Removing bed from 87 tomorrow, any operating experience appreciated. Any how to's?

[weider1717]

I know it's simple I looked at my truck looks to be simply 8 bolts holding the bed to the frame.

I went ahead and sprayed them down good with some KROIL lube to help things out tomorrow.

Do you guys typically replace the bed bolts when you do this? I might do this while they're out anyway. Any resource for them better than others?

Looks like the part number for the ac delco part for my truck is EP 386 but different sites etc says that not correct etc so if anyone knows for sure the correct oem part please let me know.

and just any other things to look out for or sizes of the bolt nuts etc that may help it go a little simpler because I looked the web over and only found bed how to on a 1988 which should be close but I was curious about wiring plug in's etc.

**the bed bolts are round on the bed end Looks like they may just turn?

thanks

[old Rusty C10]

be forewarned ALOT of the time the bolts just spin when you try to take them out... I try to move a little back off then go some more easy and lots of lube is the key
three or four guys or some canvas straps and motor hoist /chainfall is the way to lift off the bed
Make sure you disconnect the tail light harness and fuel fillers ( id try to remove them before lifting) and it helps to have a buddy to steer the bed away from the cab while doing this

[DblTrbl]

Just like this. You can do it yourself if you have to. I usually have someone stand on the back of the cherry picker because my bed is just a little over the tipping point. But a long bed dually is surely heavier than yours.

I've wound up cutting a couple bolts if they spin. Lube them up really good and use a breaker bar instead of an impact to lessen the chance of camming out.

Don't cut your wires. There is a plug back by the bumper.

[hatzie]

If the bolts even offer to stick I cut em off. Replacements are cheap. No use wallowing out the holes to save $2 in bolts.

[bhc41051]

BOLT, Body Hold Down (1/2"-13 x 4 1/4”) ................................ 9 .008

I believe these are the bolts you need. I'd try use your OEM bolts quality 4-1/4
partially threaded carriage bolts are going to be hard to find.

[Chevy_mud_truck]

I always cut bed bolts the local fasner store keeps most any size carriagehead bolt. I have welded nuts to the top side and have someone help hold it with a beaker bar and socket to keep from messing up the bed

[cadillac_al]

If you have a friend to step on the bolts while you loosen them you will lessen your chances of rounding out the holes in the bed. I have never had a problem removing bed bolts up here in rust country. I guess they are fairly well protected from direct salt spray.

[weider1717]

Hey guys I got a couple broke loose and notice something goofy with the bolts on my truck.

One of the left fronts where it looks like a long bolt should be there is..it runs down through the bottom of the frame through a hole. However, on the other side right side has a short bolt where it looks to need that same long bolt.

I then moved back some and found a long bolt on the right side where on the left side a short one is.

can anyone tell me exactly where the longs should go and how many long ones I should have?

my truck was repainted by GM under warranty in like 1991 I assume thats when this happened and they just threw the bolts back without caring. Kinda sorry but anyway just want to be sure I'm right on this and where they go.

thanks

[DblTrbl]

The long bolts...at least on a long bed, are the second set from the front. Not sure on a shortbed. But on mine, there's no way that anyone could ever get a short bolt in where the long ones go.

[weider1717]

they did on mine! but thanks I figured they shouldn't be mix matched like that.

[11555wally]

I have a 86 SWB and there 2 long bolts in the second set of holes from the front. The other 6 bolts are shorter. Had my bed off about 3 times in the last year for one reason or another. Used a Big Red engine hoist a couple of times but the boom was just a little too short. Ended up buying a cheap 1 ton chain hoist and that worked perfectly. Good luck

[weider1717]

Guys I have the bolts loosened except 2 in the back those 4 are a pain! I can't deep a deep well 3/4 socket and my 1/2 rachet in between the rails and a shallow 3/4 and a 3//8 rachet bottom out.

