short step assembly

[trucknorris78]

Hi everyone! Since this has been my best resource for info, I thought I'd see if my luck still holds here! I got an entire bed from LMC and no instructions. 73-80 short-step. Any of the threads I found here with links, haven't worked. My searches on the net all give me the wrong year or just the wood portion. I need the entire bed. I am pretty sure that I can figure it out however, I would like to know that I am doing it correctly the first time! Also, I do not know if I am missing anything. I already discovered that I need the angle strips for the bed sides. They weren't included and I don't have them from the previous be.
Any links to video or instructions would be greatly appreciated, if anyone can help!

 

[bucket]

If nobody else has posted anything by tomorrow afternoon, I should be home and can get pictures of one of my beds. Most of the wood is rotted away and it's easy to see how it all assembles.

 

[trucknorris78]

Bucket, that would be awesome!

 

[Bennyt]

For a custom or cleaner look...Is the wood already pre-drilled for the 8 mounting bolts? If not, you can weld nuts onto the cross rails and bolt it on from underneath and clean up the looks a bit. I also like the stainless strips that have hidden hardware. Wood floor beds have close to a 100 bolts and i like to hide hardware when possible.

 

[Bennyt]

Also, other than the fenders, i think the beds are the same from the mid 50's to the 80's.

 

[bucket]

Also, other than the fenders, i think the beds are the same from the mid 50's to the 80's.

Yep. I believe the only difference is mounting holes for fenders and tail light brackets. The stampings themselves are the same.

 

[trucknorris78]

A big hangup for me is how it mounts at the front. I was trying to mount without the wood for the initial fit up. This is all new parts, and I anticipate a lot of problems, especially being LMC parts. I already see that I can't do it without the angle strips. That's why I'd like to find an assembly video for the entire bed, not just the wood.

 

[trucknorris78]

So, you guys think a video from a truck, pre 73 would be the same as far as assembly and mounting?

 

[mano]

I got two pieces of aluminum angle from Home Depot, drilled the holes and squared them off with a square file and attach them with carriage bolts. If I remember correctly, the original angle pieces are spot welded to the side of the bed.

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[Scruffy49]

They are all about the same. Cross sills, angles, rabbeted boards, squeak stopper pads, strips and carriage bolts. My 1948-52 Dodge bed goes together exactly like a 73-? Chevy bed floor.
You should have a bolt on header panel, use stainless hardware. Use stainless fender bolts, bed strips, bed hardware kit if you have not ordered them yet. I prefer to replace the large bed hold down carriage bolts, at least 4 of the 8 in the case of old Dodges, with cast eyebolts or stainless eyebolts. Built in tie down points…

Take it slow, it’s like a heavy jigsaw puzzle. Oh, king/queen bedframe side rails make excellent bed support angle iron…