Bobbed Bed Info

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I'd been contemplating this next mod for some time, and with the addition of a few new dents in the rear bed panels, I decided the time had come to bob the bed. It turns out that the bed panels on '84-'88 trucks are quite straight and consistent so it is fairly easy to remove a section and then remate the two end pieces. I decided to take 14 inches out of the bed between the rear fenderwells and the tail lights.

I have done a little body work from time to time and a fair amount of structural steel welding, but had never really done any body sheetmetal welding or any major body surgery such as this. As it turned out, the project was not too difficult and I have been pleased with the results. Time and patience, I think, are the keys to getting it to come out well.

I started by placing a drafting t-square on the side of the bed and marking a line perpendicular to the top bed rail where I wanted to make my first cut (the rear one). I then measured and marked the opposite side of the bed in the same place. Before starting my cuts I removed the inner bed panels.

I used a jigsaw with a fine tooth bi-metal blade to make the cuts, cutting the sides first and then the bottom of the bed. The frame and rear-most body mount help to keep the rear portion of the bed in place while the cuts are made. With the jigsaw cuts complete, I then had to do a little cutting where the sides meet the bottom of the bed using a die grinder with a cut-off disc.

Once the rear tailgate and tail light section was removed, I measured forward 14 inches and made the forward cut marks. I made these cuts in the same manner as the first ones and removed the extra 14 inches of bed.

I had originally planned to use a flanging tool to flange on of the mating edges so the two edges would overlap when I put them back together. However, I found that my two cut lines matched so closely that I decided to simply butt them back together and weld them.

I brought the tail piece back up to the bed and began clamping it in place using c-clamps at the top rail. Once it was secured, I tack welded each side, moving from top to bottom. I then tack welded the bed bottom as well. Working slowly and using small 1 inch weld beads I reassembled the two halves by completely welding them together, while spacing the weld beads and progressively filling the entire seam. On the side panels I used small sheetmetal backing strips (made from the left over bed panels) hidden inside the double wall panels for added strength. This also made welding the sides much easier.

I also cut down the side panels so they could be reinstalled in the bed. With the welding complete, I used a small amount of body filler to completely smooth over the weld area, and then primed and sanded the area to prep for paint. I trimmed more sheetmetal from the area behind the fenders, and modified my rear bumper to add some side nerf protection in this area. With the trimmed bed my departure angle is now about 55 degrees.

ABOVE: Richard Charles bobbed 14"
out of the bed of his '88 truck.

LEFT: Jason Maxson bobbed his bed and
put an Xtra Cab cab on a standard bed
frame. Very cool!

Check out Brandon Miller's '83 truck bobbed bed.

Check out C. Andrew Zook's '92 bobbed bed.

Check out Steven Brown's Tankota SHORT Short Bed.

Thanks for reading!