Desert Rides :: Building a Bedcage

Building a Bedcage

This how-to article will cover the basics of what you need to know before tackling a bed cage project. We will explain the process of cycling the suspension, finding the shock mounting points, and more. However, it will not give specific measurements, design should be your own unique idea. Please do not attempt this project if your fabrication skills are sub-par. Desert Rides takes no responsibility for your actions or design. Note: this article is based off of a 1998 2wd Ranger which intended to permanently remove the bed, but the principles will certainly apply in other applications.

Required/Recommended Tools and Materials:

• Tube Bender with 1.5" x 180º die, additional dies optional but not necessary depending on design. Fullsize truck owners may want to consider using 1.75". If this is being built for race purposes, check your rulebook for tubing specifications.
• Welder, 220v MIG or TIG preferred
• Chop saw
• Sawzall
• Tubing: 1.5" diameter x .120 wall mild steel is common for the beginner-indermediate fabricator. Many professionals will choose 1.5" x .095 DOM or Chromoly tubing. If you are not familiar with the mechanical properties and do's/dont's of these steels, it is not recommended to use them. In my case, I chose 1.5" x .120 mild steel for the shock hoop and bumper, and 1.5" x .090 for triangulation and x-bracing. Expect to use roughly 60 ft depending on design. Fullsize truck owners may want to consider using 1.75". If building a race truck, follow the specifics in your rule book.
• Steel plate: 3/16" and 1/8" are commonly used. (Note: you will need access to an oxy-acetylene torch, plasma cutter, or properly equipped band saw to cut patterns in plate).
• Heavy duty jack and (4) jackstands.
• Assortment of sockets, wrenches, and hand tools.
• Bench grinder, angle grinder, drill press, and vise.
• 2x4 wood scrap pieces
• C-Clamps
• Measuring caliper
• Handheld power drill and bits
• Anything else you will find useful!

Required/Recommended Parts:

• Decent prerunner or race leaf spring pack (Deaver, National, etc.), if not already equipped.
• Custom shackle, available from Giant, Camburg, and many others. Stock shackle may be used depending on spring design.
• Set of race shocks, 14+" recommended depending on your potential travel. Try to use the closest stroke shock in relation to your estimated wheel travel (estimated travel can be attained by contacting your spring manufacturer), however do not purchase a shock that is too long. This can be a reservoir or non-reservoir, bypass or standard shock, 2", 2.5", 3", and any brand will do the job. This depends on the owner's preference and budget. 2.5" is commonly used on mini trucks, while 3" is popular on heavy use and fullsize trucks. The ideal shock would be a 3" 3+ tube bypass for ultimate durability and adjustability.
• Limit straps, strap length depends on your wheel travel and mounting points.
• If you are building a Ranger and planning on achieving more than 16" of wheel travel, you will need a new soft brake line running to your axle, as well as a new crossmember which lies under your driveshaft. The problem is that your stock brake line is rather tight at or around 16" droop, and you certainly do not want this occurring (see picture here). Steel braided DOT approved replacement lines are available at Kartek. Also, the driveshaft may hit your frame crossmember around 16" of droop, limiting the suspension and grinding the driveshaft on the member. Bolt on crossmembers are relatively simple to build, and will allow your springs to cycle to their full potential (see replacement xmember here).
• (Qty 4) 1/2" bolts for your shocks. Length will depend on shock mount design. An additional (8) 1/2"x1.25" bolts will be necessary if you are flipping your shackle hangers, and another (4) 1/2"x1.25" bolts are needed for a driveshaft crossmember replacement.
• Precut plate for the lower shock mounts. You can cut a template and have these ready beforehand to save time.
• Fiberglass bedsides. Available from Hannemann, Glassworks, and other vendors.
• (12+) dzus tabs or other fasteners for holding your bedsides in place.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate-Difficult depending on previous fabrication experience.

