Removing Bed, Can I make it legal to drive?

[Linus72]

So, after removing the bed, can I mount the taillights etc on 2x4s to make it legal to drive?
After removing Bed I will be replacing shock mounts, shocks, leaf springs etc but this is also a daily driver so I have to do it a weekend at a time.

 

[cbxer55]

There are lots of pickemup trucks in my area running around with no bed. Most of them are in the local rat rod club. A friend is actually restoring a 46 Ford F6 COE (Cab Over Engine), and is going dually and no bed. He's going for the rat rod look as well.

 

[RonD]

Yes, if you have tail lights working then its legal to drive on public roads

May also need fender cover for rear wheels, varies by State and county, so you are not throwing rocks and water everywhere, lol

 

[Roert42]

Might be easy enough to bolt a sheet of plywood over the frame, with some 2x4 to raise it up. Can attach you lights to that, and you technically still have a bed.

 

[Blmpkn]

Depends on state/county regs.

Might just need mud flaps, might just need a fender over the top of the tire, might need both, mabey a truck can only operate without a body if it's registered commercially for whatever reason..

Google will bring you to state web page that'll tell you what's legal

 

[Stumblefoot]

find a big truck fifth wheel and temporarily bolt it to the frame....should get some good comments...But here in Texas tail lights a lighted license plate light and your OK

 

[racsan]

Ive made a cheap plywood flatbed for a temporary situation between bed replacements. Boat trailer lights plugged into the trailer plug, mud flaps. easy-peasy.

 

[4x4prepper]

Yes, just mount LED trailer lights to a 2x4, make sure your license plate is lit, and get the small 3/4" white lights from Northern Tools for reverse lamps. I like the previous post with plywood and mudflaps.

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[ekrampitzjr]

Ive made a cheap plywood flatbed for a temporary situation between bed replacements. Boat trailer lights plugged into the trailer plug, mud flaps. easy-peasy.
View attachment 78552

Wait a minute. You found "cheap" plywood? Where?

 

[Eddo Rogue]

In CA I think you need tailights and turn signals, brake lights, license plate mount and lights, and fenders. And if your tires stick out past the fenders, you need mud flaps. Also we have to have a front license plate here.

 

[Shran]

I would think that as long as you have lights and a license plate mount/light you should be fine. There are a lot of cab & chassis trucks that are sold like that with temporary lights attached. Legal for a semi truck to drive around with no trailer attached... that's the logic I'd use

 

[cbxer55]

There are so many rat rods running around Oklahoma with open tires and nothing covering them. No fenders, mud flaps, nothing. And what about cars like my Mustang, where the tires already stick out past the fender when they leave the dealer? Granted, they're 255's versus the stock 235. But they are no further in or out than the stock tires were. They protrude well past the fenders from the tire half way point down. Nothing has ever been said to me about my Lightning with the 12 inch rear rims and 345 M & H tires. Nothing has ever been said to me about the tinted license covers on all my vehicles, nor the lack of a license plate light on both my motorcycles.

 

[RonD]

Most trucks already have a 4 wire trailer light connector, you can use that instead of trying to use the trucks tail light harness

You don't need reverse/backup lights as far as legal requirement in any state, as far as I know

If rear bumper is still on the license plate will be be lit, if no rear bumper put plate under one of the tail lights, it should be visible enough when lights are on

Use regular bulbs, not LEDs or turn signals will need resistors added, not a big deal just a heads up


You can get "plastic cardboard" like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Plaskolite-18-in-x-24-in-Corrugated-Plastic-Sheet-1TW1824A/202043334
To use for fenders, easy to work with, like cardboard, lol, and weather proof

 

[racsan]

Wait a minute. You found "cheap" plywood? Where?

Lol, that was about 5 years ago, plywood wasn’t priced too bad then, I cant recall the price , but it damn sure aint the same today.

 

[4x4prepper]

Federal law requires a backup lamp

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2004-title49-vol5/pdf/CFR-2004-title49-vol5-sec571-108.pdf

"
e) Backup lamps must be mounted
on the rear so that the optical center
of at least one lamp is visible from any
eye point elevation from at least 1828
mm (6 ft) to 610 mm (2 ft) above the
horizontal plane on which the vehicle
is standing; and from any position in
the area, rearward of a vertical plane
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis
of the vehicle, 914 mm (3 ft) to the rear
of the vehicle and extending 914 mm (3
ft) beyond each side of the vehicle"

"Backup lamp .................... 1 white ......................................................... None ......................... J593c, February 1968."

Yes, they are required under various state codes too, I have had vehicles tested for working reverse lamps when checking for VINs and applying for titles under GA's R22 forms.

Georgia Code Title 40. Motor Vehicles and Traffic § 40-8-26 | FindLaw

Georgia Title 40. Motor Vehicles and Traffic Section 40-8-26. Read the code on FindLaw

codes.findlaw.com

"(d) All lenses on brake lights and signal devices shall be maintained in good repair and shall meet manufacturers' specifications."

It is considered a signal device (that you are intending to back up).

I put in LED bulbs off of E-Bay on my trucks and did not have to add any resistor. The 194 LED worked fine in my Bronco 2 dash too. The only problem I had was with the bed lamp in the F-150, I guess the 194 socket only has leads on one side and I have to flip the 194 LED around.

$0.02