TF wide box. Anyone done it?

[Chevette]

I need to widen my 56 box. As you know they are 50" wide. I need expand mine to 53". The task is easy enough, but I'm wondering if anyone has done it and does it look any good? Anything to watch out for? Your help is much appreciated.

[Dan in Pasadena]

No, but curious why you'd want/need to do this?

[Maximus]

the obvious issues are the front bed panel, cross members, rear bed crossmemeber and tailgate are going to all somehow be modified for the expansion. The tailgate area may be able to be fixed by building some sort of plate that moves the tailgate mount and latch in 1.5" on each side so you wouldnt have to cut the tailgate itself and try to expand it...

your stepside steps and rear fenders will then stick out past your cab 1.5 inches and your rear tires will probably be rubbing on your bed sides. to make it look/work right you would have to cut your fenders down and your step down 1.5" on each side, and then tub the wheel well

but as dan asked... why?

in all honesty, if you had to have a bed wider than the stepside, i would abandon the stepside bed immedietly and start looking for a 58-59 fleetside bed. it will probably solve all of your space issues with no custom fab needed... all you have to do is spend a few months looking for a bed! hah.
but seriously, widening these beds a little creates a LOT of work...

[Chevette]

Originally Posted by Maximus

the obvious issues are the front bed panel, cross members, rear bed crossmemeber and tailgate are going to all somehow be modified for the expansion. The tailgate area may be able to be fixed by building some sort of plate that moves the tailgate mount and latch in 1.5" on each side so you wouldnt have to cut the tailgate itself and try to expand it...

your stepside steps and rear fenders will then stick out past your cab 1.5 inches and your rear tires will probably be rubbing on your bed sides. to make it look/work right you would have to cut your fenders down and your step down 1.5" on each side, and then tub the wheel well

but as dan asked... why?

in all honesty, if you had to have a bed wider than the stepside, i would abandon the stepside bed immedietly and start looking for a 58-59 fleetside bed. it will probably solve all of your space issues with no custom fab needed... all you have to do is spend a few months looking for a bed! hah.
but seriously, widening these beds a little creates a LOT of work...

I'm building a new frame with a C6 Z06 suspension and I don't want to put wide fenders on it because I don't like the look of the steps angling in to meet the cab. I will be arcing the fender openings and a few other modifications that will ultimately require a 53" wide box. In short I'm installing a wider axle/wheel combination without widening the fenders. It involves tilting the bottom of the fender in, making the bottom level and making the vertical mounting flanges plumb, then making the step narrower so it lines up with the wider box. Man...........that was a mouthful.

[Red Foreman]

I get it now but I'm curious how it all works out, good luck & post pics if you can.

[Shanehenrymusic]

If it were me I'd find a short fleetside bed and be done...just my 2 cents.

[Chevette]

Originally Posted by Red Foreman

I get it now but I'm curious how it all works out, good luck & post pics if you can.

Here are a couple of pics, Red. I removed a vertical pie cut at the inside flange and a pie cut from the bottom front then made the step narrower. This is the look I want to achieve with the corvette wide track.

[Chevette]

Originally Posted by Shanehenrymusic

If it were me I'd find a short fleetside bed and be done...just my 2 cents.

Using a fleetside would be one way to do it, but I don't want a fleetside.

[G&R's57GMC]

Interesting project, auto cross in mind ?
Nice job on the fender.

I know you don't like the angled step but here's a GMC I saw at a show. They dropped it on a 1 ton dually chassis and made the bed wider. That should give you an idea of what the bed would look like all though its a bit wider then yours.

Cool dually enjoy ...

[Chevette]

Thank you very much G&R'S57GMC. Those pics will be a huge help. True, it is a bit wider than I need, but the pics really help me to view what mine will look like. The angled step looks better on that truck because it is a long box and the angle is more gradual than on a short box. BTW that is a great looking truck. I really like the front ends on the GMC. Thanks again.

[meter swinger]

Originally Posted by G&R's57GMC

Interesting project, auto cross in mind ?
Nice job on the fender.

I know you don't like the angled step but here's a GMC I saw at a show. They dropped it on a 1 ton dually chassis and made the bed wider. That should give you an idea of what the bed would look like all though its a bit wider then yours.

Cool dually enjoy ...

Shoo-whee...its getting hot in here.

That'll make a fella go looking for reg. cab dually platform.
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[mr48chev]

You could probably use a piece of inch and a half square tubing on each side to move the box but it's going to look like you took a short cut and put spacers in it to move the sides out.
I don't know how the guy who built the red dualie above did it but he got the tailgate and header panel to look right on the money when he was done. And that is where it's at in this game, getting your mods to look right when you are done and not look like you took shortcuts.

[Chevette]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

You could probably use a piece of inch and a half square tubing on each side to move the box but it's going to look like you took a short cut and put spacers in it to move the sides out.
I don't know how the guy who built the red dualie above did it but he got the tailgate and header panel to look right on the money when he was done. And that is where it's at in this game, getting your mods to look right when you are done and not look like you took shortcuts.

Thanks. A friend owns a brake and will form the front wall and the tailgate parts for me. At first I had thought about cutting and adding but didn't want the tailgate to read "CHEV-ROLET".

[OKGMC4]

One of the guys here on the 60-66 board did this but I couldn't find it. I found him over on the HAMB though...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...3755&showall=1

[Chevette]

Originally Posted by OKGMC4

One of the guys here on the 60-66 board did this but I couldn't find it. I found him over on the HAMB though...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...3755&showall=1

Thank you for posting that link, OKGMC4. That's a much easier way of doing it. I think I will pursue this method. I sure do appreciate your help. Thanks for taking the time.

[Chevette]

Thanks all.

PS: Anyone wanna help me lift the box on?