Step 1: Removing the bed

	1) Remove tailgate and rear bumper for accessibility.
	2) If equipped, remove bedliner. Proceed by removing the bed bolts (Ford Rangers use a T-55 Torx head, which is not commonly included in most Torx sets).
	3) Remove tail lamps, and any plastic rivets fastening the wiring to the body.
	4) Remove the small bolts from inside the gas door.
	5) Double check that the bed is free of fasteners and connections to the frame.
	6) With the help of a friend, lift the bed, remove, and place it away from the work area.

Step 2: Removing the rear suspension

1) Loosen rear wheel lugnuts and place jack under the axle pumpkin. Chock your front tires and jack the rear of your truck to a decent height and place your heavy duty jackstands securely beneath the frame rails forward of the front spring hangers. Remove tires and set them aside.
2) Unbolt and remove shocks. Jack the axle slightly higher, and place another set of jackstands under the axle tubes to support the weight.
3) Remove u-bolts and and spring plates.
4) Remove leaf springs by unbolting each end at the spring hanger and shackle.
	5) If you have not already flipped your rear shackle hangers, now would be the time to do so. The process involves grinding the heads of the rivets flush with the hanger base, and punching them through. There will be 4 rivets on one side, and 2 rivets and 2 bolts on the other. This process can take up to 10 min per rivet. Once these are removed, enlarge the rivet holes on the frame and hanger with a 1/2" bit. Reinstall the hangers upside down and bolt them in place with 1/2"x1.25" grade 8 bolts, washers, and nuts. This is hard to visualize but we will have an article explaining this process in detail relatively soon. In the meantime, please inquire at our Forum with any questions. If you plan on adding custom shackles, do so now. Unbolt the stock shackles and swap the new ones in place. Be sure to put a healthy coat of silicone grease on the shackle bushings to prevent fatigue and squeaking before bolting the shackle in the hanger. The flipped shackle should look like the photo to the left.
	6) As noted in our Required/Recommended Parts section listed above, you will need an extended brake line and new crossmember if you plan on achieving 16" travel or more on a Ford Ranger. If this is the case, you should now replace your stock brake line and crossmember. Use a line wrench on the line so as to not strip or damage the soft nut, and swap on your new line. Try your best to catch the draining brake fluid from the brakes and frame fitting to keep your work area clean. Removing your stock crossmember will require removing an additional 4 rivets in the same fashion as the shackle hanger. Shield your gas tank with a welding blanket or comparable item and remove the rivets. Once these are gone, you will notice that two tabs in the frame are preventing the crossmember from being removed. By prying the member up and outward, you can get it loose and remove it. It may take some time but it is certainly possible, be patient. Once this is removed, bore the holes on the frame with a 1/2" bit and bolt on your new crossmember with 1/2"x1.25" grade 8 bolts, washers, and nuts. Replacement crossmember and brakeline are shown in the photos to the left.

Step 3: Disassembling your spring pack

	1) Before taking apart the pack, run a paint marker down the bottom of the pack (meaning that the end of each leaf has a mark on one side). This will help you figure out the orientation of the leaves and indicate which way to stack them back together when it comes time to reassemble the pack.
2) With the spring pack you intend to use with your new bedcage, remove the (4) sleeved bolts on the spring clamps. Do not remove them main bolt in the middle of the pack which runs directly through the entire spring.
	3) Tighten a c-clamp next to the main bolt in the middle of the pack. Now you may remove this bolt. Once it is out, slowly loosen the c-clamp and your pack will come apart. The reason for the c-clamp is to prevent the pack from suddenly popping apart and possibly causing injury.
	4) Remove all other leaves, so that you have the main leaf separate (this is the leaf with bushing/eyes on each side). Having the main leaf on its own will make cycling the suspension much easier, as it gives less resistance.

