Dana 60 U-bolt Spring Plates?

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They would sell a lot of slots if they made them again as 16s or 17s. Funny, at one time these were like the only custom wheels for an 8-lug truck. Now they make a zillion styles and all but about 3 are ugly trendy BS.

Thanks! I made that rack originally for an '84 back in '89. The guy I started off doing aluminum siding with was a truck guy and made his own racks. He helped me make my first set. We did round pipe back then because it's equally strong in all directions. But, talk about cutting fish mouths, it takes like 2 dozen. This was my first set in square. I tweaked on his design a bit with lower top rails and tapered legs. I got a new truck in '92 and had to make another set due to the tapered bedsides. They were pretty much the same, except I 45ed the back end of the top rail and set the rear bar in a few inches so ladders wouldn't slide off the side while loading. I had top opening side boxes that were 90". In the space between the leg (upright) and the tool box I had a diamond plate step that wrapped around the post so it stuck out the back and side a couple inches to give a step and protect the body paint. I had those powder coated gloss black. Then in '98 I bought a '95 and put a service body on, so I had to alter those racks...cut legs shorter. I stripped them and had them powder coated again in gun metal grey. You build a decent set of racks and you'll have a set for life... except they started toying with trucks for vanity doing goofy things with bed shapes. That set of racks will fit on any '80s or earlier 8' wide bed GM, Ford, Dodge, or IH.
I hope you don't mind me going on about the racks, but this has kinda turned into something other than a u-bolt plate thread anyway. Here are the same racks on the '84:

Notice the round tube racks in the background? That was the original set Dave (old boss) helped me make, then I modified when I put the service body on

[68post]

Thanks for the info, ( I still have my first set of racks). I started with truck racks carrying garage doors over 31 yrs ago ( must use a square tube !!).

You do nice work !!

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Thanks again. Yours must have been made right, too, for them to stand the test of time. I have a thing for work truck done right with a custom touch wherever practical. Form & function baby! heh heh I was taught well by Dave my old boss (R.I.P.). What a character. I try to build them tough yet unbulky. I see racks done where they left a member out to save a buck, yet diagonals all over the place that are unnecessary. They are crooked and bent. I hate when anything doesn't lay flat and straight up there. One thing I do that most people criticize is all cross bars are welded rigid. Most racks are made with at least the rear bar removable for hauling tall things. I built mine for what I do and I'm not in the refrigerator hauling business. I can't haul front entry door or huge windows that are too wide and tall. If I hauled those regularly it would be different, but I just use a trailer.

I had the racks on for hauling scaffold for a job a year ago. I usually only put them on when needed, but the job ended just before snow started flying and when I first used it in the spring I discovered it was time for front brakes. I tore into the whole front end, then lift, and haven't driven since May. But I'm really liking the back in the day work truck look it's sporting, maybe more than without the racks. It bugs guys to see me "using it". On that job last year the paving contractor asked if I'd sell it. I said never, I had to sell my other two so this one's the keeper. He said, "If I had it I'd restore it and it would never see another day of work in it's life". I said, "Been there, done that. I'd rather enjoy it. As long as I'm still working any truck I own works, too, even if I restore it".

Here are the next set I made for the '92 (see the step?):


Then I had to modify them for the service body on the '95 I built:


Then I ruined them. But good thing they were strong:

[68post]

Yikes ! That's bent. Looked great before.
I do prefer the minimal look of a rack (like the addition of a step too), I don't build mine - but I've had both that shop built one and two factory style (Weather guard). My first has been on three trucks, and had to be welded twice from stress cracks - but I've had 6 - 16' X 7' wood garage doors on top of it at once !!!

They're great for hauling most anything.

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That would be a load! Mine mostly hauled aluminum walkboards (18', 20', 24', and 30'), pump jack poles (aluminum since '87-four 24' and two 18s), and wooden or fiberglass ladders (24', 32', and 40'). Moving between jobs it could all be up there, but the 40' ladder was not used on every house. I got to where I'd get to near the end of the job and haul the stuff I was done with off. I hated it all that up there. I liked to be done with the two longer boards first, if possible. I have hauled some crazy loads up there, though. 2 x 12s up to 24' long for rafters. That gets heavy quick!

That '95 was a traumatic loss for me. it was only 3 years old when I bought it and went through everything. I mean everything. I bought it for $16k and had over $40k more into it. I built that to be the dream work truck, best of everything. I was driving down into a river valley and on a curve the tail end started coming around (to left) like I was on ice. I counter steered and it whipped around sideways the other way. This put me on the wrong side of the road sideways into a Taurus (sitting behind truck in pic) coming up the hill. That flipped me over her top (cleared her top), landed on the top with passenger side up against a tall bank of solid rock. It turns out there had just been an accident there and antifreeze was all over the road. I mean, the cop and EMTs had just turned around at the river and were headed up behind the Taurus. The cop was at my window telling me to watch my eyes no sooner than I had shut it off and undid the seatbelt. I didn't get charged, but she tried to sue me. It didn't fly. The accident was blamed on abnormal conditions I had no control over. What ever happened to wrecker operators cleaning up the site? They at least used to toss kitty litter down and sweep debris. These days all the glass, plastic, etc is left to lay for us to run our tires over.

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Before the racks. Man, I want another...w/o racks. Just a headache rack

[68post]

Very sharp ! Tire and wheel size ?

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285/75-16 on 8" wheels. I wish Weld still made those Outbacks.

[68post]

Thanks !

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I finally got a chance to assemble the lockout and mounted the 4th wheel