Bed wood install tips?

[Dodge68charger]

Hey guys,

Going to tighten my bed wood in the truck. I used the mar-k hidden fastener strips. The wood is sitting in the truck already. Im ready to tighten it down.

Any technique i should use?
Should i have the tailgate installed and closed?
Should i keep the front bed bolts loose?, etc.

Thank you

[Palf70Step]

Make sure bed is square before you tighten them down. Measure diagonally from the bed corers.. once verified it is square, I would snug down the outer most boards, then work from the center board. At each board, snug the rear and front end bolts first, then again work from center outward. Once all are snug, then remeasure for square, then final tighten the bolts in same order.

[Dodge68charger]

Thank you. Should i tighten the bed sill to frame bolts last?

[LS short box]

Do as said above.
Also square it to the cab.
Maybe its too late but I didn't run the bed hold down bolts thru the wood. I hogged a bit of wood on the bottom side of the bed wood to clear the carrigge bolt heads and bolt the bed to the frame.
Pic.

[Stanco]

On many of these trucks the front bed panel is bowed. Make sure the panel is straight and square before installing the wood.

[Stanco]

Lifting the bed off the truck makes the job easier.

[A1971Blazer]

I cheated.

[Jason Banks]

Originally Posted by A1971Blazer

I cheated.

That's just smart. Having done bedwood 2 times I would recommend getting the bed off and standing it up on the front panel to install all the fasteners. You already should have the bed lifted off the frame to do the job. If you can get the help and protect the front of the bed(if necessary/important to you) standing it up looks like the best method. The 2 times I have done it, I have just had the bed lifted and it's a struggle. Also have a helper to hold the head of the bolt you are tightening down, which I haven't had the luxury of either.

The other comments about squaring and the bow in the front panel still apply.

[A1971Blazer]

Originally Posted by Jason Banks

That's just smart. Having done bedwood 2 times I would recommend getting the bed off and standing it up on the front panel to install all the fasteners. You already should have the bed lifted off the frame to do the job. If you can get the help and protect the front of the bed(if necessary/important to you) standing it up looks like the best method. The 2 times I have done it, I have just had the bed lifted and it's a struggle. Also have a helper to hold the head of the bolt you are tightening down, which I haven't had the luxury of either.

The other comments about squaring and the bow in the front panel still apply.

I was able to reach through and get all of the fasteners installed except the last board that you see missing in the picture.
I had the bed on, and off, and on, and off...LOL!.... several times to get it fitted and square before I put the wood in.
I used a coil-over suspension kit in the rear so that's why a couple of the cross sections are notched.
Finished up with Raptor liner coating.

[zicc1835]

Originally Posted by A1971Blazer

I was able to reach through and get all of the fasteners installed except the last board that you see missing in the picture.
I had the bed on, and off, and on, and off...LOL!.... several times to get it fitted and square before I put the wood in.
I used a coil-over suspension kit in the rear so that's why a couple of the cross sections are notched.
Finished up with Raptor liner coating.

very nice work...... I will be attempting my third this one being a short fleet standing on the head board is the answer IMHO