Bed Rust - Replacement

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Date: Mon, 3 Mar 1997 11:01:44 -0800 (PST)
From: Jonathan Albrecht 
Subject: Bed Rust
To: Toy4x4@tlca.org

> My 1986 long bed SR5 has been a pleasure to own and drive.  It only has
> 55,000 miles and has had no major mechanical problems.  My problem is RUST!!
> The cab is in excellent condition. The bed is fast dying from "rust cancer".
> In my search for a replacement bed, I observe that practically all Toyota
> trucks of this and even later vintage have the same problem; good
> cab..rusty bed. 
> What is the explanation for this phenomenon?  

I once heard this (and this is a rumor told to me from a friend who had
talked to somebody else, who had heard this from somewhere...). 
Supposedly all (or most) '84-'88 trucks were made in Japan, but without
the bed.  The beds were made seperately here (USA), and for whatever
reason just weren't of very good quality. 

But, I don't know how accurate that is...  Part of it also has to do with
the design, and the way that it was put together (namely, those spot welds
right above the rear fenders)...  But I think it also has to do with
materials too.

Ever notice that some red truck's bed's tend to fade/oxidize to an almost
completley different color than the cab?  I've seen like 4 or 5 of these.
The only explanation I can think of, is sub-standard materials.  I just
dunno..

> Where can one obtain a replacement bed?
> Are there fiberglas beds available?

The two solutions that I've heard of (recently) are as follows:

- -----------
(from Brian Schmidt)
 
Dick's Auto Parts
50521 State Road #13
Middlebury, IN 46540
1-219-825-7424
FAX 1-219-825-7463
Hours: Mon-Fri 8-5, Sat 8-12, Closed Sun
They take VISA and MasterCard
 
Interior: 12 GA Galvaneel Steel w/inner wall construction
Exterior: One piece fiberglass Sides
Tailgate: Steel Interior w/fiberglass exterior
Bed: Comes primed and undercoated, Complete w/all mounting hardware.
 ----------

I haven't called about that one yet.  The other that I just recently
checked on, was Land Cruiser Solutions.  They are located in NH, and there
number is (603) 382-3555.  Ask for Ted (sp?).  

Anyway, I talked to him last week, and he said that due to the high demand
for these beds, they will eventually make a replacement model.  Although
he didn't specify, I would suspect that it would only be a shortbox (for
now anyway).  These will be made out of Aluminum, and according to him are
both stronger and lighter than the OEM steel bed.  And, of course they
won't ever rust (might corrode though..).

I asked for a real 'ballpark' estament of when they would be available,
and how much they would run for.  He guessed 6-8 months, and anywhere from
1500-2000.  But these are just estimates.  

But please, give him a call, and let him know that there is a market for
these beds!


Also, I noticed that NWOR has a 'stepside' fiberglass replacement bed, but
they list it as 'discontinued', you might want to check on this.  And
Downey has a more generic style stepside that may fit too.  Both run about
1200 or 1400...maybe more.  But I didn't notice anything that would work
for your LWB though.


Oh yeah, I'm not affiliated with any of these companies, yada, yada,
yada..  YMMV... 


Jonathan Albrecht
albr9619@uidaho.edu
http://www.uidaho.edu/~albr9619/

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Date: Tue, 4 Mar 1997 09:32:06 +0000
From: "Mike Williams" 
Subject: Bed Rust
To: Toy4x4@tlca.org

On  4 Mar 97 , "The List" wrote:

................................... My problem is RUST!!
> > The cab is in excellent condition. The bed is fast dying from "rust cancer".
> > In my search for a replacement bed, I observe that practically all Toyota
> > trucks of this and even later vintage have the same problem; good
> > cab..rusty bed. 
> > What is the explanation for this phenomenon?  
> 
In the early '80s, the US government was trying to protect US 
automakers from foreign competition.  To protect the auto makers, the 
government slapped a 20% (or 25%) surcharge on all trucks that were 
completely manufactured overseas.  To avoid this surcharge, Toyota 
imported their trucks into US without the beds; the beds were 
imported into the US separately.  Then the beds were painted and 
installed on the trucks in Toyota's Freemont (I believe it is 
Freemont) California plant.  That is why the paint match is bad 
sometimes.  Often the beds would arrive at the docks in California 
with the rust already started.  Eventually some of the beds were made 
in the US.  That is also why the beds on the early trucks vary: some 
have tailgate latches, some tailgate handles, some have bed hooks on 
the outside, and some have a rolled edge others have a lip.   

