Hello, just bought a 34 Ford Mack Hils unassembled Bed. Anyone have a build thread on this bed, or some bed pics that I could use as a template? Thanks Nick
Wish I could help you, I bought mine assembled. I did buy the welded smooth bed, not the riveted one. I think putting it together with welds will be a little easier. I will say their fit and finish was good.
@Nicks33 my advice is build it on the truck. I don't have experience with their 34 bed but I did assemble a 40 bed recently and I am glad I followed the same advice that I received from @Pist-n-Broke 40's have wood beams to level the bed on a frame used for coupes, conv's, 4 doors, you name it. I started by bolting them to the frame then adding the steel substructure. Using a drill and sheet metal screws I added a bed side, then the front panel and then the other bed side panel. They fit awful! The stamping of the panels made them distort, when they become one unit they carry the distortion form one panel to another. The result was the right rear bed panel was leaning in at the top by several inches. Next I added the rear fenders which took a bit of that bow out of the bed sides as they reinforced the stamped panels. Then, like my instructions directed, I braced the rear bed rails so they were perpendicular and welded the lower panel to the lower bed sides to secure them in place. I also added a weld or two to the front panel to assure nothing would move. When the bracing was removed the tail gate fit and works like a charm. The bed is now one unit and ready for me to lift off, remove all of the screws one by one and replace them in turn with steel rivets (an art I have been practicing and of course paint it. Your process my be slightly different but the advice remains the same, I would assemble in-place on the frame.
Listening to Bandit Billy I'm sure glad I ordered mine assembled because my box (32 Ford) had none of the problems he encountered. The only assembly we had was installing the 37 tailgate which required some hinge fabrication.
Bandit Billy, that was my thinking, assemble the subframe on the chassis and build from there. When I picked it up on Friday I did take a few pics of a 32 short they just finished. Nice people at Mack Hils, only wished that I had taken more!
It'll be fine. Here is a shot of the welding I did to hold the bed sides upright. I did this on both sides to assure perfect bed side alignment and rigidity. Hell, it will even look nicer when finished. I finish the welds behind the hinge and shape it match the stake pocket when it is off the truck. If you look close you can see a sheet metal screw in the left rear bed side waiting to be replaced with a steel rivet. Keep asking questions and we will get through this assembly business.
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