Shortening the bed, literally just the bed

[Nima]

Hi:
I love my 67 C20 and I have done a lot of upgrades such as 8 lug disc breaks, new wirings and etc,but its long bed is really too long for my garage. Beside the fact that I prefer the short bed look and also I have few big dents on one side of my truck bed. Since I don't have the help, money, tools and space of going through the frame shortening that other guys do, I decided to risk $50 and think differently, but of course I need help to see even if this can happen. This was there is no need to shorten drive shaft, cut the frame and etc. Anyways, I noticed that the 13-14" of the end of my frame is just the extension beyond my 1/2 leaf spring shackles. Yes, initially was spre tire location but guys are putting fuel tanks in there now. So What happens if I just cut about 12" of either side of bed panels and cut the end of the frame?
So, I bought this rusty (really surface rust) bed side for $50 and ended up with this:
I cut 11.5" out behind the wheel well, cut one inch section and tac welded inside since just incase my cut lines are nor straight and I end up with a big gap (which I did!! I guess this is a learning curve and I have never done a body work)

[trac209]

Personally I wouldn’t do that,it won’t look like a swb and it will look like a goofy lwb. There’s ways to make a 7 foot bed but this isn’t it. Look up a few truck pics of guys who have done this to see if you like it.

[Southpaw69]

There was a bobbed LWB for sale cheap on my local craigslist a while ago and I don't think he could give it away. They look odd that way, just my opinion. I have a long bed and actually like it that way. If you want to shorten it, just hold out and get it done right IMO.

[truckster]

Here's one that's bobbed 8". Post #10:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=542864

[Nima]

That is what it is called "bobbed"! I even didn't know that.
Was "Bob" the first one who did it?
So, another questions for people who do body work, what is the best way to get rid of all that surface rust? Sanding if off? Or can a rust converter can be used and then apply body filler?

[randy500]

A friend of mine has shortened a half a dozen or more long beds, one of them he has kept around and on that one he shortened the frame and the front half of the bed...he never got around to shortening the back half of the bed, it’s mostly painted and looks fairly natural...he calls it a shmedium bed.

[randy500]

I guess my point is this, if you do a nice job on it, it could look good.

[rjs53]

The black truck that was bobbed didn't look bad, but you could see something was up. You did a nice job on your $50 panel, just apply that to the front. I cut my frame, straight cut and then sleeved it for about $20 and a days work with the cab on. Spent another couple days on the bed sides. I cut the brake line and reflaired it. My biggest expense was the driveline. New yoke and did away with the 2piece. Less than $300. I'm cheap and I like working on my own stuff. You have a welder and probably a jack, stands and a grinders. So as long as you can do without the truck for a week or however long you want to take, it isn't to much of a cost.

[Overdriven]

Different strokes for different folks. Personally I like the stock proportions, whether lwb or swb everything is where it should be. Bobbed doesn’t look right to my eye, same as some of the newer trucks out now with the wheels near the rear of the bed. But bobbed is half way to swb (if you do it to those proportions) and you can always shorten in front of the rear wheels later.

Little tip for your cuts, use tape. Tape provides a nice straight line and you can then measure from that line to create another. I’m sure you’ve read other threads about shortening and seen this and other tips though. Also you can rent flaring tools for free from autozone for brake and fuel lines. Add in some welding wire, some steel reinforcement plates for the frame and shortening the driveshaft and those are the expenses for shortening the bed.

For the surface rust, I’ve tried using a converter where I did bodywork and the rust eventually came back. I don’t know why exactly. In my opinion you’re better off sanding it down, a DA or even a random orbital with some 80 grit will make quick work of it. If you have hard to reach places I hear naval jelly works pretty good.

[special-K]

Yeah, it's called bobbed and before all these guys came along looking at trucks purely for style like cars, you'd see real truck guys do this to improve towing capability. You'd see pickup-based tow wagons and hitch tow rigs. Ford built a bobbed (actually extended WB) F350 Camper Special pickup in the late-70s. Your 8-lugger is perfect for this. A SWB 3/4t is a dumb way to ruin a good truck. It's one of those, "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand" type of thing. In the end, it's your truck. Build it to suit your needs. The others came do what they like to theirs.

Originally Posted by trac209

Personally I wouldn’t do that,it won’t look like a swb and it will look like a goofy lwb. There’s ways to make a 7 foot bed but this isn’t it. Look up a few truck pics of guys who have done this to see if you like it.

How is this possible w/o shortening the wheelbase?

This is a handsome truck/ This is how the newer trucks are made to help get the GVWs they now claim:

[CastIron]

I actually think a bobbed bed looks good. I probably wouldn't do it on a nice original truck, but for something that needs a lot of work I might. There's no rule that the wheel has to be centered under the bed. Look at new crew cabs. Most have the wheel on the very front of the bed. Having it farther back doesn't look bad in my opinion.

