Build a Flatbed

[thecfarm]

I had a Ford with Ford flatbed on it, I forgot the year.
They used wood to level out the frame. Was about 8 inches high. I took the flat bed off that truck and put it on a '76. I cut about 6 inches off that piece of wood to lower the body. I only hauled wood with it and wanted it lower to throw wood into. Used it for about 10 years and worked great.

[firefighter ontheside]

I had planned to get to work on it this morning, but mandatory OT got in my way.  I'm leaning toward using the wood.  I just might have some white oak around that will work.  It's dried, so I wont have to worry about the wood shrinking after being installed.  I also have a locust 6x6 that I might re-saw for this. It will only serve as a spacer and will not be involved in holding the bed on the frame.  That will be done by steel and aluminum.  It will solve some of the issue of steel reacting with aluminum.  Looking at the underside of the aluminum bed it appeared that in its previous life some steel washers that were part of holding the bed on had completely eaten thru the aluminum mounts.  I will find some teflon or other plastic washers to help prevent that from happening again.

[firefighter ontheside]

I got the bed on today, but only temporarily.  I need to do some more work.  I didn't use any wood.  I bought some 3x3 square tube and used a little 4" tube that I already had.  I will use some rubber that I have to put in between the aluminum and the steel frame.


 

 

[barbender]

Looks right sharp on there, anyhow!

[hedgerow]

When I put the aluminum bed on my Ford. I used a three or four inch channel were the truck frame dipped and used four inch by 1/4 thick flat running up the truck frame to the steel frame for the aluminum bed. The steel frame was welded to the truck frame. I used 3M spray under coating on flat bed frame and truck frame. Then mounted the aluminum flat bed to the steel frame. I drove the truck every winter for fifteen years and when I sold the truck everything was still solid. I would usually touch up the under coating every couple of years to keep it looking nice. 

[PoginyHill]

Avoid welding a truck frame. They are heat treated and welding them will weaken them. Drill and bolt.

[firefighter ontheside]

This truck has larger than stock tires(the way I got it) so I needed a little extra lift on the bed.  I will be removing the bed to finish mounting the rails to the truck frame.  I will grind off a little rust thats on the bed rails and then coat with this undercoating I bought.  I probably need more than the one can I got. 

[PoginyHill]

You may want to consider something that doesn't dry or cure, like Fluid Film. My experience with undercoating sprays is that, unless the surface is perfectly clean, it will eventually peel off. Or use the undercoating then apply a non-hardening rust preventer if/when it does start to peel - only in those areas. I've occasionally used a rust converter, but not on an undercoating type application. That might work also, rather than trying to grind it all off.

[firefighter ontheside]

I will look for something like that, especially for the old parts.  I will use the other product on the new parts.

[firefighter ontheside]

I just ordered black cosmoline to put on the frame parts.  Won't be here til mid week, so I may not get the truck bed all mounted til next week.  I guess better to wait and do it right.  

[Gere Flewelling]

If there is a NAPA auto parts store near you, I would suggest you see if they stock any of the "SEM" brand paint products.  SEM makes a product called "Rust Trap" that is similar to the POR product others have mentioned in this post.  The POR product is good except  that you have to throw away what you don't use as you can't get the container (paint can) to seal back up good enough to keep the product from hardening up after a week or so.  The Rust Trap product comes in a quart can similar to what brake fluid comes in.  You can pour out what you need and then dump back what you don't use into the can and seal it up.  I have had great results with this product on my truck frames and beds.  You can then spray on whatever top coating you desire.  The Rust Trap product must be painted over with something to keep ultraviolet rays away from it.  Also this product is less expensive than the POR product.  It comes in black or silver.  I have used both and recommend the black.

[firefighter ontheside]

Doesn't really look any different than the previous photo, but in this one the bed is permanently attached and the tail lights work.  I don't have the back up lights wired yet, but I will work on that soon.  The frame parts are all coated in black cosmoline and I think that is a good product that will protect the frame from further rust.  I want to get some underbody tool boxes to mount at the front of the bed.  I used some purple power cleaner and scrubbed the flatbed. It looks a little better than it did.  


 

[beenthere]

Door sign is easily readable. Truck looks great.

[Old Greenhorn]

Truck looks great! I have an underbody box I would give you, if you were more local but shipping is somewhat prohibitive. Sorry.

[Crusarius]

yea, door sticker looks good.

[Resonator]

Lookin' nice!
For side boxes it depends how much you want to spend, I see some ready made steel and aluminum ones available online. Less expensive way would be to get a used metal shop cabinet modify it to fit, and seal it up weather tight.

[firefighter ontheside]

Thanks.  I've been doing some polishing of the aluminum and scraping some concrete spatter off of it.  Sometimes I really wish I was a metal worker along with being a woodworker.  If I could just weld, it would really be helpful.  I see a lot of regular truck tool boxes going for cheap and think, if I was a metal worker I might be able to make that into an underbody box or two.

[hedgerow]

Thanks.  I've been doing some polishing of the aluminum and scraping some concrete spatter off of it.  Sometimes I really wish I was a metal worker along with being a woodworker.  If I could just weld, it would really be helpful.  I see a lot of regular truck tool boxes going for cheap and think, if I was a metal worker I might be able to make that into an underbody box or two.

Just keep watching Facebook market place and Craigslist you find some aluminum tool boxes. I wouldn't put a steel one on that nice bed. I just had one on my bed I found it at a swap meet. There wasn't room to have one on each side on my Ford. Back before I had a fuel trailer, tool trailer I would put a fuel tank and tool box on the flat bed during planting and harvest and take them off the rest of the year.  

[firefighter ontheside]

A guy was selling 2 boxes that were too big, but otherwise perfect.  I need 24" and his were 36".  I'm not in a hurry, so I will keep watching for some.

[firefighter ontheside]

My truck hauled its first load...one piece of 4/4 oak live edge for a guy at work.  I wish I could say it was earning me money, but I gave him the piece of wood for free.  I brought the truck in so I could work on it in the evening.  I managed to get the back up lights and the 3 little center marker lights wired.  I have several more marker lights to get done and then the bed will be all wired.  I also power washed the bed to get rid of the grime that was on it from its previous life.  

The speedo quit working on the way to work the other morning, so I have to figure that out.  It got a new speed sensor right after I got it, so I suspect the wire harness has lost contact.  I will take it back to the shop that installed it.