The chronicles of Lou, '70 F350 dually Cummins project

[BiggDogg]

I like that bed. I can envision the mods you mentioned doing/wanting to do with it. This thing is gonna be one big beastie! Looking forward to the updates

[rjewkes]

I bet that bed levled the whole truck out. and that ride out back won't be too rough from non movement of the suspension.

[Ranchero50]

Actually the bed is pretty light since it's all aluminum. I haven't played with it too much, trying to get some other paying projects out of the way. It is a bit wider than I'd like but...

Jamie

[papabug71]

I must have missed this !! Thats a hell of a deal for the cash you have invested. That bed cost a pretty penny when it was new. Not to mention the time & effort that went into building the racks. I agree with you tho, its a massive square. You could really clean it up a bit with some round edges.

I want a ton rig sooo bad

[Ranchero50]

Ok, six months later I finally need to break down and update this thing...

I finally got finished the boat for this year (note, needs carpet installed and air horns hooked up, and a few other things) and have been tinkering around with Lou, mostly moving him around to keep the law guessing. After about five months of looking at the bed and visualizing what I wanted to do with it out came the sawzall with a 12" metal blade and away we went...

Went from this up front;


To this. Note, there's a Cummins 6BT in the future so this is a great space for stacks...


Out back, from this:


To this in about two hours:

[Ranchero50]

Still not bad looking but the back needed some help. The step was still great but it's in the way of a hitch and with the end goal of a dump bed I didn't want to do a bed mounted hitch. Soo, from this...


To this:




Now I'm finally liking it. Had the kid help me flip it over (it's around 300lbs now), I put it on my old tractor stand and rolled it into the garage upside down.

We recycled some of the step and other plate to start the dump pivot point. I used the back side gussets to mount to lights too as well as made a cap to protect the 3 bar lights.






More coming.
Jamie

[Ranchero50]

Finally updated to today, been working nights so motivation is scarce...

As it sits in the garage. The notch in the frame is fixed. The mud flap bars are drilled and welded on. The marker light brackets are milled and welded on. The dump pivot points are mocked and the front ones are in the mill.




Rear step details:


Air horns mocked up...


Air horn brackets made. I'll need to come up with something for the horn end...


And finally a pic of my '55 Logan 9x25 that went from a rusted hulk to a nice little lathe this summer.


More tomorrow?
Jamie

[BiggDogg]

Looking good Jamie. That bed is really gonna make a statement when its completed

[Ranchero50]

Indeed, it's 7'8" wide and 10'6" long plus the 12"x38" storage spot up front. I'm going to do a headache rack once I find enough metal that looks cool...

Jamie

[cbfomoco]

Bed is looking good. I would put a flap on the rear step that is hindged that would make the rear edge all the same at the top. The reason behind it is that if you are wanting to make it dump and ever haul dirt or gravel and want to tailgate spread it it will spread smooth if it has the step gap in it I dont know if it will. Just an idea. Keep it up!!

[Ranchero50]

There's going to be a flap that goes in the hole, just not sure how I'm going to hold it there yet. I guess I'll fugure it out once it's flipped back upright.

Today was a so-so day. Got the pivot brackets welded on and started the bracing but ran out of wire right after the weld shop closed this afternoon...







Sadly the one I got welded completely is crooked. I needed 1/2" space between the frame rail and the dump bed to install some UHMW sliders so the steel frame doesn't eat the aluminum bed when it moved. PITA...

Now I'm torn between refitting the gas fill plates or going up to the house and playing black ops eith the kids...

Jamie

[Fordman5]

Nice work there. What a deal to get that truck at $350 bucks, I can not find deal like that here to save my life.

[FormerMarine1981]

Nice score on the bed

[Fordnatic]

Can't wait to see a photo of the bed tilted up!

[Ranchero50]

Ok, a brief update, been working in jerks and spurts as I have an hour here or there.

Welded in some of the holes in the frame and decking. I got some .035" wire and it welds so much nicer on the heavy stuff and it doesn't jam like the .030" wire did.


Here I drilled and tapped the aluminum for the antabrasion material at the pivot point. Hoping to also keep this truck from rattling like most dump beds do...


Front pivot bar mounted. I asl got the broken fitting out of the hydraulic cylinder so I hope to mock it up soon.


Another shot of the front. I still need to mount some flat brackets to the inside of the frame rails and figure out the articulating mechanism.


Finally added the backup lights and have been drilling the holes to run the wires. The reverse lights are mounted on some old 3" chunks of aluminum so they sit flush with the brake / turn lamps. I did hook up the battery charger and they throw plenty of light


I've drawn up a wiring diagram as well. I want the middle side marker lights to flash with the turn signals (like a semi trailer) so I'm thinking about pulling off of the front turn signal wires (to keep them from lighting when I hit the brakes). Of course I'll need to find some armoured marker lights like the others and modify them for two small bulbs or a single 1157.

Short term goal is get the wiring routed and get the air horns mounted and that plumbing done. I need to test the pump I have for the boat to see if it'll be large enough to toot the horns. Then get the bed outside, flipped over and back on the truck to start those mounts. Tomorrow I need to finish the new ash tray pull fixture programming and get some parts through the mill.

Jamie