MTFCA Forum

I have a 26 pickup and can't figure out why the crossmember cover plate is proud of the bed boards. The crossmember is up against the cover now so you can't move the cover lower. Are the body blocks incorrect?

That 'hump plate' should be mounted with the flanges under the bed wood. Suppose the wood blocks are misplaced, can't seem to see in the photos.


Hump plate on originals:

DanTreace wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 25, 2025 10:03 pm

That 'hump plate' should be mounted with the flanges under the bed wood. Suppose the bocks are misplaced, can't seem to see in the photos.

unfortunately, I can't mount it with the flanges under the bed wood. The crossmember is already up against the hump plate. bocks? Do you mean blocks?
What blocks are you referring to?

Can you post some pictures of the outside view of the turtle deck sub frame please.

Why not raise the bed 3/4 of an inch with new wood blocks.??

Meant to post "body blocks" they are frame mounts to lift the runabout body and its deck off the frame. You might have missing or worn ones, and the body is mounted too low on the frame.

Raise the bed, put the plate where it belongs, and oil the springs.

Humblej wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 26, 2025 7:12 am

Can you post some pictures of the outside view of the turtle deck sub frame please.

Hope this helps

Jack Putnam, in Ohio wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 26, 2025 9:49 am

Why not raise the bed 3/4 of an inch with new wood blocks.??

That's what I was thinking but didn't know if something else was off. The hood alignment seems good though.

It looks like the body and rear subframe are about where they should be, but the bed is too low. I'm not sure just where is the problem lies. The fenders seem to be in the right place relative to the running boards and the bed. Maybe all the wood blocks are too thin, including the running board blocks, and the entire body is too close to the frame.

Everything looks right but it does not add up... I am starting to think your floor boards are too thick, that would bring the cover plate lower and therefore closer to the frame. Please measure the thickness of the floorboards and report back.

Humblej wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 27, 2025 6:59 am

Everything looks right but it does not add up... I am starting to think your floor boards are too thick, that would bring the cover plate lower and therefore closer to the frame. Please measure the thickness of the floorboards and report back.

My thoughts also, something doesn't seem to add up. I thought about the board thickness but everything else lines up. (see the pics). The boards measure 3/4".

Is this a Canadian-made truck? For some reason I was thinking that frames for the UK market had taller rear crossmembers to lower the car. Where did I get that impression?

351cmach wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 25, 2025 10:14 pm

DanTreace wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 25, 2025 10:03 pm

That 'hump plate' should be mounted with the flanges under the bed wood. Suppose the bocks are misplaced, can't seem to see in the photos.

unfortunately, I can't mount it with the flanges under the bed wood. The crossmember is already up against the hump plate. bocks? Do you mean blocks?
What blocks are you referring to?

Just another observation from your photo. The crosssmember on your pickup is the earlier version without the flanges for reinforcement. But both have the same curve.


Believe you have enough space under the crossmember and the bed to place the hump place flush with the bed wood.

There is only a little space anyway between the hump plate and the top of the crossmember.

That is why Ford used the hump plate, otherwise the bed boards would ride on the very top of the radius of the crossmember, making fit difficult.

Could just be the former owner didn't know the flanges of the hump plate mount to the underside of the bed boards.

DanTreace wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 28, 2025 9:59 am

Believe you have enough space under the crossmember and the bed to place the hump place flush with the bed wood.

Nope that's the issue I have.

DanTreace wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 28, 2025 9:59 am

Could just be the former owner didn't know the flanges of the hump plate mount to the underside of the bed boards.

No room. Maybe I need new body blocks but the few I have seen in person sit the same as mine. Things don't add up, but I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of it.

The pictures of the bed & fender (especially #3) look like the bed is to low & the fenders bent down to fit.

No room. Maybe I need new body blocks but the few I have seen in person sit the same as mine. Things don't add up, but I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of it.

Well looked again and see now the bed wood isn't like stock install. Yours has 6 metal bed strips or cleats. The factory is 4. The curved metal bed sides hold the edges of the outer boards. These use carriage bolts thru the curved bed sides.

So that may be the problem.


Here is the factory install of the bed boards and using only 4 bed strips. 2 short and 2 long.

May be sacrilege but I left my cover out , relief cut the boards to make a smoother look