Just wondering if anybody know or has opinions on which truck has the stronges t 8' bed. Im not talking about payload, but actually the most rigid bed.waytogo Obviously I own a ford now, but I have never compared them. My 95 psd bed did develop a lean and the gate wouldnt shut right unless you pushed against the fender. just wondering
these days they are all like aluminum cans. Best bet is to buy a flat bed and set the factory bed aside until you are ready to sell the truck. but that is just my opinion
I know your not gonna want to hear this, but I think the Ford is at the bottom of the list. Just working with em, Ive seen their tailgates and beds bend up pretty easy. I think the difference between GM and Dodge is small, either one is as good as the other. Im just waitng for RJF to jump on here and say Dodge has the best. If he dosent, I'll buy every one on this website a beer!!!waytogo
Seems to me that all of the beds are pretty cheap these days, Ive had good luck with my Ford beds, but dont know if any of them are truly better one way or another.
I have no clue what bed could possibly be the strongest but I just don't see how they are made cheaper these days. IMO, the big 3 are making stonger beds than in the past. Things like a superior aluminizing process (on both sides), thicker gauge steel, superior alloys which are both more climate resistant and higher in tensile strength and of course the ever increasing payload capacities all point towards a higher quality pick up truck bed.
I don't think any of them have any advantage over the other, they are all made out of basically identical guage steel. If I did have to pick a side I'd actually say the bed on our '98 C3500 is slightly more rigid due to the body shape only, I think the squarish body lines stiffen it up just a little better than the broader, rounder body lines of our Dodges. I have a couple of small dents at the top of my bed rails, thanks to the PO. I also don't like the Dodge tailgate handles, they seem flimsey, but our C3500's handle isn't much better, if any. Make sure you ship me a Heineken, and send it in a sealed package with a styraphone cooler with ice so I can drink it as soon as the UPS man delivers it....thanks...I'll be waiting.
I'll be waiting for mine too... not brand picky, I like surprises. the beds on all the trucks have gotten worse and worse through the years... I first noticed it in the early 90's-everyother truck's front bedwall was bent towards the cab in some way. Since then the rest of the panels are just as bad. I loaded my large hand trucks into my in-law's '05 f250 the other day and dented the fenderwell. They metal has definitely gotten thinner. We used to throw those things around in the old Fords, Dodges, and Chevys; from now on I'll have to make sure they stay blocked in or tied down so it won't bang more dents. I'd think it has more to do with the "fit and finish" of the beds as well as technology. If you look at the older trucks there were always flaws and imperfections where the panels were welded together. Sure, they looked rough, but a little extra weld at the seam can stiffen stuff up a bit. The tolerances of the panels wasn't as tight and were always built a little "bigger" than necessary to compensate for the machines lack of perfection. Nowadays it looks like the panels are "caulked" in place with perfect welds and great fitment so ya don't have all the "extra" to add strength. I've gotta go with the flatbed guys on my next truck. I can keep the cab shiny, clean, and dent free for a lifetime but I'm hell on a truck bed. Damn shame whenever the functional part of the truck has to look as good as the rest or your resale gets axed. I already drive my vehicles into the ground, I don't want to look at a dent for 10 years though.
