2500hd truck bed

[hobbyfarm]

The bed on my 02 2500 is about done.  It has been fixed once maybe 10 years ago but is about ready for the scrap yard.  The bed sides are loose and spread at the rear causing the tail gate to fall off.  The tailgate is actually gone now.  The bed floor is thin at spots too.

My thought is find an affordable flat bed?  Any words of wisdom?  Anyone ever change rear axle out to duals?  What js involved or is it a direct bolt in replacement? 

This truck has 5 springs under it and can hold a ridiculous load without squatting much.  This is a picture from 2 years ago.  A flat bed with duals would be ideal. This truck has about 320000 miles on it but still seems solid and doesnt have much rust.  Ive had it a long time.  Maybe im off but it seems like I should keep it going at this point.

I do have 2 other beater trucks besides this one so when one goes down I can keep on going.

[Chester5732]

I would like to find one too. I should have replaced it instead of putting box sides on. 

[Shell1066]

Can't say this for the chevy's but the fords of the 90's single wheel to dual swap won't work. Frame is 1.5 inches wider on the dually's. I would check before I tried. It can be done with wheel spacers but then your putting alot more stress on the wheel studs.

[vtfireman85]

That’s a $2,000 box here! Personally, if it was me I would weld up a heavy gauge reinforcement and bolt it in there  to support and beef up the box sides and be done, at 320k it doesn’t owe you much and it’s too tired to invest heavily in. You would be out of it for less than 200 bucks and it would still be serviceable. 

[stronger800]

Patch it up….3/4” plywood and a drop in Bedliner 

[sandhiller]

Just so you know where I'm coming from, first thing I do when I bring a new pickup home is jerk the box, sell it while it has some value and put a flatbed or bale bed on 

A decent flatbed will cost more than the pickup is worth but if your going to keep driving it, who cares.

The flatbed can be moved to another pickup if and when that one goes down 

If you do the JC Whitney dually conversion, I've never seen one break but don't care for the look of a SRW rim hanging out there in space.

Which leaves swapping in a dually rear axle. But then you just as well swap out front to or you will have to carry two spares (if you carry a spare) and then there's looks again

4wd? Hard to tell on my phone. Gearing match if only swapping one axle

I have a dually box that I think is about the same year range even same color I think but am a ways away.

I have used channel and angle iron to stiffen up a weak box and it worked well. Could take a pic of you'd like. 

It's all how much $ you want to stick in it.

Shoring up that box would obviously be the cheapest 

 

[New Englander]

Why duals? Just for the look? 

[TroyDairy]

....its your truck but...

 

I would just toss in some 3/4" CDX and find a plastic bedliner since they are free.  Even a cheap flat is going to be 1000+.  And fiddling with mounting and lights for a 320000 mile 3500 truck.

[stronger800]

Hello….hello….hellooo

(yea that’s what I said)

 I have taken 2-3” angle iron.  Bolted it across the bed lower edge in the back, then came up off of it at 90 degrees and welded those up the sides of the box. To perfectly  square up the sides and keep tailgate (when equipped) tight.   The C-channel type stuff that road sign posts are bolted too, work just right for under bed supports too.  

[Alan Dinan]

15 hours ago, hobbyfarm said:

The bed on my 02 2500 is about done.  It has been fixed once maybe 10 years ago but is about ready for the scrap yard.  The bed sides are loose and spread at the rear causing the tail gate to fall off.  The tailgate is actually gone now.  The bed floor is thin at spots too.

My thought is find an affordable flat bed?  Any words of wisdom?  Anyone ever change rear axle out to duals?  What js involved or is it a direct bolt in replacement? 

This truck has 5 springs under it and can hold a ridiculous load without squatting much.  This is a picture from 2 years ago.  A flat bed with duals would be ideal. This truck has about 320000 miles on it but still seems solid and doesnt have much rust.  Ive had it a long time.  Maybe im off but it seems like I should keep it going at this point.

