flatbed

admin

trying to build a flat bed for my 1999 dodge dulley  pickup  it is the 3500 disel with a 5.9 cumming in it ,get it day after christmas. gave $12000.00 for it .it had over  111,000 miles on it  it is in real good shape. i would like to build a bed 8ft wide and 10 ft long all steel ,trying to find blue prints but guest i just have to make one my self , does anyone have any ideals on it ,if so let me know
Reply:If you use the search feature you'll find all kinds of pic's of different beds that guy's have built. "Every choice you make will effect at least one other person"
Reply:This is a personal preference; On a smaller truck, if the 8' width isn't absolutely necessary, I like a body that's a few inches narrower. It's nice not to have the "stick-out" and the mirrors are a lot easier to see out of.
Reply:Actually for flat beds I like the wood decks my self.   You should end up with something that is stiffer, lighter and less slippery.   You can also nail or screw things down for quick temporary solutions.As someone else has mentioned narrower is better in this case.
Reply:Most flatbeds are 94 inches wide that will leave about 6 to 8 inches sticking out on each side I am like the others and like mine not much wider than the cab for visibility and better fuel economy. I use 4 inch channel iron to run on top of frame with 1 1/2 inch spacers for mount. Then I build frame out of 3 inch channel and cross member set around 18 inches and 3/16 plate. Hope this helps just my 2 cents worthChad Ware
Reply:I'm re-mounting an 11' flatbed on a 3500 Ram right now.  In order to get tire clearance with a full load, I have to use 8" channel on the front 5'/  then 4" channel on the rear 6'.  1/4"X 4" straps run down to the frame for mounts.  Don't forget to put gussets between the long members and the crossmembers----things can (and will) fall over slonchwise without them.
Reply:yup be careful with wichever design you choose. The guy that built my oroginal bed built a bed box right... so in order for him to fit this box over the axle he decided to cut out the factory cross piece for the rear support. DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE!!!!! please any thing that comes there from the factory is for a reason! i ended up spending about 5 solid days cutting the back of the bed apart and straightnening the frame rails and reinforcing the crap out of it because with the crap i put that truck through the frame rails started basically twisting and ened up tearing my drivers side rear shackle and i ended up doing alot of work to get it back right. now it works great but also another thing with custom beds. Take into consideration every factory part and how it is designed to be  replaced like ex. shocks, leaf springs, fuel tank and filler neck, and the list goes on and on. If you can look at a welders bed who has been welding for awhile and built a few, but even then you can go wrong because the guy that had my truck was like 65  years old and had been welding out of a truck for like 30 years plus and still messed up! Just take lots of time with your decision and be sure to make it removable just like a factory bed. so in otherwords DONT WELD ON YOUR FRAME! that just starts a whole nother list of problems. Just take your time find what you like and dont like and be 10000000% sure that its just how you want it because most of the time after its painted and pretty you will never change something that you didnt like. Hope this is helpful because im considering building beds on the side for welding purposes so let me know if there is anything big i missed. Thanks for your time Frazier2001 dodge 3500 with custom bed, 1995 miller 44dlx welder and all the equipment any welder needs! Soon to come a Miller pipe pro 304 with a 12rc feeder!
Reply:For a young punk kid, Buggy Builder sure seems to have his head screwed on straight. I'd listen to him. As a class A CDL driver I'm used to the body being the same width as the cab. This makes for much nicer rear views!
Reply:thanks man i appreciate that. I just try to pay attention and also the whole problem i had with my truck was a very valuable learning eperience. Also i was gunna add in one more thing. Build your bed for what your gunna do. or maybe a multipurpose bed like me. ex. my bed was very short when i got it but after all those problems i also extended it 12" and i like it alot more because i can fab on the back of it now instead of on the ground. I used to haul lots of crap so i also have a gooseneck hitch and also like plant fabricators tend to turn lots of flanges so they usually have flange turners built into their design. also if you use lots of lead you might wanna build a box to roll them up into loosly because alot of lead wrapped up tight willl cause lots of kinks and can cause breakage internally over use. One last thing is if you will be pipelining build a cool pivot bar! Ive never seen many cool pivot bars for the leads to hang on and id like to see some neat ones!2001 dodge 3500 with custom bed, 1995 miller 44dlx welder and all the equipment any welder needs! Soon to come a Miller pipe pro 304 with a 12rc feeder!
Reply:ps the pic i took is right after i was done doing all my repairs on the bed and frame.2001 dodge 3500 with custom bed, 1995 miller 44dlx welder and all the equipment any welder needs! Soon to come a Miller pipe pro 304 with a 12rc feeder!
