stepside bed

[kenn]

anyone have an exploded diagram of the stepside bed ? mine is a 78

I want to see if bed sides sit on top of wood floor

my floor is very rotten, but under a sheet of steel someone welded in (all the way around)
I'm going to keep steel (to much work to remove)

 

[SDJunkMan]

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Mine was the same way. Don't have a diagram, but this pic may help. The wood sits on the crossmmbers and slides under an angle that is spot welded to the bedside. The steel on mine was tack welded to the angles so used a cutoff wheel on a 4 1/2" grinder and cut it off. The problem you may have with just leaving the steel in place is that if the wood is missing between the steel and the crossembers, you will get some flex there.

If I was going to keep a steel floor, I would take out the wood and mount the steel to the crossmembers, which would require you to replace the angles and mount them lower to the bedsides. You can buy replacement angles from several sources. I might be able to get a pic of the bedside with the wood removed if you think it will help. Unfortunatly my bedsides are across town in my workshop.

 

[kenn]

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Mine was the same way. Don't have a diagram, but this pic may help. The wood sits on the crossmmbers and slides under an angle that is spot welded to the bedside. The steel on mine was tack welded to the angles so used a cutoff wheel on a 4 1/2" grinder and cut it off. The problem you may have with just leaving the steel in place is that if the wood is missing between the steel and the crossembers, you will get some flex there.

If I was going to keep a steel floor, I would take out the wood and mount the steel to the crossmembers, which would require you to replace the angles and mount them lower to the bedsides. You can buy replacement angles from several sources. I might be able to get a pic of the bedside with the wood removed if you think it will help. Unfortunatly my bedsides are across town in my workshop.

going to remove the bed this spring, can I remove wood from underneath then add the braces and weld them in ?

 

[bucket]

You probably could, but just removing the bed would be FAR easier.

 

[kenn]

You probably could, but just removing the bed would be FAR easier.

Will take out wood and weld in braces while bed is off

 

[roundhouse]

The metal bed sides actually sits on top of the wood
The wood sits on top of the cross braces

You’re gonna be best friends with a cutoff wheel before you get done

 

[DanMcG]

Does this help ya at all?
http://www.mar-k.com/_assets/images/catalog-files/lateGMbed_kits.pdf

 

[kenn]

Does this help ya at all?
http://www.mar-k.com/_assets/images/catalog-files/lateGMbed_kits.pdf

yes it does, thank you that photo shows bed side bolt to support rails. that's the question is the old wood between bed sides, and support rails.

I'm am planning to be in a deep relationship with my cut off wheel LOL
but has to be less cutting then trying to remove steel bed floor that's welded all the way around inner bed

 

[kenn]

The metal bed sides actually sits on top of the wood
The wood sits on top of the cross braces

You’re gonna be best friends with a cutoff wheel before you get done

so remove old wood, and bolt bedsides to support rails? (shorter bolts?)
old wood is pretty rotten, maybe not to bad to remove
figure steel floor will keep bed from moving (out of square)
don't want old wood falling out as I'm driving, so I'm going to remove

 

[roundhouse]

I’m not sure
Ours had a sheet of metal just laying on top of the wood
It wasn’t welded

Is yours welded all the ay around or just tacked in several spots ?

 

[kenn]

I’m not sure
Ours had a sheet of metal just laying on top of the wood
It wasn’t welded

Is yours welded all the ay around or just tacked in several spots ?

diamond plate is flat in bed, with a 4 inch band on 3 bedsides welded all the way around top and bottom of four inch band

 

[roundhouse]

diamond plate is flat in bed, with a 4 inch band on 3 bedsides welded all the way around top and bottom of four inch band

Might be able to lift off the bed and just slide some pressure treated Marine grade plywood under to replace the rotten wood

The metal strips that are factory welded to the bed sides actually sit on top of the wood as you can see in this picture


Hopefully they didn’t weld it over the top of the eight large bolts that hold the bed to the frame ?

If that’s the case maybe you can cut the bolts from underneath?

If you want to do it right
You’re gonna have to pull the bed off the frame
Cut off the 109 bolts that hold the old wood to the bed
And attach some new wood or square metal tubing to the bottom of the bed to fill in where the wood used to be and then put it back on the frame

If you took your bed off and transported it to some one who has a plasma cutter , they could cut the metal out where its welded in about 15 minutes

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[kenn]

Might be able to lift off the bed and just slide some pressure treated Marine grade plywood under to replace the rotten wood

The metal strips that are factory welded to the bed sides actually sit on top of the wood as you can see in this picture


Hopefully they didn’t weld it over the top of the eight large bolts that hold the bed to the frame ?

If that’s the case maybe you can cut the bolts from underneath?

If you want to do it right
You’re gonna have to pull the bed off the frame
Cut off the 109 bolts that hold the old wood to the bed
And attach some new wood or square metal tubing to the bottom of the bed to fill in where the wood used to be and then put it back on the frame

If you took your bed off and transported it to some one who has a plasma cutter , they could cut the metal out where its welded in about 15 minutes

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is 109 a real number? or are you being funny ? LOL I have a plasma cutter think bed bolts will have to be cut, sheet is smooth

then drill holes in sheet and attach to frame with longer bolts?

 

[SDJunkMan]

is 109 a real number? or are you being funny ? LOL I have a plasma cutter think bed bolts will have to be cut, sheet is smooth

then drill holes in sheet and attach to frame with longer bolts?

It's probably the actual number. I didn't count mine, but that sounds about right.

You should be able to just run longer bolts through the diamond plate, just gonna be a bitch getting the old ones out without removing the steel on top. You won't have any wiggle room and unless you pull the wood, then cut the bolts between the crossbars and diamond plate, I dont know how you would get them out.

 

[roundhouse]

That’s a pretty close number
It’s in the neighbor hood of 100 when you paint all the bolts with the metal strips and everything

Mine is just as bad but on top

Some moron welded angle iron on top of the side rails and down the inside of the bed

Then bent the side rails up and filled the gap with about 1/2 inch of bondo

Of course it’s all cracking and falling out in large chunks