Suggestions on how to fix bed

[landarts]

I have a 3/4 ton GMC 4x4 that I am trying to bring back to life. The drivers side top of bed cap is bent inward and twisted downward. Is there a way that anyone has done to bring this back to straight?

[Bones72Super]

It looks like your bend originates from the stake pocket area. You could try fishing a strong but small strap down through the stake pocket and looping it back up over the top of the side of the bed. Park next to a strong tree and rig up a come along and pull gently on it while trying to tap it out with a small 3 pound sledge hammer and a two-by-four against the in side of the bed rail.

Don't try to do it all at once just some tension on the come along and gently try to massage it out and not being too aggressive. Plus if you rig the strap down to the stake pocket and have both ends on the outside of the bed it will help take some of the twist/roll out of it. Just an idea I hope helps or points you in the right direction.

[notsolo]

If you can remove the center stack pocket, clamp 5' x 3/8" steel angle under the bed rail, use 6 to 8 clamps and wood blocks to straiten the top rail and tap sides with body hammer and dolly inside and out as you go. You can get about 95% of it strait.

[BCOWANWHEELS]

I,d find a different bed or consider s repop bed

[randy500]

I would fit a square tube in the stake pocket with a bolt through the end to secure it, then lift it with an engine hoist while hammering the creases on the inner and outer bed panel.

I would remove the inner wheel well first.

[El Dorado Jim]

Find a bed with a straight drivers side and change the side....

[clay68c10]

Try to straighten with one of the above methods. If it works, then hooray for saving a buck and doing it yourself.
If not, you're not out any extra money and you had a learning experience. Then go find a good used long side. They go pretty cheap.

If you were closer I'd give you one of mine.

[landarts]

I appreciate all of the suggestions - I am going to go with the suggestion of trying to pull it with the stake pocket still in tact. I will take pictures and show the results. If I come up with other procedures to get it where it needs to go I will document it so that possibly it could help others......thanks again

Yesterday I replaced the missing rag joint. I went with a "Lares 201" which is a 13/16" 31 spline with 3 1/4" OD coupler from RockAuto, cost $23.76 delivered to my mailbox in three days. Fit was perfect and solved another piece of the puzzle.

[67ChevyRedneck]

What I don't like is that it looks buckled outward and extends down to the wheel arch. I just don't know if you would be able to get it back straight enough.

I straightened this little bang out and it took me a long time and was a *****.

It didn't look that bad at first, until I put a straight edge on it.





This was a near perfect rust free AZ bed and i was going to save it. So I ended up cutting it apart. Pulling the large dent out, making sure it matched the other side, and welded it back up.





Dent gone:

[azle]

I would try a small hyd jack and some 2X4's top and bottom. Slowly stretch that metal upward working it as I go.

Azle

[Orange67]

I don't have the wrinkle in the outside sheet metal, but my rails are bent down on one side and up on the other. Think I will give some of these ideas a shot. Part of my issue is the rotten wood bottom bed... No support to use as leverage.

[landarts]

Jesse - I have seen your build thread and I also wanted to do whatever I could to fix it vs replace. I will give it my best shot and if I have to cut and patch I will. It is getting harder to find original metal here in the junk yards. Just about three years ago I could go to the local junk yard and get a complete bed for $120, a door for $20, an entire front clip for $140. However that has all changed, the pricing is still good but I have not seen but 1 truck in the 67-72 year range in the local junk yard in the last 2 years. I used to see anywhere from 4-5 to as high as 10-12 at a time. Again I prefer to keep it as original as possible but would entertain patching it in if I could find the parts.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Sounds like a plan! If you try the worst thing you can do is screw it up! Even so, if you cant get it back good enough, with the damaged area you have being at the top you can buy a straight rusty bedside and use the top.

I've been working on my house again... I want to get back to cutting that bed down, I'm like 75% done...