grsthegreat
Super Star Member
a friend of mine got a great deal on a f450 flatbed truck to tow his equipment for his business. he decided he wanted a custom side rail made to contain all the stuff piled u0p back there. had to have a removable 52" tailgate to allow for a work station.
he wanted it plasma cut similar to my driveway gate. i put it off until the temps got to be super frigid (wind chill -10F) just to make life more miserable. so we moved it into my shop. i had to move some stuff around to fit that fat as* truck, but we got it in.
first step was to design and cut the panels. these will be made of 8 gauge metal and fit into some 1/4" angle iron frame. than it will be powder coated and then attach a solid rear plate in a light color to display the powder coating. have not picked colors yet.
then we had to design a removable framework that bolted to the side rail. he wants it fully removable. we designed 4 SS bolts and a rear channel for stability. seems to work real good, and boy is it sturdy.
today we worked on a removable tail gate system. used some weldable barrel bolts, and they work great. when door folds hinges are out of the way of the bed. you can easily slide door off if you open it 1/2 way, but not if door is closed or fully open (going to install a block to prevent door from sliding when fully open). i have to finish cutting artwork and installing panels on Sunday.
he wanted it plasma cut similar to my driveway gate. i put it off until the temps got to be super frigid (wind chill -10F) just to make life more miserable. so we moved it into my shop. i had to move some stuff around to fit that fat as* truck, but we got it in.
first step was to design and cut the panels. these will be made of 8 gauge metal and fit into some 1/4" angle iron frame. than it will be powder coated and then attach a solid rear plate in a light color to display the powder coating. have not picked colors yet.
then we had to design a removable framework that bolted to the side rail. he wants it fully removable. we designed 4 SS bolts and a rear channel for stability. seems to work real good, and boy is it sturdy.
today we worked on a removable tail gate system. used some weldable barrel bolts, and they work great. when door folds hinges are out of the way of the bed. you can easily slide door off if you open it 1/2 way, but not if door is closed or fully open (going to install a block to prevent door from sliding when fully open). i have to finish cutting artwork and installing panels on Sunday.
