Frame Members - Bed Attachment Bracket
Frame Members - Bed Attachment Bracket
WARNING: Frame rail crush zones absorb crash energy during a collision and must be replaced if damaged. Straighten damaged frame rails to correct frame dimensions prior to frame member sectioning. Failure to follow these instructions may adversely affect frame rail performance and may result in serious personal injury to vehicle occupant(s).
WARNING: Invisible ultraviolet and infrared rays emitted in welding can injure unprotected eyes and skin. Always use protection such as a welder's helmet with dark-colored filter lenses of the correct density. Electric welding will produce intense radiation, therefore, filter plate lenses of the deepest shade providing adequate visibility are recommended. It is strongly recommended that persons working in the weld area wear flash safety goggles. Also wear protective clothing. Failure to follow these instructions may result in serious personal injury.
WARNING: Always wear protective equipment including eye protection with side shields, and a dust mask when sanding or grinding. Failure to follow these instructions may result in serious personal injury.
NOTE: Observe prescribed welding procedures when carrying out repairs to the frame assembly. For additional information, refer to Welding Precautions - Steel Service Precautions.
NOTE: This procedure applies to vehicles with 1.67 m (5.5 ft) pickup bed.
WARNING: Never install used or reconditioned parts (as specified below) from pre-owned, salvaged or damaged vehicles. The use of such parts could lead to serious injury.
Never use non-Ford parts or accessories for completing repairs.
Ford Motor Company does not approve or recognize body and structural repair procedures, tools, parts or anything but new genuine Ford equipment. Ford cannot attest to the safety, quality, durability or legality of non-Ford parts or accessories. Use of such parts could lead to serious personal injury as they may contain damage which is not visible.
Ford does not approve use of the following:
- Salvaged or used parts
- Major body clips or assemblies from salvage vehicles
- Aftermarket structural or body components
- Salvaged or reconditioned wheels
- Used supplemental restraint system (SRS) components
- air bags
- restraint system modules
- safety belts, buckles or retractors
- crash sensors
Returning a vehicle to pre-accident condition can only be assured if repair procedures are carried out by skilled technicians using new genuine Ford parts and Ford-approved methods. Structural component repair procedures approved by Ford, using genuine Ford parts, have been validated by Ford Motor Company engineers.
Ford Motor Company does not endorse, cannot attest to, and makes no representations regarding structural repairs (frames, rails, aprons and body panels) carried out using non-genuine Ford Motor Company parts or non-Ford-approved methods. In particular, Ford makes no representations that the vehicle will meet any crash safety or anti-corrosion performance requirement. Such parts and methods have not been tested by Ford, and may not meet Ford's requirements for safety, performance, strength, quality, durability and corrosion protection.
Ford Motor Company bears no responsibility or liability of any kind if repairs are performed using alternative structural component repair procedures and/or parts.
1. Remove the rear tailgate assembly and complete pickup bed assembly. For additional information, refer to Truck Bed.
2. Cover the evaporative emissions fuel line, tie back the fuel filler tube and any wire harnesses from the repair area.
3. Grind the welds that retain the attachment bracket and remove the forward bed-to-frame retention bracket from the frame.
4. Using a wire brush or sanding disc, remove E-coat paint from the surrounding frame rail area within approximately 15 mm (0.59 in) of the intended weld location.
5. Using a wire brush or sanding disc, remove the E-coat paint from the replacement bracket edges.
6. Locate the correct mounting position of the new brackets, relative the rear body mount frame bracket and existing hole in the top of the frame rail. Tack weld the brackets in position.
7. NOTE: Using the replacement pickup bed, locate pickup bed holes to the existing frame attachment holes maintaining correct front-of-bed to cab cross car flushness and fore-aft-margins equal from left hand side to right hand side. Check to make sure the character line on the cab and the character line on the bed match on left hand and right hand side. Adjust the bracket as necessary to match cab and bed character lines.
Mark the position of the attachment hole, on the new frame bracket, by inserting a marker through the existing forward bed floor pan hole. Drill an 18 mm (0.708 in) hole into the new frame bracket.
8. Remove the pickup bed and complete welding the new frame bracket to the frame side rail. Use a MIG welding machine capable of producing 200 amps minimum must be used. Use 0.9-1.1 mm (0.035-0.045 in) ER70S-3 or equivalent weld wire that is compatible with mild (Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 1010) steel.
- Dress welds as necessary.
9. Clean exposed metal surfaces with metal surface prep or equivalent.
10. Apply corrosion protection to the repair area as required. For additional information regarding corrosion protection, refer to Restoring Corrosion Protection Following Repair .
11. NOTE: New attachment clips must be installed whenever the pickup bed is removed. Install new attachment clips, part number W708605, before installing the pickup bed. Make sure the anti-squeak pads, part number F0TA-5C036-AA and YL34-5C036-AA, are located in the correct positions before installing the pickup bed.
Reinstall the pickup bed.