Only way i broke one loose was with a 3/4 box in wrench.

anyway decided to snap a couple pictures showing how I assume the dealer put the bed bolts in wrong when it was re-painted under GM recall. If you look that short bolt where I think a long should be even has a non shoulder nut on it.

Another reason why you're aways better off doing your own work even techs at a dealership feel it's not theirs and who cares as long as the bed is bolted down I guess…but it made it a pain to break that short one loose in that spot.

left side 2nd bolt back

right side 2nd bolt back. One thing I will say is odd is in the above picture you can see where the nut shoulder has been on this short one where the bolt should be but its not I don't see any markings of a nut ever being there. Maybe the factory messed up and the techs at the dealership just put it back like they found it. Thats far fetched but possibly...

[Hiluxxulih]

I noticed that when I removed the bed on my 85 Chevy pickup that it had a short bolt where it should have had a long bolt too , another thing is I had to use a torch on a few of the bolts even over the gas tank , lots of water was sprayed on the tank on those two , needless to say I used liberal amounts of copper neverseeze when reinstalling the bolts .

[DblTrbl]

I use a shallow 3/4 socket and a 32" breaker bar for those rear ones. They can be a *****, but take your time and the breaker bar will do it. I'm assuming that it's the bumper mounts/hitch that are in your way...

[Chevy_mud_truck]

Most of the one that I've done the nuts are to rusty to even get a wrench on without rounding off yours look brand new to most of the ones I've messed with

[weider1717]

Originally Posted by Hiluxxulih

I noticed that when I removed the bed on my 85 Chevy pickup that it had a short bolt where it should have had a long bolt too , another thing is I had to use a torch on a few of the bolts even over the gas tank , lots of water was sprayed on the tank on those two , needless to say I used liberal amounts of copper neverseeze when reinstalling the bolts .

Can anyone else with shorted experience add to this? Starting to think maybe mine came like this since I don't see the nut head marking elsewhere like there was a long bolt there once and with what he is saying too.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by weider1717

Can anyone else with shorted experience add to this? Starting to think maybe mine came like this since I don't see the nut head marking elsewhere like there was a long bolt there once and with what he is saying too.

My '87 SWB has short bolts everywhere except the LH #2 spot (long bolt). I am the original owner.

During the time I was a production supervisor I ran the area where the pickup box was secured. We did about 900,000 units over that six year period.

Keep in mind at 60 jobs per hour the guy in the pit has roughly 45 seconds to secure all those box bolts (plus hang the spare tire and connect the taillight wiring harness). He doesn't have time to fool around getting those nuts started and tight; as such, any place where the top of the C Channel of the frame is obscured (by a crossmember, or exhaust, or both) is potentially a location where the long bolt would be used to drop the attachment into a more accessible spot. Also be advised that the nuts are not finger started before driving; he sets them in the socket of a right angle air tool and pulls the trigger.

K

[weider1717]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

My '87 SWB has short bolts everywhere except the LH #2 spot (long bolt). I am the original owner.

During the time I was a production supervisor I ran the area where the pickup box was secured. We did about 900,000 units over that six year period.

Keep in mind at 60 jobs per hour the guy in the pit has roughly 45 seconds to secure all those box bolts (plus hang the spare tire and connect the taillight wiring harness). He doesn't have time to fool around getting those nuts started and tight; as such, any place where the top of the C Channel of the frame is obscured (by a crossmember, or exhaust, or both) is potentially a location where the long bolt would be used to drop the attachment into a more accessible spot. Also be advised that the nuts are not finger started before driving; he sets them in the socket of a right angle air tool and pulls the trigger.

K

thats is exactly how my 87 is shorts everywhere except the 2nd bolt back left side and shoulder nuts everywhere except 2nd bolt back right side.

so sounding more and more like thats the way they came. Any more on this to be sure? because it looks to be made for a long bolt on the right side 2nd bolt back (see pic ) but a lot of people have different.

