06 Ford F-550 modification and fabrication.

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Well,The next job on the list.This truck came from the same RB auction that we got our 99 GMC.Truck has a 7' cab to axle, and the frame is 11'....Planning on a 12' steel bed, no dump, with a gooseneck hitch, and a bumper hitch.Also planning on building bed from scratch.Tubing, channel and diamond plate.I'd like some opinions and advice on that too.Gonna be step by step build.With pics too
Reply:One of quite a few....
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Reply:ignore the last pic.I cant get rid of it.
Reply:I can if you wish......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Can't get rid of the picture because it is attached to the other one and all I can do is delete the whole post and you can do it again......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Have you got the fifth and sixth rib over the rear tandems or are they just inside the inner edge of the inside tire. If you keep them inside the inner edge of the inside tire and join the ends to the full length bunk on either end it'll give you more wheel travel. That's the way I do 'em, it'll allow you to make your deck a bit lower and still give you all kinds of wheel travel.I usually use 4" channel for the main rails and 3" channel for the bunks, either 4" channel or 2 x 4 angle for the perimeter so I don't have to be so particular about the cutting of the deck plates. I put the deck plate on first then lay the top leg of the 4" channel  or the 2" leg of the angle on top of the deck plate. Screen shot attached to explain what I mean (the side view is upside down, a Homer moment)There's no right or wrong way, just different ways :-)...Mike
Reply:Keep that picture guys, it helps me think about delicious meat!I could grab some pics this weekend, if possible, of my uncles F550. His 11 foot flat bed is really nice.It could give you some ideas.
Reply:Why do you stand the bunks on end?What's wrong with laying them flat, with the legs pointing down?Yeah,The bunks, will be behind and in front of the rear tire.
Reply:Originally Posted by Canadian WeldingKeep that picture guys, it helps me think about delicious meat!I could grab some pics this weekend, if possible, of my uncles F550. His 11 foot flat bed is really nice.It could give you some ideas.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterCan't get rid of the picture because it is attached to the other one and all I can do is delete the whole post and you can do it again......zap!
Reply:Originally Posted by AKweldshopPlease do.Lately I've been looking under a lot of trucks.
Reply:Originally Posted by Canadian WeldingYou mind sharing the magic number you payed for that truck? Looks in good shape.
Reply:When you asked about the bunks facing down are you talking about the C channel. Normally you stand it up for more support. I would suggest turning the flanges away from the tires to help with the buildup of dirt, ice and snow which will hang in there and eventually rot it away. For the gooseneck ball you may want to frame the center in a little more.
Reply:Originally Posted by M J DWhen you asked about the bunks facing down are you talking about the C channel. Normally you stand it up for more support. I would suggest turning the flanges away from the tires to help with the buildup of dirt, ice and snow which will hang in there and eventually rot it away. For the gooseneck ball you may want to frame the center in a little more.
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Reply:That didn't make much sense.Ignore it.Is it frowned upon to lay your channel facing down flat?
Reply:I'm not an engineer but if I was to guess the deflection would be less than half as much as to how its turned.
Reply:It is stronger on edge like [.ECAVE Still learnin'Lincoln AC225Lincoln 135SPHF ChopsawVictor O/ANumerous other items
Reply:Originally Posted by ECAVEIt is stronger on edge like [.
Reply:Will the world end if I lay them down flat??
Reply:If you lay it flat you will likely find that you need bigger channel. Standing up it is way stronger. Like a beam and the flat edge is the web.GravelThe difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference.
Reply:Originally Posted by GravelIf you lay it flat you will likely find that you need bigger channel. Standing up it is way stronger. Like a beam and the flat edge is the web.
Reply:What lb/ft were you going to use in 3"?If you are going to lay it or 4" on its side and this bed will see any kind of heavy load I strongly suggest going to the heaviest of whatever size you use. I agree with you that it looks better laying flat, but it just isn't designed to be strong that way.Check out this link and think about it for a while. Consider how much weight you will be adding.http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/am...ls-d_1321.htmlGravelThe difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference.
