bed bar fab... my first project

slim99 · 10-12-2007, 06:04 PM

this is the my first fab project for my truck. got the material for $20 at a local metal shop (drops form larger projects). on the bottom are two 1/4" thick plates welded on and tap 1/4-20 for bolts for my mt bike fork mounts. on the rear are two pieces of 1x1 angle for light tabs and one 2x2 (cut to 2x1.25) for cb antenna mount. I started painting it today. Hopefully it will be dry enough by morning to mount it. Funny thing is the CB mount tab is perfectly centered on the bar at 30.25" but when installed on the truck the center tab is off to the passengers side a little.... it seems the bed is not perfectly aligned with the cab

miguelitro · 10-12-2007, 06:13 PM

they often arent esp. if actually wheeled.

nice work, where is the high lift mount?
what did you use for bends?

again good to see more people making their own shit, a bed bar was the first thing i made and yours looks way better!

Mike

slim99 · 10-12-2007, 06:32 PM

Thnaks for the props! Yes I have wheeled it plenty... most likely why, lol. I have a 10' jon boat, it slides in my bed and I made the bar so that it cleared the boat. If I mount the highlift on the bar it takes up bed space. I have been debating on mounting it down the side of the bed. At college we got all kinda cool goodies... like the hydraulic tube bender and band saw and welders and.... anyhow u get the idea. I have been looking at sliders and want to make my own next. however that is alot more work than a bed bar.

miguelitro · 10-12-2007, 06:36 PM

once you get going i think its pretty easy to do just about everything. thats nice your school has all that stuff, the colloge i attended didnt have anything like that. but then again i wouldnt have gone near any of the people a t SDSU if they had any sort of tool in their hand. Better get to work befor you graduate

MERCER FABRICATION · 10-12-2007, 07:40 PM

looks good man. the first thing i made was a bed bar too. but i didnt have access to a bender. yours turned out nice.\

although i would have just bought some tabs instead of messing around with cutting little things out and drilling holes.

hambone303 · 10-12-2007, 09:11 PM

Nice job, I am starting on a bed bar next week for my truck. I wish I had it for the Tellico trip tomorrow. I am planning on making mine bend down into the bed, to hold down a spare, and my Hi lift. I had my spare underneath, but it kills my departure angle, I clearanced my bedsides, then lost that advantage by stuffing the 33/12.50 underneath. Anyone seen any bars like what I am talking about? Everyone I have ever seen is set up just like yours.. Nice job on the bends, please post some completed pics when you get everything monted up.

mgyver1 · 10-13-2007, 09:47 AM

Yea this is how my bed bar (Also my first fabrication) went:
It's actually worse than this because I tilted it the opposite way on the other side, but since I have my CB antenna and a few other wires running inside the bar I've had to make it flush on one side to not pinch the wires, so the opposite side is REALLY gapped between the bed and the mount.

slim99 · 10-13-2007, 07:05 PM

finished up the paint and just put all the goodies on for a test fit when i got home tonight...

VWTim · 10-13-2007, 11:16 PM

Looks great. I'm thinking of doing something similar so there's another solid place for the front tire of my motorcycle to hit on when it's loaded. Otherwise when straped in, it just bends the front of hte bed towards the cab.

xmikedentx · 10-14-2007, 10:54 AM

This is my old one. Took a lot of abuse. As far as mounting a spare to it?

slim99 · 10-15-2007, 10:23 PM

well she is finished for now. I am going to add a highlift mount later when I complete my sliders and have a lift point for the high lift.

