MTFCA Forum

I am trying to convert my roadster to a pickup. I found a trailer someone created from an old Model T pickup bed. I bought 2 parts from Lang's they call "pickup bed steel strips cross channels" So far I have not seen a pickup that has these cross channels. They are drilled and appear that the steel bed strip bolts go thru them. What I'm trying to find out is how many holes from the tail gate back do they go, and also does the open side of the cross channel face the back or the front of the car.

Doug

Don't know what those pieces are for. The '26-'27 bed bolts directly to the subframe of the runabout.

Here is view of body and exposed subframe ready to receive the bed.

The bed has a wood board floor, your bed in the photo seems complete other than missing the wood floor boards which are held with metal bed strips, and the sides of the outer boards bolt to the curved inner bed metal, and to the rear support and to the front panel of the bed.

Bed complete with all metal, but missing the wood floor boards.


Here is close up of the bed lower frame mounted to the runabout subframe, note the bolts that hold the bed to the subframe.

Original bed prior to restoring, but still has the two outer bed boards fastened to the metal curved inners.

Hi Dan

Thanks for the info. I know someone who has a 1925 pickup and he has these cross channels, but he doesn't have the 4 metal strips in between the boards, he has a sheet of plywood. According to Lang's they are to support the boards of the bed. Otherwise there is only support on the ends, I think.

Doug

I do know the '25 bed is a different animal, Larry Smith is the guru on these, maybe he will chime in.

Both of the '25 and the later design early '26 and the later '26-'27 beds are made as standalone beds, and easy to bolt to the runabout body. The '25 bed uses 18 bolts, as it attached to the wood platform of the earlier runabout decks. The '26 styles attach only along the perimeter of the new all steel Improved Car runabout subframes. The '25's have wood sill frames.

1925 only bed.


The wood bed board are held firmly with the metal bed strips, these are heavy metal pieces, and carriage bolted with special lugged square washers under. The boards fastened that way, and also bolted to the metal bed at the sides and the ends, provides the standalone strength.
View shows the '26 style bed with lugged or toothed washers in the underside of each board. In addition, the metal hump plate is riveted to the metal strips providing center support too.

Haven't ever seen metal crossmembers under '26 and later style beds, as they aren't needed for support. The bed itself is very strong when assembled per factory.
'26 style bed riding on subframe of the runabout. The bed bolts to the sides of the subframe.


That way the bed is fully removable from the '26-'27 runabouts.

I checked the Lang's catalog (2017) and it specifies that the pair are for 1926/27

Front and back channels?

Jeff, you may be likely are correct.

Doug, checked Lang's on-line and that part is no longer avail. It also isn't in the newest 2019 catalog. Believe this was an error in past cataloging .

Really can't see how metal pieces could be fastened under the bed wood and allow the metal bed sill of the '26-'27 bed to mount to the top of the runabout subframe.
I haven't ever seen two metal channels under a '26-'27 bed before, someone needs to show me : shock:

Howells makes the Model T metal, the pieces for the pickup. On the Howell site parts are listed for the cross sills for the subframe of the runabout and touring, they each use two of these. You can see them in the factory illustration , they lock the side members of the subframe, and have holes for the frame mounting bolts.

Lang's

Howell's

I think you may be right. The cross channels fit on the bed and I can see how they would help support the wood from the bottom. I then checked if they would fit between the frame and they do not. Perhaps they are for a 1925 bed as I do have a friend with a 1925 bed that has them.

Thanks for the help.