Quick question. New build, rear bed supports fill with water. Is there supposed to be a drain/relief hole at the bottom somewhere? Have to think this is a future rust issue. Thank you in advance.
Is there supposed to be a drain here? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter houstonfj40
- Start date
-
- Tags
- fj45 lwb
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Bear
SILVER Star
Good eye.
The original factory uprights on the bed sides of your pickup do not completely meet the bed floor. However, some later trucks do have seam sealer applied at the base and some restorers apply their own sealer or weld shut the gap, which unfortunately does tend to seal off a probable tall column of water and fine debris that can accumulate from the open slot at the top. The slot was intended to accept the fixing bar from the optional hoop setup for a canvas soft top bed topper. Likewise the small hole on the outside wall of the bed that usually has a plastic plug where an attaching bolt would hold the bar from the soft top. The setup had a 5-6" tall metal panel that sat on top of the bed rails into which the hoops sat. In some countries, simple holes were drilled by owners into the top of the bed rail. A less seen version had u-clamps that attached the hoops to the outside of the bed sides.
I have never seen a factory plug for that slot, but one would have been a good idea, since nearly all the pickups never came with the softtop option. Solution: a rubber/plastic slot plug, or drill a small hole at the base of the support. These were utility trucks and not meant to have the refinements of a modern automobile. There were many gaps in the assembly of these and some design flaws that accelerate rust and corrosion. But the heavy-duty nature of the vehicles has kept them as survivors these past 50 years despite their use and abuse and is a testament as to their general serious construction.
PS: nice zinc plating !
The original factory uprights on the bed sides of your pickup do not completely meet the bed floor. However, some later trucks do have seam sealer applied at the base and some restorers apply their own sealer or weld shut the gap, which unfortunately does tend to seal off a probable tall column of water and fine debris that can accumulate from the open slot at the top. The slot was intended to accept the fixing bar from the optional hoop setup for a canvas soft top bed topper. Likewise the small hole on the outside wall of the bed that usually has a plastic plug where an attaching bolt would hold the bar from the soft top. The setup had a 5-6" tall metal panel that sat on top of the bed rails into which the hoops sat. In some countries, simple holes were drilled by owners into the top of the bed rail. A less seen version had u-clamps that attached the hoops to the outside of the bed sides.
I have never seen a factory plug for that slot, but one would have been a good idea, since nearly all the pickups never came with the softtop option. Solution: a rubber/plastic slot plug, or drill a small hole at the base of the support. These were utility trucks and not meant to have the refinements of a modern automobile. There were many gaps in the assembly of these and some design flaws that accelerate rust and corrosion. But the heavy-duty nature of the vehicles has kept them as survivors these past 50 years despite their use and abuse and is a testament as to their general serious construction.
PS: nice zinc plating !
From my original '78.
It looks like it had factory seam sealer applied at the bottom.
No plugs on the top, but the original owner did have some kind of topper on it I think.
Looks like you have the wrong screws holding that thing down.
Post few pics of the whole truck.
It looks like it had factory seam sealer applied at the bottom.
No plugs on the top, but the original owner did have some kind of topper on it I think.
Looks like you have the wrong screws holding that thing down.
Post few pics of the whole truck.
It does seem odd that they would seal the bottom of that upright. I'm sure the benefits of sealing the seam is far out weighed by the problem of having standing water in there.
middlecalf
SILVER Star
This is the rear of the LPB bed, right? What are those fasteners for at the base of the column? What gets removed?
- Thread starter
- #6
From my original '78.
It looks like it had factory seam sealer applied at the bottom.
No plugs on the top, but the original owner did have some kind of topper on it I think.
Looks like you have the wrong screws holding that thing down.
Post few pics of the whole truck.
View attachment 1997939View attachment 1997940View attachment 1997941
[/QUOTE
It’s seam sealer. I will take a look at it later this evening. SA spec truck, 1981. Thanks for the quick responses! Will post more pics of her shortly.
DomSmith
SILVER Star
I’ll take it!
