flareside floor bed rails

[old yeller]

Hello all

I need some floor rails for my 80 f150 flareside. I have 6 but they are rusted.

I measured my good end and they are 1.650"/42mm wide and about 78.545/1995mm.

Does anybody remanufacture these besides Mar-k. I called them and they said theirs are 1.500 wide.

Also is the 80 and 81 rails different from the 82-87, not in quantity but in shape.

Mar-k may have to do.

Does anyone know?

Thanks for any info.

 

 

[ArdWrknTrk]

Perhaps the New Member Introduction section isn't the best place to find parts?

We could move this thread to the main forum or the marketplace -want to buy- section if you like.

Off the top of my head I know that Dave (FuzzFace2) started with a Flareside and instead welded in a steel floor from a styleside. Perhaps he still has that set?

Ron (Reamer) is a metalworker who was making bed rail caps and ,I believe, accurate reproduction license plate holders for Bullnose Flaresides.

I'm not sure who would have 42mm width bed strips.

The only place I know other than Mar-K is American Classic and they say theirs are 1 1/2" as well.

(eBay listing here)

[old yeller]

Perhaps the New Member Introduction section isn't the best place to find parts?

We could move this thread to the main forum or the marketplace -want to buy- section if you like.

Off the top of my head I know that Dave (FuzzFace2) started with a Flareside and instead welded in a steel floor from a styleside. Perhaps he still has that set?

Ron (Reamer) is a metalworker who was making bed rail caps and ,I believe, accurate reproduction license plate holders for Bullnose Flaresides.

I'm not sure who would have 42mm width bed strips.

The only place I know other than Mar-K is American Classic and they say theirs are 1 1/2" as well.

(eBay listing here)

Yes thanks, I'm not familiar with the site.

I'm curious about the documentation site, there is a diagram of the wood for after 7/82 is 1.625.

So did ford make 2 dif. widths of rails since mine are 1.650 wide?

Thanks Clayton

[FuzzFace2]

Yes thanks, I'm not familiar with the site.

I'm curious about the documentation site, there is a diagram of the wood for after 7/82 is 1.625.

So did ford make 2 dif. widths of rails since mine are 1.650 wide?

Thanks Clayton

Sorry late to the party

On the strips my truck did not have any. Heck the cross members and boards were no where near what the truck came with.

Because the cross members were $1000 plus wood, strips and hardware it was more than I wanted to spend on a truck I got for $800!

That 1 reason why I went with the style side ribber floor as I had it.

As for the metal strips there are 2 different sizes / types because of the 2 different types of wood used.

The 80 - 82 or 83 used boards and 1 type of metal strips.

The 83 or 84 to 86 used plywood and used a different strip.

I think what is sold is the later plywood strips.

Also the 87 / 88? flare side was a totally different bed made of fiberglass and did not use a wood floor.

Fender and side panels were all 1 part and I think was bonded to the floor.

It also used a normal type tail gate.

It will bolt on to any SWB frame but I dont think it looks right and real flare sides used chains for the tail gate

Dave ----

[old yeller]

Sorry late to the party

On the strips my truck did not have any. Heck the cross members and boards were no where near what the truck came with.

Because the cross members were $1000 plus wood, strips and hardware it was more than I wanted to spend on a truck I got for $800!

That 1 reason why I went with the style side ribber floor as I had it.

As for the metal strips there are 2 different sizes / types because of the 2 different types of wood used.

The 80 - 82 or 83 used boards and 1 type of metal strips.

The 83 or 84 to 86 used plywood and used a different strip.

I think what is sold is the later plywood strips.

Also the 87 / 88? flare side was a totally different bed made of fiberglass and did not use a wood floor.

Fender and side panels were all 1 part and I think was bonded to the floor.

It also used a normal type tail gate.

It will bolt on to any SWB frame but I dont think it looks right and real flare sides used chains for the tail gate

Dave ----

I knew 80/81 were diff. in Quantity of rails and they had a diff. type of wood.

I just didnt know they changed the width of the rail.

So are the after market rails 1.50 wide the correct size for the later years 83/86.

The hardwear in my bed is all metric.

When they changed the wood and rail Quantity I wonder if the hardwear changed to SAE??

Thanks

[ArdWrknTrk]

I knew 80/81 were diff. in Quantity of rails and they had a diff. type of wood.

I just didnt know they changed the width of the rail.

