1,000 ways to raise a bed???

[lowrodderchev]

hey guys i've searched far and wide look on website after website but still i'm over thinking it. so i come here for advice from any truck nut willing to add 2 cents. my 57 has a step notch on her. at first i ran metal floor on the bed cut a hole for the notch and made a cover. but looking at all the trucks here is making me think of puuting in wood. so i figured i'll raise the bed floor up and run a wood floor. but ive seen so many ways people have done it. so should run a bed that has hinges to expose my frame or just run it so it dont move? and the bed L strips that attach to the bed sides do i weld them up higher so the wood can attach to them? i seen some guys just have theres sorta floating there just attached to the wood. i have extra bed braces that go across figured i could weld up a 2x2 brace from frame to the bed braces and run the wood. i would like to be able to step in the bed without it caving in. any you guys have suggestions or pix any past experience or knowledge? dam i just a wrote a novel sorry bout that thanx guys

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by lowrodderchev

hey guys i've searched far and wide look on website after website but still i'm over thinking it. so i come here for advice from any truck nut willing to add 2 cents.

my 57 has a step notch on her. at first i ran metal floor on the bed cut a hole for the notch and made a cover. but looking at all the trucks here is making me think of puuting in wood. so i figured i'll raise the bed floor up and run a wood floor. but ive seen so many ways people have done it.

so should run a bed that has hinges to expose my frame or just run it so it dont move? and the bed L strips that attach to the bed sides do i weld them up higher so the wood can attach to them? i seen some guys just have theres sorta floating there just attached to the wood. i have extra bed braces that go across figured i could weld up a 2x2 brace from frame to the bed braces and run the wood.

i would like to be able to step in the bed without it caving in. any you guys have suggestions or pix any past experience or knowledge? dam i just a wrote a novel sorry bout that thanx guys

Well, most guys who run hinged beds do so to either show off the chassis or be able to access the chassis, gas tank and or get the tires/wheels off without a hassle.

The bed floor has to clear the center section of the axle when the bags (if you have bags) are aired all the way out and the truck is sitting as low as it will go. If you don't have a hump built in the frame over the rear axle area and just have the notches you could build a framework to hold the bed up higher than the axle as you mentioned before and then run some mini tubs to clear the notches and other things that need cleared if that works out.

I've seen the bed floors done in all flavors, someone on here has the floor rigged so it raises up and the bed sides stay static, Somewhere there is a truck with a raised bed that has a drawer or drawers that slide out that are hidden by the tailgate when it's closed. The owner keeps his tools and cleaning supplies and other stuff in the drawers and no one has a clue they are there. Another truck has the gas tank raised up higher and a short storage area behind the gas tank for tools and cleaning supplies. The ideas are endless.

[lowrodderchev]

I like the storage idea I have notches with a bridge between them it would have to be raised im not looking to show off my chassis I may just leave the hinges out of it now I just need to figure out the L braces that are on the bedsides

[lowrodderchev]

Angle strips that's what there called peices that are tacked on the besides

[Speedbumpauto]

Here's raising the bed 2" to clear fuel tank and suspension. You can use the same idea to go more by adjusting the angle strips+ front and rear spacers. I ordered my bed sides from Mar K without angle strips and plug welded them in at the ht. I needed. You can buy new ones from them and just leave your old ones there as they can't be seen after the floor is installed. I used pieces of 2x2 tubing as my frame spacers, welded on and studded my cross sills so I could put a nut inside the tubing to hold the bed on. See them on the frame pic.(3 on each side) I used a piece of 1x2 tubing in the bed inside front and drilled the holes up from the orig. bed front angle so longer bolts would bolt the wood just like stock. I needed a new rear cross sill so got it and used the good part of the old one(top side with the bolt holes) and made a 2 inch spacer for the rear of the bed and welded it to the new cross sill. Has a nice factory curve so it doesn't look too bad with the tailgate open and hidden with it closed. I used the new front and rear hts. to compute the angle strip ht. and welded them in. It looks pretty much stock other than the tubs.

[46deluxe]

Great way to do it Speedbumpauto.

[lowrodderchev]

Yeah that does look really good

[_Ogre]

i used 1.25x1.25x.125 angle on my bed sides. lot less $ than the angle strips.
plug welded thru the bed side

[lowrodderchev]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

i used 1.25x1.25x.125 angle on my bed sides. lot less $ than the angle strips.
plug welded thru the bed side

plug welded thru bedside? inside the bed assuming

[_Ogre]

1/4'' holes drilled into the bed sides and plug welded to the angle iron
you can see all the plug welds in the bed side here

[lowrodderchev]

so i was working in the garage last night drinking a cold one and i came up with a idea thought i would get your guys opinion. i thought what if i didnt raise my bed floor but instead ran my wood for my bed front/back up to my c notch then installed a cover for my c-notch and either uphoster it in a tuck and roll(like front seat) or paint it the color of the truck. what do you guys think i know opinions vary but still would like your insite.

[dubie]

that's the way I would do it. Then you're not playing around with the height of your angle iron or the factory bed support locations. I plan on welding in some new angle iron for a front and rear section to my bed floor and then build a cover piece over the notch

[lowrodderchev]

yeah thats part of it welding in new angle strips plus building a support to raise the wood. this is a easier way and i will still have bed room. the pic is what i have now but id rather have wood. bed wood that is wait still dont sound right

[ghettoluxury]

I have never been a fan of the raised notch section. When the time comes I will raise the entire floor so there is a nice flat bed floor all the way across. Even if it makes the bed only 6 inches deep it is still a usable bed that all trucks should have.

[butchp]

In one of the two truck mags in the last few months ran an article on a Ford and a Chevy with how they would raise the bed floor(wood).

[_Ogre]

tuck and roll in your bed?
you southern cal guys can get away with thing we could never do here.

i like a full depth bed with the cover idea, though i would use what ever your covering the bed in and bed strips
i've seen beds so shallow that you couldn't carry a cooler in back
also makes for a goofy transition in the tailgate area

no mini tubs?

[lowrodderchev]

No tubs necessary for my truck I wanna do the wood and strips just shorten them to clear the notch figure paint the cover the color of the truck and have some snaps for a tuck roll cover

[lowrodderchev]

ok I'm reviving my thread I have ran into a new problem. I decided on raising my bed up was going to lose only 7 inches of height. well I decide to run the wood flush against the bedside to that in the future I could have the option of installing floor that lifts to get to my bags. but yesterday I notice that my bedsides are a little bowed anyone know if I can straighten them somehow or should I just run some angle iron to get it to be flat. hate it when obstacles like this happen and seems like its happening more the closer I get to being done LOL

[ghettoluxury]

I would weld it to a piece of angle iron or square tubing and call it good.