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Central East River South Dakota | Hey all, well I would like to install a flatbed on our 2000 F250 supercab SRW 4x4. The pickup is well used and the box is banged up 6 ways from sunday. The Cab is fine, but the box has several dents, no endgate and most recently the taillights got smashed. I can get a PJ flatbed for $1800 and a Bradford for $2095. Just simple no frills, flatbeds. The one place with the Bradford installs for $650 and the PJ guy thought the local shop charged $450. How difficult is it to do it yourself? I will not brag about our shop skills but we get by with little help and I certainly am not afraid of doing it, but want to know what I am getting into. Saw from searching there are several ways of securing it to the rails, what do you guys think is the best way? Thanks. |
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Texas/New Mexico Stateline | It's not too bad. I'd sure do it for somebody at those prices. If a guy is halfway decent with welding and cutting just cut some 1/2 plate and drill holes where it will bolt to the frame. Bolt them up and use a hoist to put the bed where you want it, then weld the plates to the new bed. That way you can just unbolt it to take it off.
Measure 3 times and weld/drill/cut once. |
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| Ford bed bolts are a PITA to get out, our body shop useally have to grind the heads off. Not a big deal if you aren't going to save the bed.
INDY |
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Prairie of Southern MN | I just went through this process. Many suggest maintaining a gap between the frame rails and the flatbed rails to allow for a certain amount of frame twist like the factory box would. I welded 3 1-inch tall pieces of steel spaced along each frame rail to achieve the gap, and then did exactly as milofarmer suggests with the pieces of half inch plate to actually attach the bed. It turned out great. I've heard newer pickups have heat treated frames, making the welding I did a bad idea, but I figured on a '95 Dodge I should be okay.
I actually had the biggest headache with the fuel filler neck. My old one was rusty, and I damaged it getting the pickup box off, so I purchased a new one. It was no where even close to working with the flatbed. I ended up using fuel hose, and cutting off both ends of the new filler neck to splice in - one end to keep the part where the fuel cap screws in, and the other end to keep the little plastic ball valve that prevents fuel from washing back up out of the tank.
Another modification was mud flaps. Even dually flaps were not long enough to hang from the flatbed - would have still been a foot off the ground. I could have got some mud flap brackets, but I didn't like the gap that would leave on the top between the bottom of the bed and the bracket, not to mention drilling another set of holes in the frame. So, I purchased a set of semi mud flaps, and trimmed them down to the right width - my truck is just a single wheel. They also turned out great, and could be hung from the bed itself and ride at a nice 4-5 inches off the ground.
Good luck with whatever you decide. I really like having the flatbed in general - hooking up goose neck trailers is a piece of cake! |
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| Not a hard job, have done several the way already explained. Do pay attention to getting the wires sealed and tied up well. |
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SW SD | We've installed 5 flatbeds so far this year. We used tubing to run across the bed frame and drill through it and bolt it to the same towers that hold the box on. The size of the tubing depends on how high the individual wants the bed. Weld the frame of the bed to the tubing. You could probably be done in 4 hours. Filler necks and wiring will consume some time. |
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| I put a new one on my 06 dodge,,, The shop where I bought it wanted to weld the weld on,, I didn't like that idea so I bolted it on myself. |
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NC KS | I agree on the tubing. First one takes longer than you think. I am not a anal type but I did want it centered, parallel with cab back. That takes some measuring and different size tubing front and back. I put a bradford on an 01 Ford. |
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W.C. Mo. | Check with you insurance after putting on a flatbed. My insurance was reduced after taking off the standard bed even though I was only carrying liability on the old truck. |
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MN | Just built one for my '06 F350. Secured this one to the bed with 3-1/4" plates, and 1-1/2" plate by the gooseneck crossmember to the frame on each side.
For $450 I'd drop it on myself. takes a couple people to guide it into place.
Edited by btruck 4/17/2014 06:49
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 IMG_20140410_115642_355-2.jpg (93KB - 647 downloads)
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North Eastern Maryland | Here is one that we put on.
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DSC02681.JPG (61KB - 701 downloads)
DSC02684.JPG (75KB - 647 downloads)
DSC02680.jpg (70KB - 591 downloads)
DSC02682.jpg (69KB - 615 downloads)
DSC02683.jpg (69KB - 595 downloads)
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installing a flatbed on a pickup, do it ourselves?
