Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

I got a new fleetside SWB bed kit today and I am looking for tips on assembling it. I would like to get it right the first time.

Things like,
Should I epoxy primer all the parts then assemble them or wait until it is all assembled?

What seam sealer should I use and when?

Anything else I need to be aware of.

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Define bed kit.
Assemble or rather mock it before paint.
Paint it first. Dud. Do you love rust?
Pretty sure google can suggest seam sealer.
Think.

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Check this out for sealer.

https://i.ytimg.com/an_webp/CbuvdY0l...P4XAz2dtMhFAcw

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

I would suggest a complete assembly of all parts including the tail gate. Once you have all the holes aligned and everything fits together, then tear it apart and start the prep and paint work. Both of the bed assemblies I have used took some work to fit together. Hope this helps.

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Well the bed kit is a complete kit. What that means it has the metal bed, headboard, tailgate, wheel wells and bed sides. Sounds like I will need to put it together first to ensure everything fits together. I was hoping that the bed kits were better than the repop rocker panels and floor pans I had to deal with. Let the unboxing begin. Hopefully it will be easier than fixing the rust spots on the cab.

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Hopefully it’s not from LMC...the sides I’m working with now absolutely suck

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Set up the floor then front panel then the sides bolt all loose until all together. Make X measurements with your tape to assure square. Like measure from left front to right rear, then measure the exact opposite if the number is right your bed is stupid close. You can move those numbers by shaking a couple panels just a little time moving stuff around you will learn real quick.
The X measurement is one of your best friends you can and need to use this method to set the cab properly, align the front cap so the hood fits and of course putting the bed together. Good luck have fun, Jim

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Consider this one more vote for bolting it all together, fixing stuff that isn't right, make sure it is square, then take it all apart again.

When I did my metal floor, long box, I sprayed epoxy first. Then color. Then I had a really good friend whom I trust help me put it back together.

Put tape on edges during re-assembly in areas you think you might scratch.

If two guys can do it with a real box (an 8 footer), you should be able to handle a shorty as well with you and a friend on re-assembly.

FWIW, I bought one re-pop box side. I had to cut the spots welds off the little about 3" wide angle bracket on the back stake pocket and lower it some. It was over three eighths of an inch high from China.

Oh. And if you are gonna run a spare tire carrier, don't forget to mock that up on your first assembly of unpainted parts. I know a guy that forgot to do that and now he is afraid to drill holes in a nice, freshly painted box.

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Mrein that's quite the shot to my neither regions. LOL
My bed came from Southern Kentucky Classics and the parts are marked as Woodall. As far as quality of the parts I will need to get with you on that.

So based on the feedback I should:
Put the box, unpainted, together.
Ensure that the box is square by measuring the diagonal.
Once square take it apart
Prime and paint
Tape edges as needed as put together

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

I can't help with your original question, however I plan to purchase this same bed from SOKY in the future and assemble and paint myself. Please keep this thread updated with your assembly method and what your thoughts are on the bed quality.

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Sorry. I was just having fun with the age old question on this board, what's better a short wheel base or a long wheel base truck?

In all seriousness, I'd do like you have listed. I did it that way and I'm happy I took the extra time. For the primer step put the word epoxy in front of it. I love that stuff. It sticks.

Painting stuff apart gets paint, and more importantly epoxy primer, into spots you can't reach when assembled.

I even went so far as to fillet the used bedside I re-used, wire wheeled off the rust. Used PPG acid rust converter chemical. Sprayed epoxy in there. Welded it back together. Then painted it.

100 years from now that bedside is going to be standing upright in a junk yard when the rest of the truck is gone.

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

It took a while but I finally found a post I made about my bed project.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=779550
I also found a few pictures that should help convince you to mock it up first. That stake brace I mentioned earlier was really off. It doesn't look like much with just a paint stick under the gap but when I moved that brace up, everything lined up perfect.
And one more thing. Those carriage bolts. I dipped the heads in epoxy primer so I got the top and bottom of the round head covered. Then I drilled a million holes in a hunk of 2x4 and stood all the bolts I needed in there. Then when I was spraying color I blew by the bolts with paint. I know that sounds anal but here in MN, we have moisture in the air. ANYTHING without paint will rust just from the atmosphere.
Looking at these pictures, it looks like between fixing the stake brace and the final mock-up I painted the floor. That means I mocked it up twice. One tends to forget pain after it is over. :)

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Yes, I will be using epoxy primer before I paint. I like the e-coating unfortunately by the time you get done mocking and tweaking the coating is all scratched up. So epoxy primer is a must. The CURRENT play is to paint the bed with bed liner on top the epoxy primer, Under side will be epoxy primer and POR15 with the wheel wells in bed liner. Use seam sealer as I assemble the panels together.

