M101A3 bed length issue

[Mike O.]

Have a very nice M101A3 I bought last year. The thing is flawless with one exception....the bed length. I thought after searching here that the inside bed length was 96". Nope...mine is 95 7/8".

The biggest use of it is lumber which is 96"+. Just loaded it up the other day with 26 sheets of wallboard and 45 2x4s for a little project and couldn't get the tailgate to close. That last 1/8" is a real bummer.

First off, anyone here have one that is a full 96" inside? Second, anything short of getting the angle grinder and welder out to solve this?

Mike O.

 

[T-Wrecks]

I'm sure with little effort you could extent the hinges on the gate and the trailer sides to gain a bit of room. You would need to moddify the latches. You could cut all of the tabs from the hinges off and weld a piece of tubing to where the tabs were cut off the bed the reweld the tabs on the other side of the tubing.... just a thought....

 

[therealsundance]

Same as mine. Bummer.

 

[Darwin T]

do like i do in my ford ranger before i got a deuce. a sheet of plywood and some 10' 2x4's. when you get ready to go put the 4 2x4's down (hanging out over the tailgate) and then the plywood. load on top of that. everything will slide to the front and all you will need is one strap. cheaper and easier than trailer reconstruction.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Is it really that hard to cheat an eighth inch in the bed of a 101?

 

[porkysplace]

Most 8 foot 2x4 will be about 8 3/8 inch they rarely cut them to proper legth at the mill.

 

[Pawnshop]

Take the tailgate off when hauling a load of plywood, or mod the hinges to give the extra 1/2".

 

[Darwin T]

dang Pawnshop thats even easier and cheaper than my idea. work smarter not harded

 

[ENTRAIL]

I made up somw extra chains, that hold the tailgate at the same level as the bed this way I can haul 10 or 12 footers very easy and have hauled 16 footers this way.

 

[SPCWarning]

How about a tailgate net?
Can be bought everywhere,
Cheap,
Removable when not in use,
Strong,
Durable,
Can be spray painted to match the trailer,
Will flex enough to have lumber hanging out an inch or so,
Will keep lumber from moving back.
This combined with ENTRAIL's idea of the gate riding level would work and even look good.

 

[ChrisABQ07]

I had an idea on this problem today and I thought I'd throw it out here for consideration. I went out and measured my 101A2 tailgate hinges and came up with the following info:
1. The total hinge width is about 3 3/4"wide.
2. The hinge strap on the tail gate is 2" wide.
3. The distance between the hinge eyes is about 2 1/4".
4. The hinge eyes (2-both sides) are each about 3/4" wide.
5. The usable shaft of the hinge pin (inner flat part of the head to the cotter pin) is about 4 1/8".
6. The hinge pin shaft is about 1/2" in diameter.
So here is what I came up with - What about replacing the hinge pins with a 3/8" x 4 1/2" (usable shaft) Grade 8 bolt, 2 washers and a Grade 8 nut and locktite? I don't know what the existing pin is made of, but the smaller, harder, bolt would allow about 1/8" play in the hinge at the bottom of the tailgate. I don't know if this would compromise the hinge any, but it would be a quick fix for about $10. And no cutting or welding involved...
Thoughts?

 

[Pawnshop]

Clever!

 

[harleyhouse]

Hinge spacer

Good idea, but the slop will wear the pin holes.
Space the tub mounted hinge loop out from the tub.
they bolt on from behind. This will give you the needed space
make the spacers 3/8" or 1/4".

 

[CUCVFAN]

ARRGGHHH!! The red is burning my eyes! Make it stop!!!

You really need to warn a guy first.

And, you really should have those pins chromed...

 

[Ressoldier]

Good idea, but the slop will wear the pin holes.
Space the tub mounted hinge loop out from the tub.
they bolt on from behind. This will give you the needed space
make the spacers 3/8" or 1/4".

Mark- I beleive we were thinking the same thing. Remove the part that goes through the cross member adding a washer or spacer and then reinstall. Now the hinge mounting point is 1/8 or more out allowing the cargo to fit.

 

[ChrisABQ07]

harleyhouse -
I followed your lead and checked my trailer hinge eyes. They all had about 1/2" of usable thread behind the nut. It would make for a much cleaner and simpler modification to unbolt them and add a spacer. The CARC paint made it look like the eye bolts were welded on - not bolted on.
Thanks for the pointer.
And, yes, chrome the pins....