So are the after market rails 1.50 wide the correct size for the later years 83/86.

The hardwear in my bed is all metric.

When they changed the wood and rail Quantity I wonder if the hardwear changed to SAE??

Thanks

Nothing ever changed TO SAE.

Metric was the standard for body and chassis (though some real oddball fasteners had imperial heads)

Engines and drivelines remained SAE at least up to the '90's

[old yeller]

Nothing ever changed TO SAE.

Metric was the standard for body and chassis (though some real oddball fasteners had imperial heads)

Engines and drivelines remained SAE at least up to the '90's

What about the wide of the rails.

I just didn't know if they changed the width of the rails to 1.500 wide on later years 83/86?

That is 5/32 diff. compared to mine.

Do you think there is a market for the older wider ones. I'm thinking probably not.

Thanks for any input.

[ArdWrknTrk]

What about the wide of the rails.

I just didn't know if they changed the width of the rails to 1.500 wide on later years 83/86?

That is 5/32 diff. compared to mine.

Do you think there is a market for the older wider ones. I'm thinking probably not.

Thanks for any input.

I don't know of anyone that makes anything other than the 1 1/2" width.

They're said to fit from '73- '87

I've already said I doubt anybody is going to see this thread way up here in the NMSH.

Did you make a WTB post in the marketplace?

Cory has had a bunch of these trucks.

Let me tag him to this thread.

[Rembrant]

Mar-k may have to do.

I think if you do dig into the topic a little deeper that you'll find that no matter which vendor you buy the bed strips from, they're all coming from Mar-K in Oklahoma anyway. One of the reasons there are variations out there is that the aftermarket companies, or Mar-K in particular, have been making these bed strips for decades, and even their bed strips have changed over the years. I was trying to match some up a few years ago, and Mar-K told me that their bed strips were different depending on when they were made. The machines changed and get replaced, they change the forming dies, and then there's material changes on top of that.

They're available in steel and stainless steel, and one Flareside bed I bought even had a set of aluminum bed strips. I ended up re-using those ones on my 1984 F150. No idea who made them...I searched but never did find out.

So, not much out there for options these days.

Cory has had a bunch of these trucks.

Let me tag him to this thread.

Heya Jim,

I had the pleasure of spending this past week with a lovely gal from Connecticut! She works for one of the companies we rep, and they're in New Haven.

I kinda miss my Bullnose Flaresides these days. I like my 1994 Flareside OK, but it's not the same.

Ford did indeed use different bed strips, and I do believe the later 1983-1987 strips were wider, but nobody is reproducing those...they were kind of weird anyway. They sat flush on top of the wood, and not down into channels like the 1982-older bed strips. They were made to sit on top of the plywood, or MDO or whatever it was back then, and nobody ever refinishes the floors with that stuff...well, except Reamer and I lol. Even if you could get the later style/wider strips, they wouldn't work with the boards/plank style flooring anyway.

Wish I had better news, but I think the 1.5" wide strips are all that is available these days, and there's a good chance that many, if not all of them, are originating from Mar-K.

 

[Rembrant]

As for the metal strips there are 2 different sizes / types because of the 2 different types of wood used.

The 80 - 82 or 83 used boards and 1 type of metal strips.

The 83 or 84 to 86 used plywood and used a different strip.

I think what is sold is the later plywood strips.

Also the 87 / 88? flare side was a totally different bed made of fiberglass and did not use a wood floor.

Fender and side panels were all 1 part and I think was bonded to the floor.

It also used a normal type tail gate.

It will bolt on to any SWB frame but I dont think it looks right and real flare sides used chains for the tail gate

Dave ----

I'd have to go look it up, but I believe the bed floor change was late in the 1982 model year, like July 1982.

The 1987 Flareside bed was identical to the 1980-1986 bed. It was a one year only offering, and the only thing that was different was the fiberglass fenders had a slightly different wheel opening to match the Bricknose front fenders. Otherwise, the beds were 100% the same.

No Flaresides from 1988-1991. The Flareside came back out in 1992, and it does have a steel bed, but has fiberglass bed sides that bolt on to the steel sides. I have a 1994 Flareside now, and while I do like the truck, they don't have the same curb appeal as the Bullnose trucks in my option.

I have always wanted the one year wonder 1987 Flareside. A 4x4 with a 300 and stick would be really nice. If I ever come across a nice one I'll have to think hard on it;).