Reply:FWIW, Ive built a bunch of flatbeds. From shortbox pickups to 24' hay haulers on a Peterbilt. I prefer to use appropriate sized rectangular tubing over channel, 4 flat sides help when you have to add a gooseneck box,etc. About the only channel I use is on the rear crosspiece for light protection or the siderails if the customer prefers. The tube construction doesn't collect mud or ice and gives you a place to hide and protect the wiring too. Wish I had some pics to show.Nice looking truck. Just hope it's not one of those 6 point ooooooh PoSDs. The 06's and 7's were supposedly the worst years, if you believe the internet.Ranger 250 GXTSmith Gas Axe
Reply:Originally Posted by 12V71FWIW, Ive built a bunch of flatbeds. From shortbox pickups to 24' hay haulers on a Peterbilt. I prefer to use appropriate sized rectangular tubing over channel, 4 flat sides help when you have to add a gooseneck box,etc. About the only channel I use is on the rear crosspiece for light protection or the siderails if the customer prefers. The tube construction doesn't collect mud or ice and gives you a place to hide and protect the wiring too. Wish I had some pics to show.
Reply:Originally Posted by MrLeadManNice looking truck. Just hope it's not one of those 6 point ooooooh PoSDs. The 06's and 7's were supposedly the worst years, if you believe the internet.
Reply:Plan on a high psi oil pump, oil cooler, and injectors before long. Hope it wasn't a high idle time truck in its former life.
Reply:Originally Posted by AKweldshopSo if I use 2"x 3" tubing for the main rails, what tubing would you recommend for going in place of the channel??
Reply:Originally Posted by ArcBurntPlan on a high psi oil pump, oil cooler, and injectors before long. Hope it wasn't a high idle time truck in its former life.
Reply:Originally Posted by 12V71A bunch depends on the customers intended use of the bed. Ive used as small as 1.5x3" deck support crossmembers on 2x3" main rails. I usually stick with a minimum 3/16" wall. I have used .120 on light duty stuff.
Reply:Originally Posted by 12V71A bunch depends on the customers intended use of the bed. Ive used as small as 1.5x3" deck support crossmembers on 2x3" main rails. I usually stick with a minimum 3/16" wall. I have used .120 on light duty stuff.
Reply:Well, of the three people I know personally who owned one all three of them had to have turbos replaced. I know one of them had to have the EGR delete done after a major oil in coolant/coolant in oil situation. As far as I know none of those guys own Ford diesels now. Another guy I know works out of one and has had injector issues, but not as serious as what I have read about on diesel forums. I'm terrified of any Ford diesel after everything I've heard/read about the 6.0 and the 6.4 powerstrokes.Ranger 250 GXTSmith Gas Axe
Reply:I'm so ready to do a 5.9 Cummins swap in my 6.0. In theory you should be able to take your milage and divide it by the hours on your hour meter to give you its average mph while running. Anything under 45 mph is high idle time. I have a little over 140k on my 06 and have done injectors, glow plugs, ficm, hoop, and oil cooler. Good luck on your project.
Reply:Originally Posted by AKweldshopI'm thinking 1/4 wall on the main rails, and prolly just gonna put channel....
Reply:Originally Posted by ArcBurntI'm so ready to do a 5.9 Cummins swap in my 6.0. In theory you should be able to take your milage and divide it by the hours on your hour meter to give you its average mph while running. Anything under 45 mph is high idle time. I have a little over 140k on my 06 and have done injectors, glow plugs, ficm, hoop, and oil cooler. Good luck on your project.
Reply:So,Now to attach my main frame rails to the truck frame.Thinking of having 1/2" by 6" flat bar, bolted to the outside of the frame, sticking up 3", and welding directly to the bed rails.Make any sense??
Reply:Originally Posted by AKweldshopSo,Now to attach my main frame rails to the truck frame.Thinking of having 1/2" by 6" flat bar, bolted to the outside of the frame, sticking up 3", and welding directly to the bed rails.Make any sense??