Step 4: Prepping the lower shock mount and simulating the leaf pack thickness

	1) If you have not already done so, make a template for your lower shock mounts by tracing the contour of your spring plate. This will be roughly triangle shaped and will have a 1/2" hole drilled near the top. You will need (4) of these built symmetrically. Cut, deburr, and drill these plates.
	2) Once these plates are ready, measure the width between the shock misalignment spacers and simulate this width with multiple washers or a similar item.
3) Eye the plates and make sure they run parallel with the edges and are straight.
4) Tack weld the plates in position. A few heavy spots will prevent these plates from shifting or becoming disoriented.
	5) While the spring plate/lower shock mounts are cooling, begin working on the wooden blocks which will simulate the leaves that have been removed from the pack. This will ensure accurate cycling while the leaves are removed. I used 2x4 wooden scrap which was cut roughly 2" high. Make (2) of these blocks and drill a 1/2" hole through the center longways.
	6) Bolt these wooden blocks to the bottom of your spring packs with the original main leaf bolt.

Step 5: Reassembling the suspension and cycling

	1) Bolt your main leaf into the hanger and shackle. The spring/hanger assembly only needs to be snug, do not over-tighten at this time.
2) Fasten the spring plates and u-bolts in place.
	3) Now that your suspension is ready for cycling, bolt your shocks to the lower mount on the spring plate.
	4) Here is the heart of this entire project......finding the upper shock mount. There are several things to keep in mind during the cycling. For one, you want to use the entire shock stroke of the shock while using all of your wheel travel. This implies that the shock must be mounted at a certain angle and point in space that is nearly compressed at full suspension bump, and fully extended at full suspension droop. You can't just decide on a random angle and place, the suspension has to be cycled to determine these points. We devised a rather nice way to find this point without tedious trial and error. First we securely attached a wood panel along the frame rail that ran roughly parallel with the area we estimated the shock would be mounted (it is very important that this panel does not move). Then we drooped the suspension fully and extended the shock which is still mounted to the lower shock mount on the spring plate. Putting a pencil through the upper shock eye, we traced an arc on the wooden panel. Along this arc are the possible mounting points that would allow the shock to be fully topped out while the suspension is fully drooped. After that, we fully compressed the suspension, axle to frame (you will need to remove your bumpstops for this). Then we fully compressed the shock, leaving about 1/2" uncompressed. Using the same method, we put the pencil through the upper eye of the shock and traced another arc on the wood panel. This will determine the possible mounting points that will have the shock fully compressed at full suspension bump. Now you will notice something interesting, these arcs intersect. The point at which these arcs intersect is the one point that will allow the shock to be both fully extended at full suspension droop, and fully compressed at full suspension bump. For further reference, check the instructional video here. (Big thanks to Kris Hernandez for the 3d modeling)
	5) Now that your upper shock mounting point has been determined, it is time to build the main hoops. There are several different methods, we encourage you to look at how reputable fab shops design theirs and do some research into what works and what doesn't. Using the panel for reference, make measurements for your tubework and get to work! We cut the panel with a sawzall while attached to the frame so we could work around it and keep it in place for reference. Disconnect your battery's negative cable, and tack the tubing in place just in case your measurements are off or the panel moved. Once the tubes/mounts are in place, re-cycle the suspension to make sure your shocks are not bottoming or topping out. If the shock cycles as planned, its time to start on the tubework.
6) We leave this step open to our readers. Cage design and tube work shouldn't be a carbon copy, so get creative! Know your limitations and study proven designs to ensure yours does not fail. Consult a fabricator and show them some sketches, they will let you know of design flaws and offer suggestions. Remember to follow your rulebook if you are planning on racing. Things to consider: try to tie tubes together at the same junction whenever possible, double shear shock mounts (shock sandwiched between mounts), always disconnect battery before welding on your truck, and use cross bracing between frame rails and tubing where possible. Below are several more progress photos as well as other bedcage examples which you can get ideas from. After this photo section, we will list the final steps for finishing your bedcage.