I do have 2 other beater trucks besides this one so when one goes down I can keep on going.

You have to get a rear end from a dually bed truck, not from a cab and chassis truck. They are a direct fit. The cab and chassis axle has wider spring perches.

[Shell1066]

5 minutes ago, Alan Dinan said:

You have to get a rear end from a dually bed truck, not from a cab and chassis truck. They are a direct fit. The cab and chassis axle has wider spring perches.

That's good to know!! Now maybe I can do my Ford.

[Alan Dinan]

4 minutes ago, Shell1066 said:

That's good to know!! Now maybe I can do my Ford.

Not sure about the Ford trucks, that’s on the chevy’s.

[hillman]

thats a lot of miles and its got rust, I would be inspecting that frame carefully before I put any money in it

I can't disagree with any advice given here, all good!

[db1486]

I'm in the same boat with my 02, except it's the 6'6" box. I have seen alot of srw trucks with decks on them and they look just fine. From the picture your box looks pretty decent yet, kinda like dads 00 was. We did what others suggested and botled in angle iron and some wide flat plate in spots and it stiffened the box right up. Mine is way beyond that, the whole back floor is cracked up, the left fender waves in the mirror going down the road lol. Tailgate has nothing left to hold it in place. The only thing holding the box together is the fifth wheel rails lol. Anyway I parked it till I can do something with it. Trying to find a used flatbed for it around here is tough or worth more than I can buy another truck. But trying to find a good used box that style is almost impossible around here too

[oleman]

16 hours ago, hobbyfarm said:

The bed on my 02 2500 is about done.  It has been fixed once maybe 10 years ago but is about ready for the scrap yard.  The bed sides are loose and spread at the rear causing the tail gate to fall off.  The tailgate is actually gone now.  The bed floor is thin at spots too.

My thought is find an affordable flat bed?  Any words of wisdom?  Anyone ever change rear axle out to duals?  What js involved or is it a direct bolt in replacement? 

This truck has 5 springs under it and can hold a ridiculous load without squatting much.  This is a picture from 2 years ago.  A flat bed with duals would be ideal. This truck has about 320000 miles on it but still seems solid and doesnt have much rust.  Ive had it a long time.  Maybe im off but it seems like I should keep it going at this point.

I do have 2 other beater trucks besides this one so when one goes down I can keep on going.

I am amazed that the thin sheet metal used in truck beds today lasts as long as the warrantee, and you attempted to use it to haul, cut and split firewood?

Find a used metal outlet for a good price on bed-metal and build up your own flatbed. But I would carefully verify the chassis is still capable. 

 

 

 

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

There are a lot of trucks with 300,000-400,000 miles here that the body is in better shape than the drive train. An aluminum flat bed would look nice I think. You will have to pay up, but it will outlast the truck. 

[stronger800]

I assumed that wood load pic, was a Older picture.

I didn’t know that about the different dually spring /axle widths. 
 

Around here, guys take off New ford alumaduty boxes and sell them cheap when they put on dump boxes. $1000 ish with tailgates and lights. Sometimes a bumper even too. I know of at least 5 older trucks running around with beautiful new ‘17-25 aluminum ford boxes.
 One is  a dodge -and I think it actually improved the looks lol 

just saying, I’d think Any box could be made to work, if priced right. 

[stronger800]

300-400k trucks don’t exist in the northeast. Essentially. 
 

200k’s pushing it 

[hardtail]

Mines an 03 crewcab and has the same ailments tailgate supports are ok still though for now, the rockers and cab corners are gone, I was thinking of putting a better regular cab on and building an 11' flatdeck with sides and a dump cylinder

There were lots of outfits that converted trucks to flatbeds when new and had lots of new boxes sitting in the yard but that bodystyle is long gone, drive train is still good but gotta think long and hard if it's still worth it

Was considering going drw so thx Alan for that pearl 

[Lazy WP]

Flatbed on our 05 Chebby 1 ton single wheel. 