Reply:Do yourself a favor and plan on doing head studs and EGR delete.  The high amount of time idling you will probably have to change injectors someday soon, and wouldn't be a bad idea to have a new FICM on hand.  My 6.0 never ran right but still had plenty of power.  The body I had was all beat up and I lived in an apartment with no plug ins so putting the money into fixing the factory problems of the motor wasn't worth it to me, I went to a V-10.  Now in hindsight I wish I would've kept it and put the money in.
Reply:The tube construction doesn't collect mud or ice and gives you a place to hide and protect the wiring too.
Reply:With the 6.0, just plan on a rebuild, put it in the budget from the beginning that way when it happens....not if.... but when it does, you have the jingle set aside, build it bullet proof and your good to go. One of the biggest mistakes I see boys doing around here is putting tuners and turning them up, next thing you know they bite the dust. They aint very reliable with normal use let alone hopping them up.My opinion on the C channel versus tubing..... I'm with mike on this one. I have seen more tubing that rots from water getting in them. I would use the C channel.Quality work is never Cheap, and Cheap work is never Quality!!If it's broke, and you're not, we can fix it!!  Lincoln Idealarc sp200Century 230amp ac/dcSmith O/A TorchesHuth Hyd. Pipe Benderother misc "cool" tools
Reply:I would think hard before using tubing on a truck bed. Trucks twist a lot and tubing doesn't like that. If you go with tube make sure it's thick enough not to rust out soon. Tubes gather moisture inside and by the looks of the truck frame your in the salt belt so wet salty solution inside of tubing is also asking for trouble. As far as the 6.0 fords go it is my understanding that the aftermarket guys have got some good solutions to the problems, it just costs $. At the age of yours and since it idled a lot it may already have the updates.Yeah, I know, but it'll be ok!Lincoln Square wave 255Miller Vintage mig30a spoolgunThermal Dynamics Pacmaster 100xl plasmaSmith mc torchEllis 1600 band saw
Reply:Nice project!We have only used wood beds for the last 40+ years. I have been tossing around the idea of a metal bed on the next truck.
Reply:Interesting read so far.AK......place a piece of channel flat between two supports out near the ends, then step on the middle of the flat channel.  Next, lay the channel upright on the same two supports, then step in the middle of the properly oriented channel.  Question answered.And if the channel is placed flat it becomes a bit more difficult to weld the deck without having it weird out on you at the seams where they cross the channel.Tubing..........Tubing sucks for moisture retention.  It'll either rust, or in severe cases....split if the trapped water forms ice that can break the walls.  As far as twisting goes......TUBING LOVES TWISTY MOTIONS (despite advice from those ignorant of shapes used in fabrication)  It loves it so much that it will try to prevent the truck frame from twisting as it should if the bed is solidly mounted.  TUBING 101:  Nothing, outside of round tubing, resists torque like square tubing.  So..........if you want the bed to flex WITH the truck......use channel, there's a reason it's popular with truck body builders.  And it doesn't retain moisture.  BODY BUILDING 101:  Always use OPEN structural shapes where possible.When building a body, never attach the mounts prior to fitting the body to the truck.  BUILD FROM THE TRUCK OUT.  First drill the frame, then attach your mounting straps with the bolts you intend to use, then lower the body frame onto the truck frame, then weld the straps to the body frame.  This will insure a proper fit.  To make allowance for pulling the body off later for servicing the truck components, you can shim each strap with 12ga or slightly thicker material between strap, and truck frame, to provide some clearance.  Remove the shims after welding, and you have a nice slip fit.  The torque from the mounting bolts will take up any slack when the bed is final mounted, and the slack is so slight that it will not cause the bed to pull off center if you tighten the bolts on both sides in sequence.  Edit:  You can fit it all up tight, but expect to have to beat the straps out a bit when remounting the bed, if this is acceptable, go with it, it does make for the "perfect" fit.Although I like to place a filler pad(steel) between the truck frame, and the body longitudinals, directly opposite the gooseneck hitch box, it's not an absolute must-do.  You'd be surprised how much channel, when oriented properly, will hold.Another rule of thumb.......the front mounts should flex, while the rear mounts can be rigid.  The greatest flex occurs behind the cab, so you only really want one set of mounts here, another just ahead of the gooseneck box, another just behind the gooseneck box, and one at the rear.  