Pick up bed bow

DanMcG

DanMcG

Promoted Users
Everyone's seen it, that old pick up bed floor that has been stretched over the years between the bed supports. I was going to leave it and toss a rubber mat over it, but now that I can't paint it due to winter coming I thought I'd try to fix it some.
Anyone have thoughts on straightening it? I figured some sort of large hammer and dolly? The sides are off of it so I can lay upside down and I can beat the bows down which sounds right to me. But what do ya think?
Thanks, Dan

bed bow.JPG
 
If you can flip it and bump those areas up that would be a start. Hard to tell you exactly what to do. Try bumping it up and see how it looks. Use a 12" or longer 2x4 and spread the blows with that. Start with lighter hits and work up your blows from there. Don't clobber it or it will do as Don says. Use a big hammer, possibly a sledge. Heavy hammers make light work. Be prepared to enter a black hole when trying to repair a bed floor. The last one I did, a 72 Chevy I had over 250 hours in straightening/ bodywork on the bed floor and it wasn't as bad as yours.
 
That would work well MJM if he had the bed fixed to something. I think he has the bed sides unbolted and the bed floor loose and off the frame. If he could hold it down your method would be an good option.
 
dhutton01 said:
I apply slow steady pressure with my front end loader to straighten things like that. Beating on it with a hammer will most likely just dent it imho.

Don
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I guess I forget to add that I'd be hammering on a block like Chris and MJM mentioned. either a 4x4 or a chunk of 2x3x0.25 steel. Or maybe you could let me borrow you loader? Thanks guys, I'll give it a try
 
Chris_Hamilton said:
That would work well MJM if he had the bed fixed to something. I think he has the bed sides unbolted and the bed floor loose and off the frame. If he could hold it down your method would be an good option.
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Yes thats exactly what I got Chris.
 
Oh well if the bed is not secured, it won’t work. I'll delete my reply.
 
Chris_Hamilton said:
Be prepared to enter a black hole when trying to repair a bed floor. The last one I did, a 72 Chevy I had over 250 hours in straightening/ bodywork on the bed floor and it wasn't as bad as yours.
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I can offer a witness to that! I did my el Camino bed earlier this year and it took a lot of time. I didn't track the hours as it would have been too ridiculous to contemplate.

Here is round 3 of filler, yellow tape indicates where more filler is needed. And it took a few more rounds after that . . .

bed filler round 3.jpg


This might be helpful. I found that standard sanding blocks wouldn't fit down in the valleys between the ribs, and there are the angles on the ribs that were a challenge.
I did a little woodworking and made some custom blocks to fit:

bed sanding block 1.jpg




bed sanding block 2.jpg


And, cut a filler spreader to make things easier

bed filler spreader.jpg


In the end it was worth it.
Here it is finished in Raptor bed liner. Happy with how it came out.
Hope that offers some encouragement and helpful tips.
Good luck!

Bed with Raptor.jpg
 
You have a shrinking disk?
Problem is the metal is stretched and even if you get it back up,won't ever be 'flat again without shrinking it.
Old school was a shrinking hammer and dolly but I got a disk long ago that works miracles.
I'm sure some member like metalman can enlighten you about this or the metal working sites or here if anyone is around.
Once you get it back up.
 
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Mike how were you able to shrink anything with a "shrinking" hammer? :) Those things were junk IMO. A oxy-acetylene torch is the best shrinking tool there is. Second would be a shrinking tip on a stud welder.
If it is stretched it will be at the point of contact with whatever deformed it. It won't be along the whole. I've got a shrinking disc and used it a few times and tossed it aside. Noisy as hell, and hard on the metal. Yes it is an option but there are better ways that don't require quenching the steel which will make it more brittle. The ridges on a bed will make it harder to use one as well. If you wanted to try the shrinking disc method a phenolic backing pad on a 5" grinder will do all the stainless steel does and not mar the metal.
Personally I love the torch and the stud welder tip. You can heat an area and then tap (light light blows) it with a body hammer. No quenching needed. Heat tip on the stud welder will shrink in much the same way. Let it cool naturally and your are good to go. I learned a long time ago from guys smarter than me never to quench steel as it will make it more brittle and harder to work. Too much quenching can actually cause steel to crack sown the road from vibration and stress.
We've talked about this alot in the past so do a search if you want to learn more about shrinking do's and don't's. Robert (MP&C) has gone into a lot of detail in the past about this. Kent White (Tinman Technologies) has a great video on shrinking.
 
crashtech said:
I would want to jury rig some kind of fixture so that I could use a porto-power on it. Perhaps partially re-attaching it to the truck would allow the use of a jack and a 2x4 with a shaped end to push the bows out.
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I would assemble the bed and bedsides and flip it over and Jerry Rig ;) some crossmembers to use the porta power on. Or maybe push down from a strong beam in the shop.

Don
 
Thanks for all the ideas guys, I'll see what I can do with what I have. In the end it will be a driver but it's still worth trying to improve it.
 
crashtech said:
I would want to jury rig some kind of fixture so that I could use a porto-power on it. Perhaps partially re-attaching it to the truck would allow the use of a jack and a 2x4 with a shaped end to push the bows out.
Click to expand...
had to do similar YEARS ago. set the bed on the frame- back raised a bit. used a 4" ratchet strap around bed and frame up front to hold it in place. its been a bit but i recall bracing up the bed up front somehow so we didnt end up with more work.
we had to spend some time adjusting and remaking blocking on the frame.
then applied pressure at the tailgate end. we did a few different things for that.
the weight of a 440 mopar on a pallet and 2- 24 year olds about 3/4 through a case of beer did the trick.
 
Why I'm here Chris, lot has changed in 12 years.
I am hesitant about offering a torch for repairs because of the skill necessary for sheet metal working.
A Rosebud is a wonderful tool but unless your well versed with one,like with Electricity, best leave it alone.
Appears Dan has an idea what he wants and a BAH with some timbers with backing dollys should get the intended results.
 
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