Deuce bed bolts with springs

[Joeinderry]

Hi all, I am remounting my shortened bed back onto the bobbed deuce. There were 4 bolts (2) on each side in the front that had large springs to hold the bed down. What is the purpose of these? and do they need to go back on or can I just use 7/16 bolts? Thanks for all suggestions and advice.

 

[Flyingvan911]

I believe the springs allow for some movement between the bed and frame when the truck is going over rough terrain. I would put them back in. The bobber experts will have more insight.

 

[phil2968]

I put one spring per side in the front. The rear is bolted solid. It will allow some frame flex without having to flex the bed.

 

[gimpyrobb]

 

[RedbeardTheZombieHunter]

When a larger truck such as a deuce goes over rough terrain, the frame will articulate (flex) to keep all the wheels planted firmly on the ground to maintain maximum traction. The biggest drawback to a bobber is that by shortening the chassis, you're also limiting the articulation. This principal is easily observed in the video that Hundy posted on youtube of one of the bobbers he built crushing a car sitting on his lot. When the right front wheel of the bobber is on the rear end of the car, the solid-mounted M105 bed makes the frame rigid so that the frame isn't allowed to articulate and the weight of the truck teeters between the right front and the left rear. With the truck in a forward gear, the right wheels are doing the pushing while the limited slip of the diffs allows the wheels with less weight on them to hop thereby losing traction. If the bed were to be hard mounted in the rear and the spring bolts used in the front of the bed, the frame would flex and traction wouldn't be an issue. Not to take anything away from Hundy, he's a cool guy who in my honest opinion has pioneered the art of bobbing a deuce. He's employed many different methods of setting up the rear end for bobbers giving us a variety of choices in what works best for different individuals.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slmE--E5txE[/media]
This video illustrates how limiting the chassis articulation limits the traction under more extreme off-road conditions. Note how the tires spin and kick dirt when he tries to "monster truck" the car.

 

[rchalmers3]

Redbeard,

Besides spring mounting the M105 bed to maximize frame flex, how about removing some of the front spring leafs? The idea would be to let the front axle articulate under the chassis to a greater degree, allowing the rear axle to remain planted.

This discussion and the video you posted has me believing that a rear locker is essential when eliminating a rear axle.

Rick

 

[RedbeardTheZombieHunter]

Rick,

Adding diff lockers is a good investment if you're planning some serious off-roading for sure. Of course the word "investment" means a substantial cash outlay, but a serious off-road vehicle costs serious cash. The last time I checked, ARB air lockers for the 16-spline Rockwell 2.5-ton axles went for $1,182.82 per ARB's website.
As for removing front leafs, I personally wouldn't do it as the front springs are designed with the soul purpose of carrying the weight of the engine, cab, winch (?), and everything else that goes in the front of the truck, especially if you're planning to go with 46" XML tires. It's not uncommon to put the aforementioned XMLs on a deuce at stock ride height and under rocky conditions have the front right rub the J-pipe or either front tire touch the fender.
If you want to get out in the rocks and really twist the truck up, I'd say setup your rear axle on a triangulated 4-link suspension arrangement with air bags so you can control the ride height as well as keep the rear wheels firmly planted. Now that I just scrolled up and looked at the pics of your truck again, it looks like you've got the XMLs so I'd leave the front springs alone unless you plan to lift it. If you decide to go 4-link in the rear for more articulation, you might consider lifting and spacing the bed up off the chassis 4 or 6 inches to give you the tire clearance you'll need when the axle starts really moving around.
I hope this helps.

 

[phil2968]

A Detroit Locker is less than $500. I plan to add one to my bobber when I get the funds. As far as off roading in a bobber, I was idling along on waterlogged ground when the truck just came to a stop. The right rears started spinning and I quite moving. I mashed the clutch pedal and engaged the front axle and off I went. A locker would have kept me moving in this light stuff.

 

[RedbeardTheZombieHunter]

Good point Phil!
Detroits aren't a bad idea either. It'll save you the effort and additional expense of adding the associated air lines and valves that go with the air lockers. On the other side of the coin, you have no control over when they lock and don't lock. With the ARB air lockers, you have control over when they're locked and unlocked. Depending on the severity of the terrain, the ability to control the lockers might or might not be a concern.
Of course a set of manual locking hubs for the front axle can save you a considerable amount of fuel on a long roadtrip making the $500+ for them a neglegable expense, especially if you take a lot of long roadtrips and can be the difference between making it to the next fuel stop without having to purge air from the IP and injector lines, and being stuck on the side of the highway with the hood up for however long it takes to let the air out if you run it dry.

 

[juddspaintballs]

I reinstalled my bobbed bed using all 4 spring bolts on the front and solid mounted the rear bolts just like the stock setup. The bed and frame definitely move independently when the truck is on uneven terrain. I would use the spring bolts.