Bed Pads, Longbed.

[Astro-Balls]

My bed has developed a vibration that's driving me nuts, usually only at idle it has a harmonic vibration that will go away if I push down on the front of the bed.
I'm thinking I need new bed pads? and tighten up the bolts..
The long Steel floor Beds used pads, right??

[burb71]

That's a good question!
My restoration is still ongoing.
As we were reassembling the chassis and suspension I was trying to grease and lube everything to make sure when I drive down the road it doesn't sound like a bucket of bolts, that would drive me crazy also
I bought the bed pads but didn't use them.
I thought that extra quarter of an inch of height on the bed was going to throw off the cab to bed body line.
Hopefully someone with a completed restoration will chime in.

[68bowtie]

Not a lwb, but I recently installed 1/4” pads under the bed mounts, and also replaced the cab mounts, and the bed sits 1/2”-3/4” too high relative to the cab based on body lines. Not sure if that’s always the result, but that’s my experience with my swb...

[AussieinNC]

I prefer to place the cab on the chassis and set the heights to get the front fenders in alignment first.

I then place the bed on the chassis and add bed pads between the mounting faces until the bed lines align with the body lines.

The front fender gap to the cab is the most critical one to get right first....it is often necessary to put additional spacers under the radiator support...

The bed is always the last go to on...I always use bed pads to eliminate noises and vibrations.

Just MHO....

[AussieinNC]

Originally Posted by 68bowtie

Not a lwb, but I recently installed 1/4” pads under the bed mounts, and also replaced the cab mounts, and the bed sits 1/2”-3/4” too high relative to the cab based on body lines. Not sure if that’s always the result, but that’s my experience with my swb...

Are you sure you put the body mounts in correctly? The order is critical....

[Astro-Balls]

So, Steel Longbed folks, Do you have the thin rubber bushing between the bed and frame?
Here is a pic of mine..Does not appear to be any rubber between bed and frame..

[68bowtie]

Originally Posted by AussieinNC

Are you sure you put the body mounts in correctly? The order is critical....

Hmm not 100% sure I suppose.

Originally Posted by AussieinNC

I prefer to place the cab on the chassis and set the heights to get the front fenders in alignment first.

I then place the bed on the chassis and add bed pads between the mounting faces until the bed lines align with the body lines.

The front fender gap to the cab is the most critical one to get right first....it is often necessary to put additional spacers under the radiator support...

The bed is always the last go to on...I always use bed pads to eliminate noises and vibrations.

Just MHO....

I haven't put my front end back together yet, this is good advice.

[toolboxchev]

I had kinda the same thing on my truck years ago. Problem is if you use them, like I do, the frame will flex. The 4 bed bolts closest to the cab were completely loose. I tried to tighten them and guess what, SNAP! Luckily I did not round out the square recess in the bed holding the carriage head.

I cut a few others out from the bottom and replaced with Stainless and Ny-lock nuts. I am getting that noise again, 9 years later. I gotta get under there again. Be careful when tightening, I found by slightly over-tightening the bed metal is fairly soft. (Heads sunk in quicker than expected)

[cebra]

Mine had no pads or they had worn completely away.

[lil hoodlum]

No thin rubber pads on my long bed.