Reply:this is the truck i am going to put the bed on thanks a lot for the input from youall, you are right on one thing and that is make sure befor you start to build and i will .that is why i like for input from you all, i am steal trying to draw the blueprint up i have a few ideals on what i like so i will post them later.again thanks youall Attached Images
Reply:You  should be able to get a decent price for the bed you are taking off.
Reply:hey is your truck a 5 speeder or a 6? and how do u like it so far?2001 dodge 3500 with custom bed, 1995 miller 44dlx welder and all the equipment any welder needs! Soon to come a Miller pipe pro 304 with a 12rc feeder!
Reply:i love it, it is a 3 speed automatic with over drive it is loaded with power on just about every thing the granddaugthers love it too, one is 3 the other is 6 mounths old and the wife like it too . i hope to get just about the cost for the steel for the new bed.guest i can put it on ebay
Reply:Hoo, hoo, hoowee!       We've got a customer who could have used a good bed!Oh wait, Chevy...nevermind!    I dropped off my own truck at State Frame, a local frame shop today. This old sucker's had a gimp in it since I got it. You can see the service bed dip in the right rear corner when you look at it from the back. Plus, it has a dimple right in the middle of the passenger frame rail, probably from a hydraulic jack. I'll post later when I hear back from the frame experts.Last edited by tanglediver; 01-24-2008 at 11:48 PM.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:I priced out a full bed with boxes on the top and bottom and it was going to cast around $750 for materials. This is 1/8 smooth top, 1/4"X4" c-channel for the under cariage, some 1/8" plate for the rear, 1/4"X 4" c-channel for the bumper, 2"x2" square tubing and expanded metal for the headache rack and 12 gauge sheet for the boxes. 8'X9' bed
Reply:well i went to price the materials today  will cost about 1000.00 for bed and that is 8x10  with out tool boxs right now. 3/16 plate will cost 166.83 apeice it will take 2 of them 4x10 but that is better that buying one all ready make  cuts is in half .we only have one place that you can buy steel there.and i think that the cost is more then anywhere else.i hope to do a lot of it at school.
Reply:haha nice man im diggin it so far? do you have any wild ideas for the headache rack? are you gunna put any light or stuff in it?2001 dodge 3500 with custom bed, 1995 miller 44dlx welder and all the equipment any welder needs! Soon to come a Miller pipe pro 304 with a 12rc feeder!
Reply:Originally Posted by buggy_builderhaha nice man im diggin it so far? do you have any wild ideas for the headache rack? are you gunna put any light or stuff in it?
Reply:This is my 1971 Chevy C-30 . I built this bed using 2x4x3/16 rec.tubing. The bed is 10Lx8W. The bed is pretty basic construction.I added a 5 ton hoist. I use this in my lawn business. I mount a leaf vac to the rear using a swing away type hitch to move the vac to the side for dumping. The truck has a 350 four barrel with a 400 turbo trans. Attached Images
Reply:what do youall thank about this headack rack , do i need to change anything about it  befor  i build it Attached Images
Reply:will i toke the test yesterday and pass the visible they toke my 6ins pipe to be x-ray and know something Monday about that. i am hopping for the best just have to wait and see . it toke me 3 1/2 hours to do the test. that was a long time. he would come by to see the pipe as i welding  that was hard for me. i do not like people looking over my back when i am trying to do something .that is just the way i am. i have to try to get over that i guest.
Reply:Originally Posted by hbswansonwill i toke the test yesterday and pass the visible they toke my 6ins pipe to be x-ray and know something Monday about that. i am hopping for the best just have to wait and see . it toke me 3 1/2 hours to do the test. that was a long time. he would come by to see the pipe as i welding  that was hard for me. i do not like people looking over my back when i am trying to do something .that is just the way i am. i have to try to get over that i guest.
Reply:Originally Posted by wizard69Actually for flat beds I like the wood decks my self.   You should end up with something that is stiffer, lighter and less slippery.   You can also nail or screw things down for quick temporary solutions.As someone else has mentioned narrower is better in this case.
Reply:I've had good luck with a trailer rig this is my personal one since this pic was taken I have added 2 large on site boxes to it.. Plus built a under the floor box to hide all my leads so no five finger freddies can steel my leads Attached ImagesWELD IT RIGHT OR GO HOME!!!here are some pics man!!!http://www.atecdiversified.com/page35.htmlBurning Rods and Building Custom Truck [email protected]