# Rust above my rear wheel wells...'07 F350



## excav8ter (Oct 7, 2009)

Hey all, as the title states....i know it's a commmon problem. Just curious as to what anyone here has done, besides just have it "fixed". I understand, from speaking with a body shop, that even fixing it up, and repainting it is only a short term fix, and it will need to be done again. I have been thinking about just buying a 6' or so, aluminum flat bed, and mount my aluminum fuel tank/Tool box combo on it. But i'm kind of hung up on how it may look, because it's a single rear wheel short box.

Thoughts?


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## dfd9 (Aug 18, 2010)

So FoMoCo is still using junk steel? 

I put a service body on one of mine. Got a great deal on it. 

The other one I haven't decided on yet.


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

It is not the steel. It is the bright idea the Ford puts foam in-between the pinch welds. Hmm, very smart. They have been doing this for many many years. Same reason I built a flatbed dump bed.
T.J.


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## djagusch (Oct 15, 2007)

What's the rust through warranty on the ford's? I thought it was 8 yrs or so.


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## excav8ter (Oct 7, 2009)

TJS;1633620 said:


> It is not the steel. It is the bright idea the Ford puts foam in-between the pinch welds. Hmm, very smart. They have been doing this for many many years. Same reason I built a flatbed dump bed.
> T.J.


Agreed. I like my 6' box, but an aluminum bed sounds good too. Just unsure of how an SRW truck would look.


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## djagusch (Oct 15, 2007)

They look fine. Search the web a bit they are out there. Alum over steel for sure. 

And it sure beats rust holes.


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## mcwlandscaping (Sep 8, 2005)

Just make sure its a flatbed made for an srw truck...SRW's look ridiculous with dually beds on them!


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

To the OP.
81” x 102” is the dimension I built my bed which works well for a SRW width, see my build up in my signature. I see that your truck is a short box but it should be able to accommodate the 102” length. Don’t make the mistake I made when I built a flat bed dump for my short bed Chevy. I kept the bed short and did not make it a full 8 feet. Big mistake! Also making it dump was the best thing I ever did. I make dump runs and I am able to back into the pit and hit the switch. I never even get out of the truck. Then I see people unloading their truck by hand and by the time they get out of the truck to open the tailgate I am done and gone. 
Also, what makes the SWR beds look unfinished is no built in headache rack.


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## excav8ter (Oct 7, 2009)

Thanks everyone. 
I will be sure to go with the SRW bed, if I decide to do that over fixing it. 

I would probably stick with a short bed length for the bed, but I have an idea of how to make it longer, but only when I need it....basically a removable extension, to make it longer when needed.


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

Look for I think it's 02powerstroke on here. He has a ec/sb superduty with an aluminum hillsboro bed on it.


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## Flipper (Nov 1, 2001)

A couple options for the original bed. They make patch panels but I have only seen them last a few years. A better option is to replace the whole bed side. If the rest of your bed is shot there are tons of new or like new take off beds on the internet. Shortbeds are a little harder to find but out there. I was able to get one for my 99 when it started rusting a couple years ago. It was the same color as my truck and other then some mods to the crossmembers I just bolted it right on.


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## excav8ter (Oct 7, 2009)

The rest of the bed is in good shape.....one thing I did not give any consideration too, is the rack that I bought for transporting my stand up paddle boards on. It mounts to the bed rails, and slides from front to back as needed. Might just fix the bed, and try to come up with a plan to get an aluminum flat bed that i can incorporate a rack of some sort, that is removable.


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## Flipper (Nov 1, 2001)

When I was getting prices on fixing it, I found that replacing the bedsides was just $100 more. Its a lot less bodywork and either way the whole bedside has to be painted. I was going to go this way, until I found the take off in the same color. The front seam between the floor and front wall had opened on mine which I would have lived with but made my decision easier.


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## dfd9 (Aug 18, 2010)

Flipper, I've looked a few times, any links or suggestions of where to look for takeoffs?


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## Flipper (Nov 1, 2001)

http://hartford.craigslist.org/ptd/3728993214.html

http://www.coutus.com/

I have also seen them on ebay. Also in traveling to Florida I have seen them in Georgia and the Carolinas.


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## Big Dog D (Oct 1, 2005)

dfd9;1633755 said:


> Flipper, I've looked a few times, any links or suggestions of where to look for takeoffs?


Try some local upfitters. The ones around here usually have beds laying around from when they take a new p/u and convert it over to a utility body for a customer. We also have a salvage yard that usually has a few available.


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## tjctransport (Nov 22, 2008)

from car-part.com
this one is in michagan
6 3/4 ft 

96
Pickup Bed
Ford Truck F150	0P2,NICE!NO RUST! MUST SEE! SMALL DINGS AROUND BODY, TAN/WHT,PNT:
$699
Fox Auto Parts-PRP-Midwest USA-MI(Belleville) 1-800-851-3277 EXT 2


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## framer1901 (Dec 18, 2005)

DJ's trucks all have a cost effective flat bed made by Ebling on them, our trucks all have flat beds on them all SRW - you see them all over town. National ladder up in GR on 44th will have some rack system that would do anything you need,,,,, for a price.


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## excav8ter (Oct 7, 2009)

framer1901;1634125 said:


> DJ's trucks all have a cost effective flat bed made by Ebling on them, our trucks all have flat beds on them all SRW - you see them all over town. National ladder up in GR on 44th will have some rack system that would do anything you need,,,,, for a price.


I have seen your trucks around town, they do look good. :salute:

I will think i am going to have the bed fixed for now.... partly because i bought a TracRac for carrying my stand up paddle boards, and some 10' lengths of pipe once in awhile.

If I do put a bed on, it would be aluminum to keep the weight down. I am actually surprised that i didn't have rust sooner. I keep it inside all year, my garage stays at 50 degrees minimum in the winter, most weekends it's as warm as the house and we leave the door open between the garage and the house so the dog can come out there too.


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## framer1901 (Dec 18, 2005)

I have three "good" beds and one sacrifical one that we throw scrap metal in. They all have dents in one place or another but the sacrifical one (06) is good above the wheel wells, I think, you can barely see it right now.. Cut what you want out of it if you want, you should be able to get close to that thing next week.

Thanks for the compliment on the beds, I got so tired of fixing quarter panels that it became the only way to go, now they find ways to dent the doors, hood and front quarters.:angry:


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## dfd9 (Aug 18, 2010)

framer1901;1634125 said:


> DJ's trucks all have a cost effective flat bed made by Ebling on them, our trucks all have flat beds on them all SRW - you see them all over town. National ladder up in GR on 44th will have some rack system that would do anything you need,,,,, for a price.


Pretty sure the beds come from Monroe Truck, because Ebling isn't doing much work for DJ anymore and hasn't for quite some time. FYI


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## IPLOWSNO (Oct 11, 2008)

Get big fender flares and don't worry about it for a couple years, I've had mine so long but I think they are bushwacker


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