Bobbed Bed Info
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I'd been contemplating this next mod for some time, and with the addition of a few new dents in the rear bed panels and roll pan and a busted tail light, I decided the time had come to ether build a flatbed or bob the original bed. To bob the bed was kinder to my budget than the flat bed idea, so I went with bobbing the bed. If I screwed it up, then I would have no choice but to make the flatbed.

It turns out that the bed panels on '84-'88 trucks are quite straight and consistent so it is fairly easy to remove a section and then butt the two end pieces. I decided to take 16.5 inches out of the bed between the rear wheel wells and the tail lights.

I have done a little body work from time to time and a very small amount of welding, but had never done any body sheet metal welding or any major body surgery such as this before. As it turned out, the project was not too difficult and I have been pleased with the results. Time and patience, I think, are the keys to getting it to come out well.

I started by sitting and just looking at the bed trying to get a vision of what it would look like. Originally I was only going to remove 9?, which is the smallest cut I found that was done. But after taking some measurements and marking the cut marks, I was concerned that 9? might not be enough. The largest cut I found on a shortbed was 16 inches. I figured to go ahead with the largest cut because I didn?t want to cut a little and have to do the entire operation again. After some careful measuring I found that I could go a little further at 16.5?. I measured one inch from the back of the tail light housing, which landed right on the area where the side bed panel and the tail light seams came together. And that is where I decided to cut. Before starting my cuts I removed the inner bed panels.

I used a angle grinder with a cutting disk and a reciprocating saw with a fine tooth bi-metal blade to make the cuts, cutting the sides first and then the bottom of the bed. The frame and rear-most body mount help to keep the rear portion of the bed in place while the cuts are made. With the grinder cuts complete, I then had to do a little cutting where the sides meet the bottom of the bed using a reciprocating saw.





Once the rear tailgate and tail light section was removed, I measured forward 16.5 inches and made the forward cut marks. I made these cuts in the same manner as the first ones and removed the extra 16.5 inches of bed.



I brought the tail piece back up to the bed and began clamping it in place using clamps at the top rail. I thought I was going to have to put a strip of sheet metal behind the cut area however, I found that my two cut lines matched so closely, I decided to simply butt them back together and weld them. Once it was secured, I tack welded each side, moving from top to bottom. I then tack welded the bed bottom as well. Working slowly and using small tack welds at random to keep heat from building up and distorting the sheet metal.



I also cut down the side panels so they could be reinstalled in the bed.
With the welding complete, I used a small amount of body filler to smooth over the weld area, and then primed and sanded the area to prep for paint. It still looks a little rough, but I?ll do more to finish it when the weather cools down.

I also trimmed 8? from my frame.

With the trimmed bed my departure angle is now about 65 degrees.





Thanks for reading!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

very nice, I'm doing the same to mine this weekend.

I'm only cutting out 7inches though

 

very nice, found this thread while researching to do the same to my bed, good info, very nicely planned out and executed

 

I like!
Phessor

 

Appreciate the info and the pics.

Did you have to move the shackles before you cut the frame?

 

looks wickid, i was thinking of doing this mod on my 85 how long did it take you ?