Extra holes in wood bed angle strip?

[jcwren]

Any idea why there would be three extra holes on the driver's side angle strip? These would be the 2nd, 4th, and 5th holes, counting from the left. The right most hole is the closest to the cab.

The angle strips had already been installed and the truck painted when I bought it.

[notsolo]

Don't know about the Stepside, but the fleetside had 2 extra hole for in bed tire carrier, bracket.

[jcwren]

Originally Posted by notsolo

Don't know about the Stepside, but the fleetside had 2 extra hole for in bed tire carrier, bracket.

Thanks!

[Keith Seymore]

In bed spare tire carrier was not available with stepside.

The P13 bed mount spare for stepside mounted it outside the bed, nested in the corresponding scallop in the fender.

Maybe who ever built the truck used a fleetside angle piece.

K

[Boog]

Reading this topic got my curiosity up so I went out and looked at my unrestored original '69 short stepside bed. It has a full fender and never had an under bed spare carrier. Mine does have an in bed spare tire mount that I've always thought was a factory option. Keith said this was not offered for stepside beds and I value his knowledge of all things regarding GM trucks so I did some more looking at mine today and took some pics and opened the box of new bed angles I bought last year to compare with my originals and jcwren's.
I first thought my in bed mount was factory but upon further examination it appears to have been welded at some time about half way up. They did a nice job and painted it a matching green to the truck so I don't know if it was welded because it cracked over time or if it was cut down to fit the stepside bed. The bottom bolted to the wear strip with matching carriage head bolts.
The extra bolts in the left side angle strips on mine bolt to angle braces under the floor you can see in the pics. The right side does not have these braces or extra bolts. Also my new angles do not have these extra holes punched in them. I've laid the new ones next to the original ones for comparison. Now I have to wonder if new stepsides came with a spare at all if it did not have the P13 fender mount. Also of all the many pics I have of 67-72 stepside trucks I have only a couple with outside mounts and none with inside bed mounts and none with under bed mounts. I've never give it any thought until now.

[Boog]

New angle strip holes punched for comparison.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Boog

Reading this topic got my curiosity up so I went out and looked at my unrestored original '69 short stepside bed. It has a full fender and never had an under bed spare carrier. Mine does have an in bed spare tire mount that I've always thought was a factory option. Keith said this was not offered for stepside beds and I value his knowledge of all things regarding GM trucks so I did some more looking at mine today and took some pics and opened the box of new bed angles I bought last year to compare with my originals and jcwren's.
I first thought my in bed mount was factory but upon further examination it appears to have been welded at some time about half way up. They did a nice job and painted it a matching green to the truck so I don't know if it was welded because it cracked over time or if it was cut down to fit the stepside bed. The bottom bolted to the wear strip with matching carriage head bolts.
The extra bolts in the left side angle strips on mine bolt to angle braces under the floor you can see in the pics. The right side does not have these braces or extra bolts. Also my new angles do not have these extra holes punched in them. I've laid the new ones next to the original ones for comparison. Now I have to wonder if new stepsides came with a spare at all if it did not have the P13 fender mount. Also of all the many pics I have of 67-72 stepside trucks I have only a couple with outside mounts and none with inside bed mounts and none with under bed mounts. I've never give it any thought until now.

I mounted mine inside the box on my '80, using portions of the underbed carrier.

K

[Boog]

Those braces under the left side angle strip are there from factory. I went back out and slid under to get these two shots. For some reason that left side received a double layered reinforcement in that area which explains the extra bolts for jcwren. My new angle strips do not have the additional holes so I'll have to drill them. No doubt a difference in suppliers.

[jcwren]

Thanks for that investigation, Boog, that explains them. I can, of course, fill them with a bolt, but I'd just as soon not have them. Lack of symmetry triggers my OCD (or CDO, if you sort the letters properly).

OTOH, I do lack a spare tire. I switched to an in-frame tank, and have no place for a spare now.