[hobbyfarm]

14 hours ago, sandhiller said:

Just so you know where I'm coming from, first thing I do when I bring a new pickup home is jerk the box, sell it while it has some value and put a flatbed or bale bed on 

A decent flatbed will cost more than the pickup is worth but if your going to keep driving it, who cares.

The flatbed can be moved to another pickup if and when that one goes down 

If you do the JC Whitney dually conversion, I've never seen one break but don't care for the look of a SRW rim hanging out there in space.

Which leaves swapping in a dually rear axle. But then you just as well swap out front to or you will have to carry two spares (if you carry a spare) and then there's looks again

4wd? Hard to tell on my phone. Gearing match if only swapping one axle

I have a dually box that I think is about the same year range even same color I think but am a ways away.

I have used channel and angle iron to stiffen up a weak box and it worked well. Could take a pic of you'd like. 

It's all how much $ you want to stick in it.

Shoring up that box would obviously be the cheapest 

 

4wd yes.  Agree ability to remove and reuse flatbed is major benefit.

[hobbyfarm]

12 hours ago, New Englander said:

Why duals? Just for the look? 

Traction, stability, flat beds look much better with duals.  Given most of our vehicles we arent flashy and looks dont matter.  We have a 2wd 3500 dually cab and chassis.  Crazy the difference the duals make in traction.  The truck in the picture will get stuck pulling a hay trailer in soft ground very easily. 

[hobbyfarm]

To answer questions without individual reply:

This is a northeast truck all its life.  Somehow it survived this long.  We just keep fixing whatever goes wrong.  I was in it today.  Actually mileage is 317000+.  Rust is minimal, very minimal.  I had the cab corners and rockers done years ago.  They have held up well.

The frame is good. I had the bed off maybe 10 to 12 years ago and we wire brushed, cleaned, and put bed liner on the frame.  The cross member that holds the spare tire was replaced with a junk yard take off at that time. We cut off the rivets and bolted the replacement in.  I had someone weld in fuel tank supports at one point.  Since the bed was off  i have had the frame coated with an oil concoction yearly. 

Drive train is probably a ticking time bomb.  Original 8.1 and Allison 5 speed.  Runs and drives 100%.  Everything works including  ac.  No reason to get rid of it because like Troy said it isn't worth anything.  Maybe i should strengthen the bed sides up and run it until it needs an engine or trans?  Other option put a flatbed on and take it off when the time comes. 

 

[vtfireman85]

1 hour ago, hobbyfarm said:

To answer questions without individual reply:

This is a northeast truck all its life.  Somehow it survived this long.  We just keep fixing whatever goes wrong.  I was in it today.  Actually mileage is 317000+.  Rust is minimal, very minimal.  I had the cab corners and rockers done years ago.  They have held up well.

The frame is good. I had the bed off maybe 10 to 12 years ago and we wire brushed, cleaned, and put bed liner on the frame.  The cross member that holds the spare tire was replaced with a junk yard take off at that time. We cut off the rivets and bolted the replacement in.  I had someone weld in fuel tank supports at one point.  Since the bed was off  i have had the frame coated with an oil concoction yearly. 

Drive train is probably a ticking time bomb.  Original 8.1 and Allison 5 speed.  Runs and drives 100%.  Everything works including  ac.  No reason to get rid of it because like Troy said it isn't worth anything.  Maybe i should strengthen the bed sides up and run it until it needs an engine or trans?  Other option put a flatbed on and take it off when the time comes. 

 

Me, I would fix it and run it, but I have a CM single wheel flatbed here that hasn’t been put on anything Because I haven’t had time to do anything with it. I bought it for my 350.
The bed value exceeds the truck value in this case, beefed up bed sides and a junk yard tailgate and you are back on the road by afternoon. 

[stronger800]

Wow that is impressive.  
Also for the tank brackets/supports and the spare tire thing to have (presumably rotted off) but the rest of the frame to be that good still. I still think I’d just patch it up. 
you could  add irons and put tailgate hinges back on if you wanted too