First things first, an outer...
First things first, an outer flange along the inside of the bed must be constructed. In order to do this I first took the measurement from the rear of the inner fender openings to the rear of the bed, and then from the front of the fenders to the front bed panel.
When it comes to customizing classic trucks the possibilities are endless. Some like to maintain a stock appearance with mild modifications, and some . . . well some have ideas that spawn from the deepest part of one's imagination. When it comes to my views on Project Get Shorty I'm all over the map. Some stuff I want to be unique only to the '71, while other touches I like to fall under the "Is that factory?" category.
It's been nearly a year now since we assembled our LMC Truck bed with the Bruce Horkey Wood & Parts bed wood kit. However, although we assembled the bed some time ago, we never actually sat it on the truck. (Not the smartest way to do things, but hey, that's how it worked out.) When we finally slapped the bed on the truck it was apparent the bed restricted the stance we were after, due to the fact the rearend housing hit the bed wood before the bumpstops bottomed out. Long story short, a little reworking was in order if the truck was to sit where I intended it to.
Bed clearance is something many truck builders deal with. Oftentimes we see people cutting out a hole in the bed surrounding the rearend housing. Other times people cover the hole with some sort of extended wheel tub, or bridge if you will. All of those options are viable, however, my view on this particular subject is to keep things looking intact and factory issue. The only way to accomplish this mentality is to raise the bed floor. More work yes, but anything worth doing the right way is always more work.
In order to achieve the stance I was after, and maintain that factory look between the bedsides, raising the floor is my only option. I decided three inches would give me plenty of clearance to drop things down. The three inches would also allow ample clearance to ensure nothing gets tore up going down the road. I also decided to ditch the entire factory bracing (cross sills), and mounts, and built my own inner bed workings. (I find it easier to start from scratch than to modify everything else to fit.) I accomplished this using none other than simple materials one could pick up at any metal yard. Check it out.
I decided to use 1 1/2x1 1/2x1/8-inch...
I decided to use 1 1/2x1 1/2x1/8-inch angle iron for the flange. I cut four pieces of angle iron per my measurements.
Because I wanted the bed wood...
Because I wanted the bed wood to sit flush with the bedsides, I decided to mount the angle iron with the vertical edge facing downwards. To achieve the proper amount of clearance, for both stance and driveability, I needed to raise the bed three inches. Therefore, I made three-inch markings along the inner bedsides.
The plan is to weld the flange...
The plan is to weld the flange to the side of the inner bed, however, for some extra strength I also picked up some 1x1x1/8 angle iron. These small pieces will sit atop the factory bedside flange, and just under the new flange.
The flange and flange supports...
The flange and flange supports were then welded to the inner bedsides. Once the side flanges were in place, I duplicated front and rear flanges, only this time I flipped the angle iron with the vertical side pointed up, in order to hold the wood in place, and keep it from sliding forwards or rearwards.
It was then time to fabricate...
It was then time to fabricate bracing. I measured from flange edge to flange edge.
I then transferred the measurements...
I then transferred the measurements to 1 1/2-inch square tubing with 1/8-inch walls. I was also sure to add three inches to the flange-to-flange measurements.
Here's why I added three inches....
Here's why I added three inches. I wanted the braces to sit flush with the flanges; therefore I trimmed out 1 1/2 inches, a 1/8-inch deep, from the top of the brace. This notch will allow me to tuck the brace under the flange for a clean fit.
I then welded two braces at...
I then welded two braces at the front of the bed, in line with the factory's second and third (moving from the front towards the back) mounting holes. I also mounted a brace in line with rear mounting holes of the inner fenders.
Notice that I have fabricated...
Notice that I have fabricated my own bed mounts. Due to the fact the floor has been raised three inches; mounts are something that are going to have to be taken into consideration. I choose to make an arch, constructed from 16-gauge sheetmetal, which flows with the frame and bracing for my front bed mounts. However, any style would work, so long as it's sturdy and secure.
As for my rear mounts, I made...
As for my rear mounts, I made these boxed triangular mounts that slide over the framerails.
With the main braces in place...
With the main braces in place it was time to create the inner structure. First, I needed to mount an inner fender brace. I measured the distance between the outside edges of the flange to the centerline of the mounting holes on the inner fenders. At that point, I welded a piece of the 1-inch angle iron between the 2nd and 3rd braces.
Here's a better look. Notice...
Here's a better look. Notice the angle iron running congruent to the inner fender's mounting-hole centers. I then placed the stainless steel mounting straps in place. From there I lined up 1 1/2x1/4-inch rectangular tubing to the centerline of the mounting holes on the straps and welded them in place. These will act as bed wood mounting points for the carriage bolts.
Next, our Bruce Horkey wood...
Next, our Bruce Horkey wood kit was thrown in place.
Using our original spacers...
Using our original spacers from the first install.
Because the wood kit originally...
Because the wood kit originally mounted underneath the factory flange, and I have changed it to atop the flange, we used up nearly an inch of real estate. Therefore, our outside boards needed to be trimmed slightly to fit the gap.
At this point everything is...
At this point everything is set in place, however the inner fenders must be adjusted to fit. Before, the top of the inner fenders ran just below the beltline on the inner bed panels. Now they will have to sit just above that line. In order to achieve the right fit, a 1/4 inch was trimmed from the inner fenders: Notice the before and after shot.
With the inner fenders trimmed...
With the inner fenders trimmed they were slid into place. Notice how clean the fenders flow with the beltline when trimmed right.
It truly does look factory...
It truly does look factory . . . well almost factory.
The plan is to weld the inner...
The plan is to weld the inner fenders to the inner bed panels, however, we took a few measurements to make sure they were installed parallel with the stainless mounting straps.
At this point everything is...
At this point everything is set in stone. All that's left to do is to go around and mark the "under workings" of the bed at each mounting hole.
With the inner fenders trimmed...
With the inner fenders trimmed they were slid into place. Notice how clean the fenders flow with the beltline when trimmed right. It truly does look factory . . . well almost factory.
There you have it, a bed floor...
There you have it, a bed floor raised three inches the clean way. It's as if we were never there.