How to mount a 1959 fleetside bed with no wood

[Dave K]

I have a 1959 Fleetside and the bed wood is all rotted away and the bed seems to sit 1/2" or more lower then it should (judging by the way the body line on the bed lines up with the body line on the cab) It seems like the bed must have sat on wood blocks originally or some other spacer that is missing? What have people done to mount there beds when they don't want to run the stock wood?

[OrrieG]

The bed wood bolts to the cross braces. There are also bolts through the wood and cross braces that bolt to the main rails. No shims or wood metal to metal or a thin piece of rubber. Maybe the cross rails are bent or rusted??

[low57]

The fleetside bed should sit on rubber spacer blocks similar to the cab mount rubber spacers i believe. The rubber spacers is what i have used to get the cab body line and fleetside line to be even during mock up.

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by low57

The fleetside bed should sit on rubber spacer blocks similar to the cab mount rubber spacers i believe. The rubber spacers is what i have used to get the cab body line and fleetside line to be even during mock up.

You may need, and can use the spacers, I am doing the same with mine to gain clearance at the gas tank and under the cab, radiator support will need some too. When I pulled my original bed there was nothing but some very thin, less than 1/16", rubber pieces I assume for squeak abatement. It had not been off the truck before, I bought it originally from the second owner in 1976.