Fixing splayed out bed sides and adding a newer tailgate...

[LOGANSTANFORTH]

You can see from the pictures the top has splayed out from where it should be and all the factory welds and seams are cracked, I am going to ratchet strap it back to where it should be then reweld all the factory seams and use some flat plate and bend it to fit the body in multiple ways then plug weld it to the body along with vertical gussets in the corners

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Before...

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This is how I am going to fix it...Red will be the flat plate, green dots are the plug welds into the body, green lines are welds on the plate, orange lines are fixing the cracks in the body and the yellow is the gusset but it won't be that big...

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And I got another question. Can I convert the tailgate latches to the newer post style from the older loop style. The tailgate I'm installing is the newer and the bed is the older style...

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[kcw12]

You gotta ratchet it past where u want it, or it will go back out. MIne got real bad, i had to ratchet it once a week.

 

[LOGANSTANFORTH]

You gotta ratchet it past where u want it, or it will go back out. MIne got real bad, i had to ratchet it once a week.

Thats why I am plating everything...

 

[94f450sd]

what you plan on doing sounds good and all but is way overkill.bringin the plate as high as you plan aint doin anything but creating more work.suck the sides in with a strap a little more than needed,weld the cracks and weld a piece of angle iron in the corners.

 

[Diesel_brad]

what you plan on doing sounds good and all but is way overkill.bringin the plate as high as you plan aint doin anything but creating more work.suck the sides in with a strap a little more than needed,weld the cracks and weld a piece of angle iron in the corners.

^^^What he said^^

 

[kcw12]

Thats why I am plating everything...

I never rewelded mine, and that bed got abuse quiet regularly

 

[snicklas]

Agreed with above....

We had a 73 F-250 that we carried an IH Cub Cadet around in the bed. 1000lb tractor, with ramps would let the tailgate all the way down, hook the ramps on the t-gate at the bed and drove it up. Made the tailgate a nice C shape after several years. We had the same bedside issue. Dad had found in the garage from something.... 4 L Shaped brackets that were about 2" wide, each side of the L was ~5" tall and was made from probably 1/4" plate. There were 2 holes in each side of the L already in the bracket, so we drilled 4 holes to match 2 in the bed floor and 2 in the side. Took a come-a-long (long enough ago to be before ratchet straps were common) and straightened the sides back up and bolted them in. Never had an issue with the bedsides again. The Tailgate was another story. Just before we traded the truck in on the 83 F-150, if you pulled too ******* the tailgate handle, you would pull the entire tailgate off the truck... That was the only truck we carried the tractor in... we bought a trailer, and still haul the same Cub Cadet on the trailer to this day.

 

[LOGANSTANFORTH]

Can I put the 84 style loop tailgate latches on a 89 tailgate? The latches on the tailgate now are made for a striker (like the truck's doors are) and I want to know if I can just but new older style loop latches and put them on the newer tailgate????

 

[Diesel_brad]

Can I put the 84 style loop tailgate latches on a 89 tailgate? The latches on the tailgate now are made for a striker (like the truck's doors are) and I want to know if I can just but new older style loop latches and put them on the newer tailgate????

Try it and let us know. I have seen older tailgates(80-86) on newer(87-97) beds, but never looked to se how thy did it

 

[sassyrel]

This is how I am going to fix it...Red will be the flat plate, green dots are the plug welds into the body, green lines are welds on the plate, orange lines are fixing the cracks in the body and the yellow is the gusset but it won't be that big...

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plate,,nice..tell yah whats going to happen..the area past the plate for the bottom,,is where its going to break out next...been there,,got a closet full..your going to need, to attach a piece to those to,,to make it rigid..serious..