Cutting down a drop side

[Joeinderry]

nyone here ever cut down a dropside to fit on a bobbed deuce? I just bobbed the truck next is the bed. I have a heavy duty plasma cutter is that the best tool to cut it with? If anyone has pictures of there cut down that would be a great help. Thanks for any advice or tips. Joe

 

[phil2968]

It can be done. I have seen this one first hand.

 

[gungearz]

Your better off with a slow moving cutting blade. If your good with the plasma with getting near perfect lines then by all means, use it. Its not really hard just very time consuming. You might have to cut off old hinges, clean them up and move them over. With a little ingenuity and a lot of time. You can get thru it just fine.

 

[RangerDave]

I used a 9" grinder with a cut off wheel to carve off 2' of deck on mine. We have the plasma cutter option to, but you will find that a nice strait ground out line is a lot easier to weld back together than having to straiten out and unscab the plasma blobs. The flatbed portion is corrugated so it will pose the problem of an incomplete cut after you slice the top layer off... I cut mine square and was literally able to mig it back together instantly... Someone took a picture of me doing it, it is just a matter of finding it and wondering if it has been digitized... Good luck.

 

[RangerDave]

I found them and digitized them for your pleasure... You will see in the 3rd one - in the back - that I used a torch to cut the body. Yes, I gave up with having to deal with all of the angles and stubbornness.... for nice strait lines and easy welds... Enjoy!!!

 

[RangerDave]

OH, yes, save the hinge stuff. If you do it right, the only thing you will have to do is re-locate the sliding pin over to the new spot and make sure it lines back up with the headboard.... If not you will have to move the hinge over and re-weld it in place.... I have become a fan of cut off wheels. disposable yes, fairly inexpensive, but wear your PPE because they have a tendency to explode into abrasive shrapnel if things go sideways and pinch.... I wear the respirator anyway - no telling what is in that 40 YO paint anyway...

 

[Joeinderry]

OH, yes, save the hinge stuff. If you do it right, the only thing you will have to do is re-locate the sliding pin over to the new spot and make sure it lines back up with the headboard.... If not you will have to move the hinge over and re-weld it in place.... I have become a fan of cut off wheels. disposable yes, fairly inexpensive, but wear your PPE because they have a tendency to explode into abrasive shrapnel if things go sideways and pinch.... I wear the respirator anyway - no telling what is in that 40 YO paint anyway...

Thanks, looks like I'll be buying a 9" grinder today.

 

[Ridgerunner]

RangerDave, after seeing your pictures you posted. I can say that I am so not looking forward to winter in any way.

 

[RangerDave]

Gotta do what ya gatta do.... Cause it aint gonna happen by it's self.... As long as you keep moving - it's not sooooo bad....

 

[spicergear]

I did one on my deuce crane truck. I used a Makita grinder with an .035" 4" disc to make all the cuts. Make sure of your measures and make sure to brace it well when welding back together.

The side will need to be braced and supported VERY well to keep them from moving when you weld them back. The whole process actually really sucks because it's a ton of work and everything is heavy.

 

[sickmoparfreak]

Clamp on a piece of angle iron as a guide, and use the plasma. I'd still keep the blades close by, as you really need some of it all.......nothing that cuts, fits in every place.....at least not for me! ha....

 

[lmanzo]

Hello I am new to ss and am loving this site. I was searching for bed options for my first bobbed duce project and was unsure of the way the drop side would look. After seeing these pictures I think i like it more than the trailer bed.

 

[Makincold]

Just cut down a non-dropside bed and it was amazingly fast and accurate with a sawzall and some Milwaukee "Torch" blades, cut an entire bed section out , 2 full cuts of the width of the bed, and only used 3 blades. Take your time, use angle iron as a guide and you will be surprised at the ease of the process

 

[sickmoparfreak]

Makincold is right those "torch" blades are awesome. Not cheap, but worth it.....

 

[Joeinderry]

Cutting bed

Thanks guys, I took all the sides off and cut it down with a 7" angle grinder as suggested. It is just a flatbed right now but in a couple weeks I will have the sides shortened and ready to go back on.