Step 5: Reassembling the suspension and completing the cage

	1) Before reassembling your spring pack, you should mount the limit straps. With the suspension fully drooped, measure the distance from the axle tube to frame rail. Jack the truck up slightly for mounting the limit straps. This distance will depend on your limit strap length. Straps stretch roughly 1/2" per every 12". This means my 18" strap will stretch about 3/4" over time. So I should limit my suspension an inch or more before full droop. My suspension cycled 20" travel, which I strapped off at 18", and will become roughly 18-3/4"-19" after the strap stretches. I would rather overestimate than have the strap stretch more than expected and risk ruining my shock from topping out at full droop. Mount your straps accordingly. I welded a tab on the frame rail to double shear the upper limit strap mount. This method is done by Newline Products, and prevents the frame from ripping on a single sheared limit strap. I installed aftermarket progressive urethane bumpstops at this time. This is not necessary, but recommended.
	2) Reassemble the leaf pack. We recommend doing the one-leaf-at-a-time method rather than trying to muscle the entire pack together at once. This method is listed below: a) First, pile the longest two or three leaves together in order (remember the paint marks you made on one side of each leaf? Now you know which end of each leaf faces forward.) With the first leaves in place, tighten the center bolt down fully but not extremely tight. b) Now place c-clamps at the end of the topmost leaf. With the c-clamps in place, you can now remove the center bolt without the pack coming apart. Pile on the next leaf and tighten the center bolt again. With the bolt in place, loosen the clamps and move them up to the top leaf again. Repeat this process until the pack is fully assembled.
	3) Reinstall your suspension. Now that the cycling is done and the spring pack is back together, you can put your suspension back on to make the truck driveable again. Do not fully tighten the leaf spring to the hangers. You want the truck to be settled at ride height before tightening these bolts, so the bushings don't bind. Once the leaf packs are in place, tighten your u-bolts, and put your tires back on. Lower the jack and tighten your lug nuts. Now that the truck is resting on its own weight, tighten the leaf springs in place. (The photo to the left shows my Bilstein 5100s in place only because I needed to drive the truck temporarily before my upper shock mount was finished.) Leave your race shocks off until the bedsides are mounted. You do not want spatter on the shock body or shafts.
	4) Mount the fiberglass bedsides. There are several methods for attaching the bedsides to your cage, check the cage option photos above for ideas. I chose to run a 2" strip of steel along the side of the fender with 7 bolts. We had bolted the fender to this steel strip first, then aligned the bedside by eye until it matched the cab's body lines and height. Once we had it even, we measured and heavily tack welded two pieces of 1" tubing from the cage to the steel strip to keep it in place. Once these supports were in place, the bedside was suspended on its own without us having to hold it in place. From there we made an additional 1" tube from the cage to steel strip, and fabbed lower mounts with 1" tubing which ran from the frame rails to the contour of the inside of the fender. Once the supports were done, we welded dzus backing plates to the lower bedside supports. Note: you want the bedside supports to be as close to the inside of the fender as possible, otherwise it will be difficult or impossible to run a dzus button to the backing plate. Another option would be running a simple light tab welded on the bedside supports and running a bolt/washer through the fender. Either method works fine, just remember that as easy as dzus tabs are for you to remove, they are for thieves as well. With the fenders in place, drill a guide hole from the inside of the fender through the dzus backing plates or tabs. Then drill a hole from the front that fits the dzus button tightly inside. Push the button or bolt through and tighten the bedside in place. Reinstall your taillights.
	5) Once the fiberglass is on, double check that all bolts are tightened. Do not bolt your shocks on unless you have a nitrogen tank handy. I drove to my local fab shop on my old shocks, and bolted my Kings on in their parking lot. The shop then drooped my suspension fully and pressurized my shocks to 150 psi as noted on the reservoir. You do not want to drive on your race shocks without nitrogen or at worse, shop air. The reservoir piston can sink and the shock will have to be taken apart if you drive on them without pressure. Once the shocks are charged and everything is double checked, you are ready to go testing! The best way to get your shocks dialed in is to take video of your truck through the whoops and bring it to a re-valving specialist like King, Kartek, or Donahoe Racing. They can figure out what adjustments need to be made to your shocks in order for them to perform their best. Enjoy your new bedcage! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to inquire at our forum.