M135 Bed measurements and pictures

[gentrysgarage]

HiYa Folks,

Planning ahead here...

I am contemplating a Plan C here.

Plan A is getting the bed that Paul found that is hacked 3 feet (which actually works for my truck) but I am worried about shipping (and negating any savings) and the seller isn't budging on the price though its been for sale for MONTHS!

Plan B is buying a regular M135 bed (not really into cutting a good bed)...and the 3 $200 to $250 that have come up for sale are too far away and would be too costly to ship Again.

Plan D is just to modify a M211/M35 bed, but anything close to me is 750-1500 I can't see that much outlay for something that would need alot of work to make it look right in the first place. And as I am not moving the rear rear axle so a M105 bed isn't even a consideration.

So what is Pan C?

Plan C is building my own bed. If I weren't so hung up on making the truck "appear" to be stock to the general public it would be an easy build. But it seems I like doing things the hard way. LOL!

So since it is far away at this point I would like to get the ball rolling ... I am looking for 2 pictures, one of the top of the bed (from above) and the other of a bed flipped over...I have been searching for decent pics for months on the internet and have come up empty. I will take these pictures and get dimensional lines on it and ask you guys to fill in the measurements. Then we will have a reference here for people like us who need a bed and don't have the green for an "original" was in the Korean War at Heatbreak Ridge price.

Thanks in Advance!

EDITS: I will be adding pictures as I get them done on this post, so it stays clean and easy, and the questions at the end of the tread.

Here are the drawings so far 3.11.18:



PS will take a better picture tomorrow!

PPS could a mod please rotate picture...don't understand why website flips some pictures.......

 

[gentrysgarage]

pictures

Kinda messy, but I hope clear enough of what I am looking for. And steel soldiers.com rotated them ugly ...they where all the right way up...Honest!

 

[gentrysgarage]

So looking at the underside and seeing they are equally spaced the hat channel is 16" on center! Anybody recognize the pictures? Heheheheee

 

[gentrysgarage]

I have found dimensions on a G506 Bed that I will adapt, but still want a few measurements to make it look right.

1) Inside bed side wall to wall (there are 3 different measurements of this on Steelsoldiers)

2)Outside bed at top outside to outside

3)Bottom of bed outside to outside

4)Bed floor from front to rear tailgate open

5)Bed floor from front to rear tailgate shut

6)Front bulkhead to wheelwell

7)Wheelwell flat surface (lenght)

Rear of wheelwell to bed edge (tailgate open)

9)The dimensions of the hat channel underneath the bed

With these measurements and the G506 measurements I should be able to design a bed that looks like it belongs on an authentic single rear wheel XM135!

THANKS!

 

[m1010plowboy]

M135 cargo box

We might need to come up with a 'most likely' measurement if we're getting different numbers. We'll be finished digging snow out by Friday. I intend to visit Goose and George so I can check between two 135's. We found different glass sizes between the trucks too so seeing different numbers must be a 50's thing.

The data plate only shows the OA.....measurement which I'm guessing is "outside of axle" at 88"? Surprised I couldn't find the measurements in one of the books so it'll be good to get the detailed measurements in this well titled thread.



Are you just looking for the metal gauge, flare and cap measurements on point 9? Describe the "Hat Channel" under the bed a bit better for me.

 

[DUUANE]

Ill try and put the tape to my M135 bed this weekend for you.

 

[gentrysgarage]

Are you just looking for the metal gauge, flare and cap measurements on point 9? Describe the "Hat Channel" under the bed a bit better for me.

The hat channel is in the last picture in my previous post with the arrows saying "welded?" Guage size is appreciated also!

Yes, I too searched both TM sets and got some of the inside bed numbers but not much and one measurement was ambiguous.

Thanks Duanne and Dave...is that a Double D?

 

[DUUANE]

Ouside bed dimensions wheel well photo at 7:00 is inside wheel well measurement. The rest are all from the front

 

[DUUANE]

Bed width and length measurements inside end to end, tailgate down and outside to outside, end to end tailgate up.

 

[DUUANE]

Hat channels look to be about 2" top to bottom from the underside of the bed floor to the bottom of the hat.1" flange on either side of the T..about 4 1/4" across the top of the T
Made from 1/8" thick material

 

[gentrysgarage]

Thanks so much! These measurements help a ton I can see why all the beds I have seen on craigslist have been in such great shape...The hat channels are large, have decent amount of surface support area, probably set the standard for 16" spacing ANNND between the bed thickness of an 1/8" its thick too!
Could I bother you for one more measurement (or clarity if I missed it or just didn't understand) inside the bed the wheelwell length at the top horizontal plane.

Thanks Again!!!

 

[DUUANE]

Ill put the tape across it in the morning. Always glad to help where i can. Trying to get dimensions of things you dont already have in the yard to guestimate how things will work or not is a huge challenge..especially in kanada.

 

[m1010plowboy]

M135 box

It looks like the boys....or girls?..... went fast when putting the boxes together. There is a difference between the boxes by as much as 1/2" so back in the day we dropped the square and compass then slapped em' together. Both boxes I measured are 1956, one March and one November.

These are the oddities from the 'inside box' measurements.

Top of the fender can be either 89" or 89 1/2" long.

Distance from back of fender to tailgate can be either 23" or 23 1/2".

Front of fender to front of box was 35" or 35 1/4".

Both boxes measured a 3" longer than 12' from bulkhead to tailgate, open or closed, or open or closed.

The steel is at that 1/8" gauge......without any signs of cracking after 60 years. The top and bottom channels are drawn in as a cross-section looking from the back. A rear view, back-end, butt side cut open drawing.

Here's a pic with a "Ball Park" round average of the fairest numbers from the DD DD team.

 

[gentrysgarage]

Yes a few different dimensions as a few different plants making them.
Thanks Guys will start drawing soon and of course share!

 

[gentrysgarage]

I am adding the latest drawings at the first post of this thread and asking questions here. Could I get a picture underneath the bed at a 45 degree angle so I can see what channel they used at the front and rear of the bed and a seam if any. Going to start on detail/sectional drawings this week.
Thanks
Please disregard small print found a good picture of what I was looking for !

 

[m1010plowboy]

Upside down photos

I worked all day to try and flip Goose over so I could get bottom pictures for you. I did get it over at a 45° angle but was moving too fast to snap a pic'.



It's tough to see any welds on the inside of the top rail so I'm thinking they, whoever they are, used one piece for the side and top-rail. The inside radius is real clean and building complete sides with 3 bends would be quick.



It also looks like the deck had a 1" lip bent up at the 80" width. That gave them 2 seams to weld to attach the deck to the sides.



The dimensions of 80" deck with two 4" rails along the sides to give us that 88" width...which is what 'the' book says.

 

[gentrysgarage]

Thanks Plowboy for the pictures...they confirm my suspicions! It helps this blind man to describe the elephant! Should have taken a video of the Goose flipping! LOL

What is so cool is that alot of the construction details of this bed is exactly the same as the earlier WWII Chevy/GMC beds.

What they did is the sides are one piece, the bed floor has a lip up the sides, the lower outside "rub rail" has a lip on the outside...making for a really strong sandwiched joint.

Now the blind man is speaking....I "see" the front bulkhead is one piece that wraps around and includes the front stake pockets......lets see if this blind man can see!!!