Flatbeds

[99RangerKrazy]

Ok so I've begun my next project on the Ranger, making a flatbed. I got the bed yanked yesterday. Now with the frame's curvature, I was wondering how you guys have/would mount the flatbed to the frame. I want to make it removable, so when I go to replace the springs/shocks/axle/ect. I can take it off to make everything more accessible. To do this I was thinking of using two inch square steel tubing which will be bolted to the outside of the frame, instead of welding the two inch square tubing on top of the frame. Does anyone have any thoughts/opinions on how to mount it? Thanks in advance

 

[fordwheelinman]

unless im mistaken, the bed bolts are in a straight line. What i would do is run two pieces of what ever structural material you chose, and set them directly on top of the frame. Then make threaded spacers that will take up the xtra room at the rear most bed bolts, and then bolt them from underneath. For the front, use vertical pieces of the same structural material, with threaded inserts in the end, and bolt from underneath. Then use the same two techniques as needed for the rest of the bed bolt locations, bolting again from underneath. Doing this would give you the most support for loads, and the greatest load transfer to the trucks frame. With the flatbed im making for my old truck, i planned the outside rails to run outside the tires, then measure fro the axle tube up to the bump stops, then took that measurement and measured up from the top of the tire to decide how high i needed to make it, so as to have as little tire interference as possible when it may be loaded heavy enough to cause the rear to sag.

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

I just finished helpin my buddy with his, on his Powerstroke. (Stacks aren't mounted in pic.)
The bed has 2 pieces of of 2x3 c-channel that run along the bottom parallel with the frame. The back is layed right on the frame, and the front has a spacer made of 2" square stock that was welded to the c-channel.
It's held on the truck by (6) 1/4" plates 3"x8" welded to the bed and bolted to the sides of the frame rails w/ G8 hardware.
Although not exactly a Ranger, but you can get some ideas from it...