!
Ok I had same problem that a lot of you are havin, can't get those damn bed bolts out that are buried in the frame. The bolts closest to the cab came out no prob with a bit of PB Blaster. I tried to heat the stubborn ones but I just melted my linex around the bolts and they were still stuck. I had to figure out a way to get more tie downs in the bed.
It took a bit of frontier ingenuity but here is what i did!
I cut a thick piece of plywood to fit the bed. It's like 50" between the bolts closeest to the cab, so I cut the width out of the 8' and notch the plywood to fit between the wheel wells. I marked and drilled the bed bolt locations. I had to remove some of the thickness of the plywood to get the bolts started, so i drilled the hole with a 2" hole saw and chiseled out about 3/8 deep, and I shimmed under the bolts to make up for the ridges in the bed. The bed bolts cranked right in and held the top of the plywood down. When I took the rubber bumpers off the bed extender, it locks in and holds the bottom edge of the plywood down. Then I installed some u bolts to tie down the spare and, cans, just make sure to set the ubolts to fall on the grooves of the bed.
And look at me! I think I just made the first plywood bed rack! Who needs a welder! We will see how she holds up to the stress of off roadin! I hope this helps anybody with the same prob. Sorry for ****** cell pics
PM me any questions.
Carpe SnoBall!!
Ok I had same problem that a lot of you are havin, can't get those damn bed bolts out that are buried in the frame. The bolts closest to the cab came out no prob with a bit of PB Blaster. I tried to heat the stubborn ones but I just melted my linex around the bolts and they were still stuck. I had to figure out a way to get more tie downs in the bed.
It took a bit of frontier ingenuity but here is what i did!
I cut a thick piece of plywood to fit the bed. It's like 50" between the bolts closeest to the cab, so I cut the width out of the 8' and notch the plywood to fit between the wheel wells. I marked and drilled the bed bolt locations. I had to remove some of the thickness of the plywood to get the bolts started, so i drilled the hole with a 2" hole saw and chiseled out about 3/8 deep, and I shimmed under the bolts to make up for the ridges in the bed. The bed bolts cranked right in and held the top of the plywood down. When I took the rubber bumpers off the bed extender, it locks in and holds the bottom edge of the plywood down. Then I installed some u bolts to tie down the spare and, cans, just make sure to set the ubolts to fall on the grooves of the bed.
And look at me! I think I just made the first plywood bed rack! Who needs a welder! We will see how she holds up to the stress of off roadin! I hope this helps anybody with the same prob. Sorry for ****** cell pics
PM me any questions.
Carpe SnoBall!!