[87ChevyR10]

Originally Posted by weider1717

thats is exactly how my 87 is shorts everywhere except the 2nd bolt back left side and shoulder nuts everywhere except 2nd bolt back right side.

so sounding more and more like thats the way they came. Any more on this to be sure? because it looks to be made for a long bolt on the right side 2nd bolt back (see pic ) but a lot of people have different.

My truck has one long bolt on the left side second back and the rest are short. All shoulder nuts also. Just guessing and Keith may can confirm this wrong or right but if the exhaust were on the trucks when the bed was set on the assembly line the left side second back would be VERY hard to access with the muffler being on that side if it was a short bolt. Must be why they used a long one there. Just my thoughts..

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by 87ChevyR10

My truck has one long bolt on the left side second back and the rest are short. All shoulder nuts also. Just guessing and Keith may can confirm this wrong or right but if the exhaust were on the trucks when the bed was set on the assembly line the left side second back would be VERY hard to access with the muffler being on that side if it was a short bolt. Must be why they used a long one there. Just my thoughts..

Correct. The chassis is essentially complete when the cab and box are set.

http://www.73-87.com/7387info/Assembly%20Line.htm

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by weider1717

so sounding more and more like thats the way they came. Any more on this to be sure? because it looks to be made for a long bolt on the right side 2nd bolt back (see pic ) but a lot of people have different.

I'm pretty sure.



Keep in mind those components (like crossmembers) are common across multiple option combinations, so for some long wheel base vehicles, or diesels (with dual exhaust), or straight six (where the exhaust goes down the right hand side) there may have been a long bolt in that spot. Just not for us gas burning swb guys.

The design has to accommodate all those various possibilities (swb, lwb, crew; 2wd, 4wd, several different powertrains).

K

[weider1717]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

I'm pretty sure.



Keep in mind those components (like crossmembers) are common across multiple option combinations, so for some long wheel base vehicles, or diesels (with dual exhaust), or straight six (where the exhaust goes down the right hand side) there may have been a long bolt in that spot. Just not for us gas burning swb guys.

The design has to accommodate all those various possibilities (swb, lwb, crew; 2wd, 4wd, several different powertrains).

K

I'm going to put them back as i found them on your knowledge but did you see the pictures? the short bolt where there loots like a long should be does not have a shoulder nut like the rest, any op on that?

I would also like to know why or what purpose it makes to have a short bolt there on the right side yet on the left side a long one when the frame looks to be made for long on either side there. Just odd and curious if you knew the reason

thanks for this because I just kNEW they just had the bolts in the wrong location. I knew it was repainted by gm in 1991 I was assuming they had took the bed off then and mixed them up.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by weider1717

I'm going to put them back as i found them on your knowledge but did you see the pictures? the short bolt where there loots like a long should be does not have a shoulder nut like the rest, any op on that?

Yes - that regular nut is not correct. It was either wrong initially (not likely) or got changed somewhere in your truck's history. The reason I say "not likely" is (a) because there was not a nut like that in the assembly station, so it is not likely that the operator could grab it by mistake and (b) the regular nut would fall down in the socket, rather than staying up at the top of the socket like a flanged nut. The guy is not going to do anything that makes his job harder.

Originally Posted by wider1717

I would also like to know why or what purpose it makes to have a short bolt there on the right side yet on the left side a long one when the frame looks to be made for long on either side there. Just odd and curious if you knew the reason

This was my attempt to answer that specific question:

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Keep in mind those components (like crossmembers) are common across multiple option combinations, so for some long wheel base vehicles, or diesels (with dual exhaust), or straight six (where the exhaust goes down the right hand side) there may have been a long bolt in that spot. Just not for us gas burning swb guys.

The design has to accommodate all those various possibilities (swb, lwb, crew; 2wd, 4wd, several different powertrains).

Those characteristics may not be needed for your truck but need to be there for somebody else's truck. Since the parts are common they go along for the ride. So a 1979 swb straight six, with the exhaust going down the RH side, may have had a long bolt in that location, even though you don't see it that way on yours with the exhaust going down the left hand side only.

K