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Dear all

I've recently acquired a Dodge WC53 and I would like to know if the two metal bed rails are screwed on top of the hard wood floor or are they mightered/sunk in flush?

Many thanks in advance.

James

On top like a truck

Not! I just dismantled my WC53. The floor was in great shape. The rails are countersunk in about 1/16 of an inch. I took lots of pictures if you need more help.........John

Could argue either way.

I originally thought they were recessed, but that is a lot of cutting for little reward. Not sure if they weren't originally just screwed on top and seventy years of dropping stuff on them hasn't just pounded them into the wood.

The wooden floorboards are clearly recessed on my carryall. If I'm going to spend years on a restoration I'll do it right. Abuse is not going to leave such a clearly defined cutout. The smashed wood would have to go somewhere. How can you disagree with my pictures? LOL.....John

When I pulled them out of my parts vehicle they seemed smashed into the wood and not cut in. Maybe some did get cut in

True, we do see all sorts of variations in our vehicles.

As far as the wood goes I have had one with spliced wood rails instead of one continuos piece. I imagine they did what they could with the supplies they had.

I can disagree with anyone, with a bit of effort

It is certainly something there could have been variation on, maybe even differences between early and late, van and Carryall.

Early floors were six 8" boards with a hair of a gap between on the pickups, but pretty soon they were gluing random width strips and then cutting those into 'boards' which is why so many floors look like jigsaw puzzles when they dry out and shrink.

The remnants of original van and Carryall floors I've seen personally were too far gone to tell if they had been recessed or not - maybe yours is a little better condition.

The best advice I can give is to assemble the floor in the vehicle, and not to drill holes, cut key slots, or rub strip grooves, until you are happy with the overall fit.

Hi James you should have given me a call you could have had a look at my Carryall cos my rails are fixed on top of the wood and it looks fine. or if you go to Howards have a look at Johns Carryall in the workshop. Dave. ( Happy New Year )

Cheers Dave,
Happy NY to you too. May well be in touch.
Regards
James

hmm old post, I'm assuming the old wood was 5/4 thick. or 1 inch for you non woodworkers ? would that be correct. the problem you run into with leaving the bed strips proud. is that when you go to put the radio table in, it leans it over. not to mention the sheet metal under the driver seat wont be flush. but my question is does any one have a list of the correct screws to hold down the skid strips. for 3/4 ton ? my master parts has let me down.


BB

G,Day All . My wc53 had the metal strip,s sunk in by about 1/16 of a inch . Probably the same as the wc51/2 wooden bed,s . So if they did it for the wc51/2 , why would they not do it for the 53 ? So i think , sunk in is the correct answer . Ray

Just an addendum . Go to wc 52 resto in the board index . It will show you the dimensions of the cut outs for a wc52 . It should be the same for a wc53 as they both use the same steel runner .as for the bolt .I think they are . Bolt step . 128444 , 5/16-18 x 1 3/4 inch . Page 421 Tm 10-1199 . Hope this help,s Ray

talked to jonny B the other day, the bed strips are punched diferent. he sells blanks for the carryall. I think all the carrall screws have blind nuts. so have to go in from the top ?

BB