Cause of the rust was said to be "exposure to the elements".  The 
problem area was usually the spot welds that hold the bed together.

FWIW the bed on my '81 had the dreaded cancer.  I pulled the bed off 
of the truck, had the bed taken apart (the beds do unassemble), then 
had the pieces "dipped and stripped".  The "dipping and stripping" 
took all the old paint off and ate the rust.  The rust holes were 
then filled, the metal prepped and painted.  Expensive yes, but a lot 
cheaper than buying a fiberglass bed and then having it prepped and 
painted.  Does it work, Yes.  I did this to my bed about ten years 
ago and today the bed looks great.  Granted it has some normal rust 
for a vehicle painted 10 years ago, but no more cancer.







        Mike Williams
======+++++++++++++======
       mwill@ctos.com
  ===++++++++++++++===

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Date: Tue, 4 Mar 1997 09:49:25 -0500
From: grandall@tmac.com
Subject: Truck beds
To: Toy4x4@tlca.org

     > The next thing I want to do is replace the bed.  
     
     I went through this a couple of years ago with my '85 shortbed and 
     finally ordered a brand new bed with tailgate and interior panels from 
     Toyota West in NC.  It cost about $1300 shipped to Maine.  I couldn't 
     find anything used and came to the conclusion that the beds are eaten 
     away by electrolysis.  If you patch one the metal around the patch 
     will turn to lace in a year or two.
     
     According to the dealer the beds are/were made in CA and installed on 
     Japanese trucks to avoid tariffs.  The seams are rustproofed with a 
     totally indestructible goo.  Anything protected with it survives.  
     Unfortunately, the goo must affect the central nervous system of those 
     spraying it on because not much ends up on the seams.  On top of that, 
     it isn't applied to the spot welds.
     
     Before installing the new bed I filled all the corrugated ends that 
     trap mud/water with silicone caulk.  Then I applied two quarts of seam 
     sealer to the underside, making sure to coat every nook and cranny.  
     After that I applied a good rubberized asphalt undercoating.  When 
     that was dry, I sprayed on a self healing wax undercoat.  This is all 
     pretty easy with the bed upside down.  Since I was going to install a 
     bed liner I applied seam sealer over every spot weld on the interior.
     
     I attached the bed with about $30 worth of stainless steel bolts and 
     nuts instead of the optional bolt package (which costs more).  I want 
     to be able to lift it off every couple of years for retouching.  The 
     bed weighs about 300# and can be lifted with ropes at each corner; not 
     a big deal with overhead rafters, enough rope, and a slight knowledge 
     of rope rigging. 
     
     I went this route because I just couldn't find a suitable replacement 
     and I wanted to reinstall my custom fiberglass cap.  The bed was epoxy 
     primed and delivered in a cardboard box on a palette without a problem 
     or a dent.  The folks at Toyota West were very helpful, verifying my 
     measurements, etc..  The whole deal was handled by e-mail and credit 
     card.  My local dealer wanted over $2400 for the same bed.  I also 
     bought some other parts that were discounted 20-30%  You can contact 
     them at:
     
      Tony Furr
      Toyota West, Inc.
      1007 Folger Drive
      Statesville, NC 28677
      1-800-316-3017
      e-mail: 73744.3043@compuserve.com

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Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 09:58:06 -0600
From: mstano@okway.okstate.edu (Michael Stano)
Subject: Toyota replacement beds
To: toy4x4@tlca.org

A number of people have asked about a list of resources I developed for
replacement beds.  My list follows (sorry I don't have complete info on all
sources).



Toyota dealer:  Since I couldn't find a fiberglass longbed for my '84, I have
purchased a complete new bed assembly (everything but gas door and hardware)
from Toyota for $1495 including shipping.

