Lower bed support rods???

[zippeay]

Does anyone have any pictures of where the rods connect that hold the bottom of the bed sides to the frame? My 64 was a long bed but I made it a short bed and the rods seem way too short. I can make some I just don't remember where they are supposed to connect to on the frame and I can't seem to find any threads showing them on here. Thanks in advance!

[Clyde65]

Look a few items down...

http://www.4-5-6chevytrucks.com/new-parts.html

They connect to the cross members and the hole on the fender just behind and just in front of the wheel opening.

[jayoldschool]

I'll take your old long bed ones!

[zippeay]

Thanks Clyde, those are what I'm talking about but do you "or anyone" have pictures of them installed? I sanded mine down and painted them but the seem way too short. I can make new ones easily I just don't know where they are supposed to attach to the frame.

[jayoldschool]

They don't attach to the frame, they attach to the bed support cross members.

[zippeay]

Oh... For real? I could have sworn they attached to the frame but it was over 2 years ago I tore this thing apart. Thanks guys!

[Clyde65]

If you really need pix, I can get some this evening on my truck, putting in new bed wood

[chevyrestoguy]

The support rods behind the rear wheels secure to the bed wood support crossmember (second one from the rear). The support rods in front of the rear wheels secure to a lone carriage bolt that is located on the bed board that goes around the perimeter of the wheel tub. I know this for a fact on the longbeds, and would assume that the shortbeds are the same.

If you're looking at the forward rods with no bed wood installed, they won't make any sense at all. They will appear way too short.

If you're doing new wood, a custom bed floor, or raising the bed floor for clearance, you're not obligated to put the rod in the exact same spot as stock. You can bend the eyelets for a different angle and secure them to a new location. Just make sure that in their installed position, they are at an angle similar to what the factory did. They need to be at angle in relation to the frame for optimum stability. I've seen guys eliminate the support rods, and what winds up happening is that it breaks the spot welds on the brackets at the wheel opening, and then it breaks the spot welds at the end caps and the forward bed panel. The support rods serve an important function, and you have to run 'em.

[zippeay]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate all the help. My floor is raised which now makes complete sense on why I couldn't figure out where they attached to. I had assumed they went to the frame and I just couldn't figure out why they seemed so short but now it all makes sense. Thanks a lot fellas!

[KJSR]

Damn hot rodders haha

[chevyrestoguy]

I just recently moved my bed floor up (2.75"), and last Saturday, I redrilled my upper attach holes for the rear support rods. I had to bend the lower eyelets slightly to gain the angle I needed. I still need to do the front rods.

Depending on how far you moved the floor up, you may or may not need to make new rods. If you have to make new rods, you can buy some bar stock and weld some flat washers to the ends.