HOW TO PUT A FLATBED ON A PICKUP TRUCK

Putting a flatbed on a pickup truck is not complicated. Possibly the hardest step in the procedure is setting the bed in place on the truck frame. Larger beds are set using a chain truss and hoist. Smaller beds can be set with the help of assistants to lift each corner and walk the bed into place. Whether your are installing a production bed that’s designed to fit your truck or a custom-made commercial flatbed, make sure to use new bed bolts, lock washers and nuts.

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THINGS YOU’LL NEED

  • Bed bolts and spacers
  • Miscellaneous hand tools
  • Gad pry bar
  • Socket and ratchet

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Move any electrical wires on the truck frame out of the way. Most wires are fastened using clips that pop off with a screwdriver or pliers. If your flatbed has taillight mounts and sidelights, make sure the wire leads to the lights are below the surface of the frame.
  2. Position the metal spacers or rubber cushion washers on the bed-bolt holes at the truck frame. Use a hoist to lower the flatbed onto the frame, or ask assistants to help position the bed on the frame. Align the bed-bolt holes as closely as possible with the holes in the frame.
  3. Insert the narrow end of a gad pry bar into one of the bed-bolt holes at the front of the flatbed. Use the bar to maneuver the bed-bolt hole directly over the hole in the truck frame. Insert a bed bolt through the bed and fully through the truck frame to hold this corner of the bed in place.
  4. Align the remaining bolt holes using the gad pry bar and insert a bed bolt in each hole as you go.
  5. Organize the lock washers and nuts in sets and place each set under the truck in proximity to the bed bolts. Put a lock washer and nut on each bolt and tighten the nuts clockwise with a socket and ratchet.

If you’re looking for information on how to install an aluminum flatbed on your pickup truck, be sure to watch this video on the Highway Products YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/kYRjdKOCT84). You can also find more information on the Highway Products website at www.highwayproducts.com.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=kYRjdKOCT84%3Ffeature%3Doembed