Other:

   All Models Mini Truck & 4 Wheel
   3002 S. 40th St.
   Phoenix, AZ  85040-1621
   1-800-999-0404
   price = $375 - $450 + shipping

   Rancho Cordova
   (near Sacramento)
   1-800-765-7100
   price = $650 - $750 + shipping

   Redline Motorsports
   1256 Cottonwood Circle
   Corona, CA  91719
   1-909-734-3765
   price = $1000 - $1500 + shipping

   I Love Trucks
   18327 Napa St.
   Northridge, CA
   1-800-367-8725
   price = $1500 + shipping



   Dick's Auto Parts
   50521 State Road 13
   Middlebury, IN  46540-9653
   1-219-825-7424

   Malotte Mfg.
   390 G Street
   Lincoln, CA  95648
   1-916-645-8111

   Auto Fab
   1-619-562-1740

   Auto Craftsmen
   44255 Fremont Blvd., Suite A
   Fremont, CA  94538

   Downey Off Road
   10001 S. Pioneer Blvd.
   Santa Fe Springs, CA  90670-3221
   1-310-949-9494

Hope this list helps.
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Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 10:12:46 -0600
From: Tony Bartlett 
Subject: '90 bed on 79-83 trucks.
To: toy4x4@tlca.org

I just went wheeling with a few people in my area with Toyotas and saw a
few interesting things.

One person had a 1990 truck bed on his 82? truck.  All he did was cut a
piece of metal on each side of the front of the bed (against the cab) so
he could push the sides in and weld it back up (to make it a little
narrower)  I thought it looked real good.  Almost a perfect match.  He
said that the two front mount bolts lined up and two of the rear.  The
other two rear where about 1/2 inch off and he left them out.

I do not know how prone to rust these beds are but its a great idea for
those with the first gen. Toys.

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From:	Barney McNamara [SMTP:barney@flowpoint.com]
Sent:	Thursday, September 17, 1998 8:11 PM
To:	Toy4x4@tlca.org; Ddezyner@aol.com
Subject:	THE TOY BOX

I got an email from Corey Maidment 
who is making some nice looking fiberglass beds for Toyota
trucks. I don't know anything about the company or the product.
He contacted me after seeing my web site, and I offered to pass
on his info to the group.

He has a new web page:
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Flats/1738

Take a look if you are interested.

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Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 20:41:04 -0400
From: Agustinus Gunawan 
Subject: RE: THE TOY BOX

Nice product but that is extremely expensive for us in US to order from them.
$1600 bed + $ 430 Tailgate + $500 shipping = $2530 Canadian
$2530 X 0.65 = $ 1655 US

my local dealer could get me the original for $1200 delivered. 

I think there are one company in Rhode Island offering for around $900
But I lost the link to their homepage.
Anybody have their address and phone no?


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Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 15:17:32 -0400
From: "Andy Zook" 
Subject: Re: P/U Boxes

http://24.229.36.29/images/jeffparagon.jpg
http://24.229.36.29/pictures/paragon/DanJP013.jpg

Check out these 2 pictures of mine. The only things I had to change were the
bolts pattern on the fuel filler tube. Everything else bolts/plugs right up
including the body mounts and the tail light plugs. I have heard that 2 of
the 8 body mounts do not line up. If this is true, these must have been the
ones that I cut out when I bobbed the bed. If 2 don't line up, it is not a
big deal. Just leave those bolts out.

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Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 15:55:56 -0500
From: "NUNES, ROB" 
Subject: RE: P/U Boxes

The two body mounts that do not line up are the rear ones. I put a '94 bed
on my '86. I found that the mounting holes are only off by a few inches. My
truck had a 3" body lift. With the body lift, I was able to mount the
body-lift spacer to the frame mounting hole as normal. The top end of the
mount, that meets the bed, was left in a cantilevered position. I used a
"big" washer on the end of the body bolt. When I tightened the body
nut&bolt, the "big" washer clamped down on the bed mount like a clamp.

You could also weld a tab on the bed mount that would have a new mounting
hole to line up with the frame mount.

Rob Nunes


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Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 14:30:08 -0800
From: Roy Hafeli 
Subject: Re: Toyota 4x4 digest: V2 #248

I replaced the box off my 1986 SR-5 with one off a '91 4x2.  The body style
is close enough, the mounts were exactly the same plus the tail light wiring
was the same.  I did have to do some mods to the fuel filler hose and the
fuel door lock would not fit the new box.  Because of this, I have to carry
two keys (ignition and fuel).  The license plate lights were different, so I
used the ones off the old truck.  When my 8 year old daughter saw the truck,
she thought I had purchased a new one.  Even the paint was the same!  I was
suprised how easily everything went together.

Roy
'86 standard cab SR5

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