be single.

[SierraMtns]

Hey Fitz, Any pictures of the finished bed?

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by SierraMtns

Hey Fitz, Any pictures of the finished bed?

Not yet! Still playing with my LS2 powered rice burner. But....I do have the silver paint for the tubs. I'll post bed pics next week. Then pics on how to shorten a 12 bolt axle. Mittler Bros just delivered the tools for that!

[SierraMtns]

Originally Posted by Fitz

Not yet! Still playing with my LS2 powered rice burner. But....I do have the silver paint for the tubs. I'll post bed pics next week. Then pics on how to shorten a 12 bolt axle. Mittler Bros just delivered the tools for that!

I bet that Miata is a kick in the pants to drive.

[joey8383]

In for the pics. Nice work. How many projects do you have going on in there?

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by joey8383

In for the pics. Nice work. How many projects do you have going on in there?

Just two. A V8 Miata which is within a month or so of complete and a stretched chopper built on an Independent Cycle Low Life frame.

The truck was finished but it does need room for larger tires so, I built the tubs and have them ready to go. It's about a day to get the bedsides and the deck cut and the tubs in. Then I shorten the diff and Voila! Room for M&H 345/35 R18's under a C10.

[Fitz]

I thought this topic was just Ho Hum but I guess not. Soi, this morning I cut the bedsides, drilled for the mounting holes and got one side ready to trim the bed boards. I used two templates, one for the cut and the other to drill fodr the mounting bolts for the tubs. They are the same dimensions front to back so there are no lefts and rights. Using a plumb bob centers the cutting template in the wheel well then two reference holes are drilled. To locate the template on the inside of the bed. Once the cutline is marked put the drill template over the cut template and drill pilot holes for the tub mounting bolts. Then, get up your courage and a three inch grinder with a cutoff wheel and make the hole. Remember, the inside of the tub has a flange that wraps around the edge of the hole you are cutting in the bedside so we aren't trying to maintain real close tolerances on the cut but don't be sloppy either. It took two hours for one side this morning, so this is something that can be done in a day.

[Fitz]

Drilling and cutting takes a bit of time but with a little care the result is nice! I still need to clean up the front edge of the bedside where it meets the tub and mark and cut the bed boards and the stainless strips but you get the idea. It's hare to get a good pic of the inside of the tub where it wraps around the cut but here's a try.

[Mike C]

Nice work!

[68racer]

Like the work. Have you ever noticed that stepside fenders are narrower than the cab? I widened my stepside to get wider tires in. I put an inch and a quarter in each side and now the doors and rear fenders are in line. Looks better and gets bigger meats in.

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by 68racer

Like the work. Have you ever noticed that stepside fenders are narrower than the cab? I widened my stepside to get wider tires in. I put an inch and a quarter in each side and now the doors and rear fenders are in line. Looks better and gets bigger meats in.

Widening the fenders does look good when they match the doors but that long, compound curve is tough to get right without an English wheel. My hat is off to you if you pulled that off! It is not something I could have gotten right.

While it is a dodge, adding tubs inside the bed is much easier as the tub curves in one direction only and I can get a 20 inch section width tire in there. This is the look I am after:

[68racer]

I've not made myself clear. I may be English but I don't have an english wheel! What I did was widen the bed. I added sections to the front panel, added extensions to the under bed supports and added a return at the rear so that the tailgate is stock width. I see 67-72 Pro Street stepside trucks that have a wider front track than rear and it doesn't look right to me.

[volksworld]

68 racer,now you've got me thinking....i've got leaf springs so i cant go into the bed...so the bed is 2 1/2 wider?

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by 68racer

I've not made myself clear. I may be English but I don't have an english wheel! What I did was widen the bed. I added sections to the front panel, added extensions to the under bed supports and added a return at the rear so that the tailgate is stock width. I see 67-72 Pro Street stepside trucks that have a wider front track than rear and it doesn't look right to me.

Brilliant! I never thought of that.

[68racer]

volksworld, yes thats an inch and a quarter each side although you could add more but then the fenders would be wider than the cab.

Fitz, thank you I will try for pics but struggle with it sometimes. If you look at the pic from facebook that is on the overseas members thread you will see how it looks from the front.

[68racer]

In this pic you can see the panels that the chains are on are wider than stock.



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