I thought I would post pics of my new angle iron bed rails that I made for my truck. A few people on the board asked me to when I got done.

It took me a while to make them because I kept changing/adding stuff to them.

Anyways, here are a few pics:


Side pics:
http://www.thebrandon.net/scrapbook/images/side%202%202.jpg





http://www.thebrandon.net/scrapbook/images/side%20rear%202.jpg

Closeup of corner:
http://www.thebrandon.net/scrapbook/images/rail%20corner%202.jpg




Closeup of hitch pin and receiver tube holder. The grey rod in combination with the locking hitch pin make all of it lockable. You can also see the Hi-lift Slide-n-lock tiedown rails in the picture.


http://www.thebrandon.net/scrapbook/images/hitch%20pins%20and%20receiver%202.jpg





Closeup of the front:
http://www.thebrandon.net/scrapbook/images/front%202.jpg


Here is a view of the crossbrace I added in front of the toolbox and the d-rings I added to it.

http://www.thebrandon.net/scrapbook/images/rear%20view%202.jpg

I like when are you going to fab me some! I especially like the locking hitch storage.

My friend that is some damn fine work! Most guys would have never angled the front part of the rails, near the window. Great job!

Thanks guys. I added a few more pics to it above. Sorry about the size of the pics....


02 Durabeast,
After the time I spent on mine it'll be a while! :) I'll be happy to help you make some though. As far as the locking hitch, I just didn't want someone being able to steal it or give a thief the tools to bust out the window to my truck.

swatkins,
Thanks, I thought that made it look a lot more "finished."
Thanks guys!

My friend that is some damn fine work! Most guys would have never angled the front part of the rails, near the window. Great job!

X100......Very nice workmanship...

Yet another thing you keep adding to my to do list.....I wish you would quit that already....:cool:

:joke:

Looks great

Looks good

Turned out nice.

That is a fine piece of craftsmanship. Way to go.

Wow, not what I expected when I read the thread title. That really looks good.

Another one would like to know when you'll start manufacturing these. :)

Very nice work, DHiT! Beautiful finish work! :thumb:

You used 1/4" angle? That's some extremely heavy stuff...

How did you bolt them down? Expansion plugs in the stake pockets?

You should find a way to build the hitch keeper on its own and patent it. That's an incredible idea.

You used 1/4" angle? That's some extremely heavy stuff...
It's very clever as you can scrape through line-x and bend up your average bedrail caps....


:phatyo:

It's very clever as you can scrape through line-x and bend up your average bedrail caps....

Yes, I know. Previous owner had a box on the bed, dented the bedrails THRU a set of diamond plate rail protectors. I doubt anything will dent DHiT's bedrails now.

I doubt anything will dent DHiT's bedrails now.

I have a bobcat 753 we can ramp up over the side to see if that's true. ):h

Ok...almost anything. :rolleyes:

Wow, not what I expected when I read the thread title. That really looks good.

Another one would like to know when you'll start manufacturing these. :)

Thanks. I think that shipping might be a deal killer on manufacturing these...:p:


Very nice work, DHiT! Beautiful finish work! :thumb:

You used 1/4" angle? That's some extremely heavy stuff...

How did you bolt them down? Expansion plugs in the stake pockets?

You should find a way to build the hitch keeper on its own and patent it. That's an incredible idea.

Yes, it is 3.5"x3.5" by 1/4" angle iron on the bedsides and behind the box and 3.5"x2.5" by 1/4" on the front of the bed. It was pretty heavy (I used a chain hoist to put it in).

They are bolted down via carriage head bolts through the stake pockets and then through the hole in the bottom of the stake pockets. Then I went under the truck and put on the nut, lockwasher and a large washer (to distibute the force). The holes in the steel rails where the carriage head bolts go through are square so they won't spin when tightened. Also the front carriage head bolt is countersunk into the rails and ground flat so that the toolbox would sit level. The toolbox is actually bolted to the angle rails using threaded rod that was welded to (actually through, because I drilled a hole in the rails and put the threaded rod though it, welded it on both sides, and then ground it smooth on the backside) to the rails. There is no way there was going to be any left to right movement, but to make sure there would be no front to back movement I added a lip to the angle on the front of the bed.

So, believe it or not, I did not have to drill any holes in the truck to install it. And there is foam tape under all of it so the paint under it should stay in good shape.

Another idea with the hitch holder is you can slip the rod though a chain and lock in something in the bed of the truck (ATV, etc).

that is just cool as all get out. I like it. now i want one too.

i like the piece that goes accross the front with the tie downs on it.

VERY good job - I like that you thought ahead and built neat / useful features into it. Just like it should be done. :thumb:

Ducker... You have way to much free time! That is an awesome git-up, You more talent then I can even imagine... jeez that's nice! :cool2:

Wow! That is tremendous fabrication work. You should be very proud.

Looks good :ro)

how did you prep the angle for paint to make it look so good? :cool:

Thanks guys.

torquet, I first simply primed and painted the rails but then I did not like the finish because it appeared too textured. So, I sanded it back down and sprayed it with some Duplicolor filler primer (in a spray can). Then I just sanded, reapplied the filler primer, and repeated until I got it smooth.

Then I applied a final coat of Duplicolor primer sealer, sanded with some fine grit sandpaper, cleaned them with a tack rag, and painted with John Deere Medium Black in a spray can. The spray paint from John Deere is pretty impressive. It has a really good tip on it, and if you spray it correctly you come out with a really smooth finish. I have actually waxed the rails and they look very glossy now. I need to get some pics of them after the wax job and with them clean (they were dusty in the pics I posted).