[trac209]

Originally Posted by special-K

Yeah, it's called bobbed and before all these guys came along looking at trucks purely for style like cars, you'd see real truck guys do this to improve towing capability. You'd see pickup-based tow wagons and hitch tow rigs. Ford built a bobbed (actually extended WB) F350 Camper Special pickup in the late-70s. Your 8-lugger is perfect for this. A SWB 3/4t is a dumb way to ruin a good truck. It's one of those, "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand" type of thing. In the end, it's your truck. Build it to suit your needs. The others came do what they like to theirs.


How is this possible w/o shortening the wheelbase?

This is a handsome truck/ This is how the newer trucks are made to help get the GVWs they now claim:

It’s not possible without shortening wheelbase that was my point,I would shorten the front half and take 12 out the frame and leave the back if anything.

[special-K]

That's what I figured. Bobbing is the only way to shorten w/o taking a section of wheelbase out and this thread was started by someone aware of that, but is not wanting to do it.

Out eyes get used to seeing things, especially mass produced vehicles, the way they are. Some alterations become common, like slamming to the ground to create something that looks like it can't move, and the general public follows along. This is something that was fairly common to see, throughout the ages until more recent years, and since I've been observing trucks in detail so long my eyes are fine with it. It was done for a purpose, just as trucks were bought with a purpose in mind. I think a truck looks best without a cap on the bed, but some need one mounted to serve a purpose. My eyes are good with that now. A 4wd looks cleaner without a snow plow mount, but somebody has to push snow for the rest. Trucks were born of necessity, but that is getting turned into bought out of desire whether needed or not. An 8-lugger done this way seems ok to me, but I wouldn't want a bobbed 1/2t. I'd just get a 3/4t. 8-luggers are not for the shortbed set. They are in their own league where great utility is desired over style. This guy may never work the truck, but going after a look that says great utility works for me on a C/20. Of course that black truck looks like something is "off", it's been altered. It looks awesome in my eyes.

[HO455]

bob (bŏb)
n.
1. A small, knoblike pendent object, such as a plumb bob.
2. A small lock or curl of hair.
3. A haircut that hangs evenly above the shoulders, often around the chin, worn especially by women or children.
4. Informal Surgical shortening or reshaping of the nose.
5. The docked tail of a horse.
6. a. A bobsled.

tr.v. bobbed, bob·bing, bobs
To cut short or reshape: bobbed her hair; had his nose bobbed

[special-K]

Googled 2019 Sierra Regular Cab Long Bed and these were about the only pictures that weren't shortbed ext or quad. They show how the higher capacity late models are bobbed.

2011:


2019:


Our eyes are getting used to this now, when we do see regular cab longbeds. Give time and many will be commenting on all the overhang these trucks have. I had a '69 Dodge W200 Sweptline, '77-'82. That body style went from '61-'71, but the first (really cool) few years had a tail to wag, lemme tell ya!


Later on:



Can you imagine that 10' Alaskan on an early '60s?

[HO455]

For some of us of a certain age it's a ford thing.

[special-K]

Yep, 133" WB hauls better. The new longbeds run that WB, which had been reserved for 1t trucks-only (think Longhorn) traditionally. A 67-72 C/20 with bobbed tail has about the same proportions as a Longhorn



As far as people doing alterations that limit who would want to but your truck when the time comes... if the time comes, don't do it if that's more important to you. But I will say, there are vehicles out there that most people would get upset over, wanna puke, or whatever, that others would die for. I'm sure most '55 Nomad guys would cringe at this sight. For me, it's a beautiful work of art that I would pay money from here to the moon for

[morepwr]

Originally Posted by randy500

A friend of mine has shortened a half a dozen or more long beds, one of them he has kept around and on that one he shortened the frame and the front half of the bed...he never got around to shortening the back half of the bed, it’s mostly painted and looks fairly natural...he calls it a shmedium bed.

I would love to see a picture of one done that way. That actually might look pretty good.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by special-K

Yeah, it's called bobbed and before all these guys came along looking at trucks purely for style like cars, you'd see real truck guys do this to improve towing capability. You'd see pickup-based tow wagons and hitch tow rigs. Ford built a bobbed (actually extended WB) F350 Camper Special pickup in the late-70s. Your 8-lugger is perfect for this. A SWB 3/4t is a dumb way to ruin a good truck. It's one of those, "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand" type of thing. In the end, it's your truck. Build it to suit your needs. The others came do what they like to theirs.


How is this possible w/o shortening the wheelbase?

This is a handsome truck/ This is how the newer trucks are made to help get the GVWs they now claim:

This looks OK, to me. I'd never do it, because I want at least an 8 foot bed for hauling things. I like my longhorn better, because I can get the door on the camper shell closed easily when I'm hauling 8 foot sheet goods and tubafors. I'd actually like to have a 1T (stepside) pickup for the 9 foot bed. I'd have to lose one of my newer vehicles to do that, though. Maybe I'll have to settle for renting a big pickup on occasion. When we rebuilt the wall at the front of our property, we rented a truck for the pallet of cap blocks. We had the rest delivered. It was 4 pallets of materials, and I sure wasn't loading them one at a time in the truck, taking them and unloading them, over and over. That wall almost did my back in. At 66 years of age, I now have to hire out the strong backs that I no longer have.