Removing and or installing a new full truck bed on your pickup can be a daunting task, but it's a simple task if you have the right tools. By applying these methods you can save thousands of dollars at auction or buying used.
The reason you can do this is because it is cheaper to buy trucks with strange truck beds, especially if going to a public city auction. You can find interesting truck beds, like animal transport, utility trailers, work beds, cargo box truck beds, and other municipal truck beds to serve specific purposes. When going into the public these are less desirable obviously because most people don't have a purpose for these type of pickup beds. Sometimes it is also possible to get trucks with no beds. It is not uncommon to see these vehicles go for 2 - 5000 dollars below book, depending on the year's model.
Another reason to do this is because when removing the bed you can either resell it to a company or other city, or get a couple hundred dollars for recycling it as scrap metal at the local plant.
Here's how to remove the bed. First you need a jack, and some power tools, preferably a power drill with hex or bolt attachments. Or pneumatic or air powered tools are a great, and sometimes better alternative as they can weasel into tight spots.
You need to find the bolts that attach the truck to the frame. So a flashlight is essential. Lay on your back and look up at the support frame. You should see the screw bolts on the underside. There will be 8 - 20 of these depending upon manufacturer. Next, use your power tools to remove these, and put the bolts somewhere where you can reuse them if possible.
Now the toughest part, and most intimidating, is lifting the bed off the frame. If it's a normal truck bed it can be done with at least 6 strapping men. If none of your friends can help out, or the bed is larger than a normal short bed, you need a pneumatic hoist. Not the engine hoist, but a hoist that's larger. Strap ropes around the bed, and attach those to the hoist, and crank the lever until its floating above the bed. Than drive the pickup away.
To get a bed on your truck repeat the process in reverse. You may need to drill holes in the frame or make minor adjustments depending upon the type of bed. See manufacturers manual for further details.
US $199.99
