55.2-59 trap door in wood bed

[jasonpotts]

Folks,

I am wanting to build a door in the floor of my bed but am kinda lost for ideas.
My truck is on a caprice chassis so i have this big void in front of rear wheels.

I've welded up a steel box and bolted it down to the frame. I have the battery on one side, and wanted to use the rest just as a junk/toolbox...

i would like a door that flips up in me bed that is a little larger than the steel lid of this toolbox. So to access the box you would have to raise up both doors...

I've located some generic hot rod trunk hinges at speedway, but everytime i go out to figure it out i just end up staring at it....

Has anyone done one like this before or seen pictures?

[mr48chev]

Basically it would be like a flush fitting wood hatch on a boat deck. Hinges. latches could be exposed or hidden. The engine hatch on my Bayliner is fiberglass but covers the whole cockpit area at the back of the boat and hinges up towards the back.

I'm about ready to put some gas suv tailgate struts on it as the bugger is heavy and awkward for one person to lift.

I know some guys have done it on their trucks with wood beds before.

[jasonpotts]

thanks... im starting to get a new picture in my head

I was just googling trap door parts, Ive had my mind set on some sort of complicated under mount offset hinge.... and just came a small enough version of this hinge at McMaster

[jasonpotts]

I was originally thinking of something like this..... but I was stuck thinking about how the door and "frame" would interact due to the thickness of the pieces and all

[b-mac]

First thing that came to mind. You could make you're own only larger.

[_Ogre]

make sure that with the suspension bottomed out that the box still clears
looks like you might need a driveshaft tunnel

[jasonpotts]

b-mac... i like how using the whole length keeps you from seeing a cut anywhere...

Originally Posted by _Ogre

make sure that with the suspension bottomed out that the box still clears
looks like you might need a driveshaft tunnel

..

I do think i might need to take a section out of the box and add a tunnel.

The box has 1x1 sq tube under it right now, it clears when i test it just compressing the axle up w a ratchet strap , but i think in a more dynamic situation it might make contact.

Im going to go pickup some cypress from a local mill so I may start laying everything soon