Stepside bed does not sit level!

[Rc 415]

color is 63 light bronze metal.

[87 STEPPER]

I'm with jeff i think you need to remove the bed stand it upright on the front end so you can visually inspect all of the cross supports 2ea the supports are the ones that the mount bolts will pass through and will have a large hole and the cross sills 2ea will just be bolted to all the wood planks by way of the bed strips.

There is also a cross support at the tailgate end and it will have two stand off brackets that you will need to look at and they could be bent or missing or the spotwelds have come loose.

Also visually inspect the truck frame rails for any defects like cracks, bent, repair splices, signs of heat from a torch.

While that wood isn't in the best shape it's not the problem i'v seen alot worse and the bed was still level.

That should keep ya busy for awhile and hopefully you will find a major discrepancie some where.

[Srubydo1986]

That is a lovly color hence y my truck is staying that color. I still stick to all my older ideas nothing else that i can think of.

[EAST SIDE LOW LIFE]

I'm installing my truck's bed floor in the next couple of weeks this is not the problem with your box. My box was off about 3/8 of an inch and I shimed it and this cured the problem. This looks to me to be a shiming problem. These frames (any mass produced frame for that matter) has shims installed at certain points (main mounting points) to correct this problem. Frames are not 100% true and shims pick up the slack. I would be surprised if the drivers side has any shims installed. I go to a local conveyor belt company and get scrap belting as this makes perfect shims or you can buy them from your favorite supplier.

Sagging coils can also aid in doing this. When I got my truck all the shims were missing!!!! Make sure that the main mounting points are in good shape!

esll.

[bigblock73]

My 73 didn't & doesn't have shims...it is a fleetside however, didn't know/not sure if any 73-87's used shims.

[ureckme]

In 25 years of doing frame work I have never seen shims under a bed to make it level.

[EAST SIDE LOW LIFE]

Rubber pads, I call them shims are a 1/4 inch thick.

* Mar K Part #120181 they show only 6 but they come in a set of 8.


esll.

[Ivan D.]

Originally Posted by benoit454

I retract my previous statement, the cab and bed clearance looks to be equal all the way up.

Agreed with the above, could be unlevel ground.

Now that you mention it in the last pics the front of the bed sits pretty much level with the cab, and only the rear is tweaked... These frames have a lot of flex, I can twist mine by just jumping on the rear bumper and shaking it left and right, so maybe it's mainly uneven ground issue? Rc415, get under the truck and look at the driver-side rear-most bed mount, is it collapsed or bent? Any damage to the frame there?