Currently thinking of using a motorcycle pop up gas filler on the box top rail. I want to be able to fill the tank with a load in the bed. The other reason is mine is a '67 so I don't have a side marker light cut out to use. Tail light option is possible but has it own issues and I really don't want to start cutting on a new bed side to put in a flapper style door. Like Mike Tyson said, "Everyone had a plan until you get punched face."

Side note:
The SOKY kit comes with all new hardware so cleaning of the old hardware is not required. HOORAY!!!! for me.

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Well I unboxed the bed floor and it looks like it is good quality metal. I went ahead and put it on the truck to see how well the bed to frame holes match up. We'll the first thing I found is that I need to notch one of the supports because I moved the fuel tank. Forgot about that. Once I address that I will see how well the bed holes line up.

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

How does the thickness of that bed floor compare to the original one?

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Well I didn't put a micrometer on it but feels as heavy as the old one. I had three other people help put it in place. Easy lift for four a bit of a challenge with two.

EDIT:
I went out and measured the thickness of the steel. The battery in my electric micrometers was dead so I used my plastic ones. So here is what I found:
Bed; 0.050" or 18 gauge
Cross Members: 0.075" or 14 gauge
End or Back Cross Member: 0.090" or 12 gauge

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Well I notched the bed rail and I know clear the tank. However, once I got the bed where it needed to be the fuel tank filler neck lines up the notched bed rail. I know I can't be the first one to run into this situation so any help on how to resolve it would be appreciated.

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Everyone talks about prime and paint then assemble. Is anyone spot welding the bedsides to the floor at the tailgate as the factory did?

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

I did not. I suspect the factory did that to align the bed then keep it from moving while it went down the line.
My unwelded, complete bed rebuild still functions as new.

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Ok, I got my fuel filler neck interference resolved. Used a rear bed rail bolt support and mounted it the frame rail. Now that I have that resolved I can start bolting it together for mock up. Once I get it all bolted together I'll figure out the fuel filler tube rout.

Did confirm that all the bed to frame bolt holes are correct. Didn't have to modify any of them

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Well I got the front panel and LH bed side mounted today. The front panel is from TriPlus and is 0.060" thick. Fitup was good and hole patterns matched up good. The front panel bed side holes are football shaped and will require some filing. There are no instructions so I had to work out which bolts went where. IE: Carriage bolt, large washer, small washer, lock washer then nut.

The LH bed side was from Woodall and mic'd at 0.45" thickness. Fit up overall was good. I did have to file the bedside stake hole and bed bottom back support so that they would slide past each other. The body lines matched up good and will not require any adjusting.

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Looking pretty good.

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

I was attempting to install my tail light and back up lights in my new bed today. The tail lamps have two holes where they bolt to the box. Only one would bolt up the second one was about a hold diameter off. J-Clips will not be long enough if I slot the hole in the box. Considering slotting the hole in the back of the tail lamp.
The original back up lamps will not even fit into the hole. The hole in the box is to small and seems to be at an angle. I didn't have time to check it out really well. I was going to get my replacement back-up housing and see how they fit before I get carried away on them. The back up light is just setting in the housing about as far as I could get it in the picture. Learn from my faux pas.

Rick

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

subscribed

Re: Got a bed kit today and assembly tips would help
 

Accelo, I checked my backup and taillight openings and I didn't have the same issue you are having. The holes in mine were good and I should be ok. The only issue I did have was the backup light bucket opening was tight in the bottom corners. I did open them up a little with the body hammer but I will need to tape them during assembly to make I don't chip them.

I also installed the LH wheel well. The wheel well is from Auto Metal Direct and is 0.052" thick. Fitup was good once I put the wheel well to bedside bolts on first and snugged them up. THEN I installed the wheel well to bed bolts. For the bed bolts I put them in at what ever angle they went in at. I then did the two corner ones first just to pull the wheel well down far enough so that I could get the two flat washers, lock washer and nut on all the other bolts. I then started in the center running the bolts down starting the center and working my way out. The only two holes that did not align up were in the two corners where you go though three layers of steel. Once I opened up those holes a bit everything was fine. The bedside to bed was good with no major tweaking.
NOTE: This is a two person if not a three person.

Next up, figure out my fuel filler routing and placement and the RH bedside.:metal::metal: