fleetside bed assembly

[snipescastle2]

Hello all! This has been said many times, but I searched and all I could come up with was assembly tips for a bed with a wood floor...I have a steel floor and would like some pointers as to how it all goes together. now, I have an assembly manual, and I'm sure most, if not all can agree, it's not the best at showing details. I believe the forward bed panel tucks underneath the bed floor, and then the bedsides bolt to that panel, then the floor,ect....just curious as to how everyone else has done it.... Do I put seam sealer on all the joints as I bolt it together? by the way, I'm having all the bed parts painted individually, so I know I'm gonna have to buy plenty of painters tape to protect the paint during assembly. any help would be greatly appreciated!
Have a good one!
Ben

[68bowtie]

put the header panel on first so while you put the sides on you have the panel there to help support the sides. the header panel goes under the floor. the bedsides can only go on top of the floor.

i haven't re-assembled one myself so the rest of this is just speculation, but i would put the wheel wells on next. everything else at this point would be loosely bolted with a few bolts til i could square up everything and tack weld the rear brace. i wonder myself how guys make sure the distance between the bedsides is correct (do they mock up the tailgate prior to tack welding). hopefully others will chime in with better info. that's just my .02...

[Mr Chevorlet]

First i Made a frame on one of my carts that would hold my bed sides at the width i needed. Got them stable then attached the front bed panel and then back piece on. Then i put the bed rails in and then removed the square tube frame i made for the bed sides, then i put the fender wells and then the wood and last, the bed strips all them dagum bolts to hold the strips in. Hope this helps!

[snipescastle2]

Thanks guys! I just needed a starting point to get started putting it back together, the panels are still at the painters, so I have to wait a little while longer....
Have a good one!
Ben

[RedRider]

Originally Posted by snipescastle2

Hello all! This has been said many times, but I searched and all I could come up with was assembly tips for a bed with a wood floor...I have a steel floor and would like some pointers as to how it all goes together.

^^having the same issue. Is it possible to bolt the floor on, then assemble the rest of the bed around it? Just trying to visualize this project, maybe it will be more apparent when the bed is apart.

[snipescastle2]

This is exactly what I did, and I did it by myself. Not recommended though. I bolted the steel floor first (loosely) bolted the front bed panel next, then one bedside at a time. I used seam sealer at all the flanges. Kept them all loose until I could make sure it was square and not diamond shaped. Then I mounted the tail gate.after it was all aligned, tightened it all up.
Hope that helps.
Ben

[RedRider]

Originally Posted by snipescastle2

This is exactly what I did, and I did it by myself. Not recommended though. I bolted the steel floor first (loosely) bolted the front bed panel next, then one bedside at a time. I used seam sealer at all the flanges. Kept them all loose until I could make sure it was square and not diamond shaped. Then I mounted the tail gate.after it was all aligned, tightened it all up.

That's exactly what I was thinking of doing, why no recommend?

[dfwright]

Originally Posted by RedRider

That's exactly what I was thinking of doing, why no recommend?

Not recommended to do it by yourself. I can say from experience that it's better to have someone to hold the panels/sides in place while the other bolts them up. Moving the bedfloor without help is a pretty impressive feat!

[snipescastle2]

I meant not recommend doing it by yourself. I was nervous
As hell with my newly painted panels for fear of scratching them up
Better to have a few people help.
Ben

[RedRider]

Originally Posted by snipescastle2

I meant not recommend doing it by yourself. I was nervous As hell with my newly painted panels for fear of scratching them up Better to have a few people

Thanks Ben...that's another question I need to address: paint the truck assembled or by individual panels, but that's for another thread

[snipescastle2]

One word of caution on painting it in pieces -vs. all together, I should have had mine painted with the doors hung but I didn't. My painter did an awesome job blocking and getting everything straight but he put way to much filler at the bottoms of my doors so they
stick out a little too far.
Good luck on yours!
Ben