Ford F-1 Bed Repair - Bedlam - Tech

Charles then uses aluminum jaws in a vise to form the flange.

The next step is to mark the holes that will be used to spot-weld the new stake pocket to the bedside. Here, the holes are marked first then punched using a pneumatic punch with an 1/8-inch bit.

The stake pocket is then checked for fitment against the bedside...

...before being clamped into place.

Next, Charles uses a TIG welder to tack the stake pocket to the bedside, essentially spot-welding the two together, just like the Ford factory did way back when.

Here's a shot of the spot-welded side of the stake pocket.

The marked holes are then drilled before...

...the 1/4-inch hardware can be installed and the clamps removed.

Here's the finished portion of the front side of the bed with the new stake pockets and header panel installed. Now it's time to move on to those rusty fender corners.

The front side of the stake pocket is another story. This side was drilled so that the header panel could bolt into place. Using the existing holes in the bedside, Charles drills into the stake pocket so new hardware can be installed.

The header panel is being installed from the front side of the bed while Charles checks for any fitment issues that may arise.

The new header panel ships undrilled from NPD so it's necessary to once again transfer the holes in the bedside using an automatic punch.