10-12-2007, 06:04 PM	#1
slim99 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: NC Posts: 216	bed bar fab... my first project this is the my first fab project for my truck. got the material for $20 at a local metal shop (drops form larger projects). on the bottom are two 1/4" thick plates welded on and tap 1/4-20 for bolts for my mt bike fork mounts. on the rear are two pieces of 1x1 angle for light tabs and one 2x2 (cut to 2x1.25) for cb antenna mount. I started painting it today. Hopefully it will be dry enough by morning to mount it. Funny thing is the CB mount tab is perfectly centered on the bar at 30.25" but when installed on the truck the center tab is off to the passengers side a little.... it seems the bed is not perfectly aligned with the cab

10-12-2007, 06:13 PM	#2
miguelitro Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: ecuador Posts: 3,712	they often arent esp. if actually wheeled. nice work, where is the high lift mount? what did you use for bends? again good to see more people making their own shit, a bed bar was the first thing i made and yours looks way better! Mike __________________ Team Bad Habits Don't own one yet but there is nothing but diesel cruisers and tacos down here. "I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. " ~Frank Sinatra

10-12-2007, 06:36 PM	#4
miguelitro Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: ecuador Posts: 3,712	once you get going i think its pretty easy to do just about everything. thats nice your school has all that stuff, the colloge i attended didnt have anything like that. but then again i wouldnt have gone near any of the people a t SDSU if they had any sort of tool in their hand. Better get to work befor you graduate __________________ Team Bad Habits Don't own one yet but there is nothing but diesel cruisers and tacos down here. "I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. " ~Frank Sinatra

10-12-2007, 09:11 PM	#6
hambone303 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Covington, Georgia Posts: 232	Nice job, I am starting on a bed bar next week for my truck. I wish I had it for the Tellico trip tomorrow. I am planning on making mine bend down into the bed, to hold down a spare, and my Hi lift. I had my spare underneath, but it kills my departure angle, I clearanced my bedsides, then lost that advantage by stuffing the 33/12.50 underneath. Anyone seen any bars like what I am talking about? Everyone I have ever seen is set up just like yours.. Nice job on the bends, please post some completed pics when you get everything monted up. __________________ 2004 Tacoma DC 4x4 TRD (Betsy) 1982 Short Bed 4x4 SR5 (Project Ho) Go Dawgs!

10-13-2007, 09:47 AM	#7
mgyver1 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 1,122	Yea this is how my bed bar (Also my first fabrication) went: It's actually worse than this because I tilted it the opposite way on the other side, but since I have my CB antenna and a few other wires running inside the bar I've had to make it flush on one side to not pinch the wires, so the opposite side is REALLY gapped between the bed and the mount. __________________ Mgyver1 Nevada TTORA 4X4HIM Best In The Desert Racing Association '02 Ext. cab Prerunner V6 Auto SR5 TRD

10-12-2007, 06:32 PM	#3
slim99 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: NC Posts: 216	Thnaks for the props! Yes I have wheeled it plenty... most likely why, lol. I have a 10' jon boat, it slides in my bed and I made the bar so that it cleared the boat. If I mount the highlift on the bar it takes up bed space. I have been debating on mounting it down the side of the bed. At college we got all kinda cool goodies... like the hydraulic tube bender and band saw and welders and.... anyhow u get the idea. I have been looking at sliders and want to make my own next. however that is alot more work than a bed bar.

10-12-2007, 07:40 PM	#5
MERCER FABRICATION Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: southern california Posts: 2,878	looks good man. the first thing i made was a bed bar too. but i didnt have access to a bender. yours turned out nice.\ although i would have just bought some tabs instead of messing around with cutting little things out and drilling holes.

10-13-2007, 07:05 PM	#8
slim99 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: NC Posts: 216	finished up the paint and just put all the goodies on for a test fit when i got home tonight...

10-13-2007, 11:16 PM	#9
VWTim Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Corvallis, OR Posts: 504	Looks great. I'm thinking of doing something similar so there's another solid place for the front tire of my motorcycle to hit on when it's loaded. Otherwise when straped in, it just bends the front of hte bed towards the cab.

10-14-2007, 10:54 AM	#10
xmikedentx Greasy fingernails Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Mentone, CA Posts: 313	This is my old one. Took a lot of abuse. As far as mounting a spare to it? __________________ never rest

10-15-2007, 10:23 PM	#11
slim99 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: NC Posts: 216	well she is finished for now. I am going to add a highlift mount later when I complete my sliders and have a lift point for the high lift.

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