The greatest space between mounts should be between front and intermediary mounts, this allows the body to flex where the truck frame wants to flex.Rigid bodies kill truck frames, and tend to tear themselves apart over time.  Keep it flexible to some degree.Last edited by farmersamm; 08-20-2014 at 09:38 AM.Reason: additional options for fitting bed to truck"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammInteresting read so far.AK......place a piece of channel flat between two supports out near the ends, then step on the middle of the flat channel.  Next, lay the channel upright on the same two supports, then step in the middle of the properly oriented channel.  Question answered.And if the channel is placed flat it becomes a bit more difficult to weld the deck without having it weird out on you at the seams where they cross the channel.Tubing..........Tubing sucks for moisture retention.  It'll either rust, or in severe cases....split if the trapped water forms ice that can break the walls.  As far as twisting goes......TUBING LOVES TWISTY MOTIONS (despite advice from those ignorant of shapes used in fabrication)  It loves it so much that it will try to prevent the truck frame from twisting as it should if the bed is solidly mounted.  TUBING 101:  Nothing, outside of round tubing, resists torque like square tubing.  So..........if you want the bed to flex WITH the truck......use channel, there's a reason it's popular with truck body builders.  And it doesn't retain moisture.  BODY BUILDING 101:  Always use OPEN structural shapes where possible.When building a body, never attach the mounts prior to fitting the body to the truck.  BUILD FROM THE TRUCK OUT.  First drill the frame, then attach your mounting straps with the bolts you intend to use, then lower the body frame onto the truck frame, then weld the straps to the body frame.  This will insure a proper fit.  To make allowance for pulling the body off later for servicing the truck components, you can shim each strap with 12ga or slightly thicker material between strap, and truck frame, to provide some clearance.  Remove the shims after welding, and you have a nice slip fit.  The torque from the mounting bolts will take up any slack when the bed is final mounted, and the slack is so slight that it will not cause the bed to pull off center if you tighten the bolts on both sides in sequence.  Edit:  You can fit it all up tight, but expect to have to beat the straps out a bit when remounting the bed, if this is acceptable, go with it, it does make for the "perfect" fit.Although I like to place a filler pad(steel) between the truck frame, and the body longitudinals, directly opposite the gooseneck hitch box, it's not an absolute must-do.  You'd be surprised how much channel, when oriented properly, will hold.Another rule of thumb.......the front mounts should flex, while the rear mounts can be rigid.  The greatest flex occurs behind the cab, so you only really want one set of mounts here, another just ahead of the gooseneck box, another just behind the gooseneck box, and one at the rear.  The greatest space between mounts should be between front and intermediary mounts, this allows the body to flex where the truck frame wants to flex.Rigid bodies kill truck frames, and tend to tear themselves apart over time.  Keep it flexible to some degree.
Reply:Originally Posted by welderjI would think hard before using tubing on a truck bed. Trucks twist a lot and tubing doesn't like that. If you go with tube make sure it's thick enough not to rust out soon. Tubes gather moisture inside and by the looks of the truck frame your in the salt belt so wet salty solution inside of tubing is also asking for trouble. As far as the 6.0 fords go it is my understanding that the aftermarket guys have got some good solutions to the problems, it just costs $. At the age of yours and since it idled a lot it may already have the updates.
Reply:Originally Posted by AKweldshopThinking 2"x3" 1/4" wall tubing for main rails, 12' longs.Terrible??
Reply:Originally Posted by welderjCapping would be worse than open end in my opinion.  If you cap it the chances of it being air tight are slim and if not moisture will get in and stay in. Could be enough to split it, surely contribute to rust. Open ends would  let the moisture out at least. Add to that tube tries to stay rigid. With that little tube it won't be able to stop the truck from twisting so cracking of the tube from fatigue is probable over time. I really don't recomend tube in this situation. On a trailer with a 3 point stance it works ok since it can overcome the force trying to twist easier. The 4 point stance of a truck requires that the frame can twist or breakage is likely. Why do you want to use tube?
Reply:Originally Posted by AKweldshopIts conveinent.What would you use??