Posted by Marty on Friday, April 30, 2004 at 0:55AM :
In Reply to: WDX Bed info posted by John Foster on Friday, April 30, 2004 at 0:01AM :
John, Here's how I do it...hope this helps!
First step after parts are painted-
Bold end pannel to front of bed & bolt rear bed support...the one that goes under the tailgate. Install the small cab filler pieces that bolt to the front of the bed. Once those parts are bolted together solid, that is the stage Dodge painted these beds at the factory....just like the top picture minus the tailgate.
Next, Take your bed supports & set them up on your frame. The ones that bolt through...just put bolts through the holes & temporarily hold them in place with nuts finger tight so they don't move. The ones that don't bolt through the frame, remove them temporarily so they aren't in the way.
Get two strong people & lift the bed assembly up into position & very carefully get one side in position first, then lower the other side. Be very careful of the cab...you don't have much room between the two. Best to put a moving blanket in there while fitting.
You should be able to move the bed assembly around on the supports until you line up the holes that bolt through the angle strip, through the end of the support & down through the small lower piece of angle spot welded to the bed sides. Once those 6 bolts are located & put losely into position, that's where the bed sits.
Now you can cut the two outside pieces of bed wood...the wide 10.5"? pieces need the cuts for the wheel well & once you cut that our you can carefully remove the three bolts going through the angle strip on one side & remove the bolts holding the bed supports to the frame on that same side. Slide in the bed wood, drill the three holes through the wood at the angle strip & drop the bolts back in. Now go from the bottom with a pencil & mark the holes through the frame & supports where the holes need to be drilled in your bed wood for the big carriage bolts & recess for the washers.
Now do the other side.
Now get the rest of the supports in position & drill through the angle strips & through the bed wood & install bolts loosely attaching them. Do a trial fit with your bed strips before drilling these holes to be sure you have them placed correctly...if they aren't the holes in the bed strips won't line up.
With your gas tank removed, or remove the bed from the truck...now you can fit the rest of the bed wood & bed strips...drill & install the rest of the bolts going through your angle strips & bed wood, front panel etc etc.
Fit your tailgate & you're ready to bolt rear fenders on...that's it!
Sounds complicated but the hardest part is not scratching anything.
The more helpers you can round up the better!
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