Tool Box Destroyed My Bed Rails....

[sahls01gmc]

I have an 01 GMC 2500 with Weatherguard tool box. Over the years, the weight of it and the tools inside of it, it has broken the rails of my bed. The box doesn't sit on the bulkhead of the bed, so it's obvious why it broke. I am curious if anyone has come up with a way to make a bracket that fits the length of the toolbox and extends over the bulkhead part of the bed.

 

Or does anyone have any other ideas? Similar problems?

 

 

Thanks for looking.

 

 

James

[sonjaab]

GM DID have a TSB and fix kit (support pieces) for the

bedrails for the gmt-800s a long time back. It was postedhere a long time ago (2001?).

This kit prevented the bed caps (in front) from bending and cracking the welds/seperating from the box front when a tool box was installed.

 

Try a search............................

 

EDIT: Can't find the free TSB. But heres a couple possibilities:

FEBRUARY 2005 Body - Pick Up Box Damaged by Aftermarket Accessories

FEBRUARY 2005 Body - Pick Up Box Reinforcement Installation

Now if i can just score the actual numbers!

[Wingnut]

I have an 01 GMC 2500 with Weatherguard tool box. Over the years, the weight of it and the tools inside of it, it has broken the rails of my bed. The box doesn't sit on the bulkhead of the bed, so it's obvious why it broke. I am curious if anyone has come up with a way to make a bracket that fits the length of the toolbox and extends over the bulkhead part of the bed.

 

Or does anyone have any other ideas? Similar problems?

 

 

Thanks for looking.

 

 

James

 

I would think that a simple piece of angle iron bolted to the tool box with the second part overhanging and resting on the front of the bed would work fine. You wouldn't even have to bolt it to the forward bulkhead...You could even put some padding under it.

[sahls01gmc]

GM DID have a TSB and fix kit (support pieces) for the

bedrails for the gmt-800s a long time back. It was postedhere a long time ago (2001?).

This kit prevented the bed caps (in front) from bending and cracking the welds/seperating from the box front when a tool box was installed.

 

Try a search............................

 

EDIT: Can't find the free TSB. But heres a couple possibilities:

FEBRUARY 2005 Body - Pick Up Box Damaged by Aftermarket Accessories

FEBRUARY 2005 Body - Pick Up Box Reinforcement Installation

Now if i can just score the actual numbers!

 

Awesome, the first part you described is exactly what happened. I know it's too late to prevent it now, but I want to prevent it from getting any worse.

 

Wingnut is on the right track for what a solution would be. I think if I could find the numbers sonjaab has stumbled upon, I'd be able to fix it.

 

 

Thanks for the fast responses.

 

 

James

[Silverado_Monkey]

GM DID have a TSB and fix kit (support pieces) for the

bedrails for the gmt-800s a long time back. It was postedhere a long time ago (2001?).

This kit prevented the bed caps (in front) from bending and cracking the welds/seperating from the box front when a tool box was installed.

 

Try a search............................

 

EDIT: Can't find the free TSB. But heres a couple possibilities:

FEBRUARY 2005 Body - Pick Up Box Damaged by Aftermarket Accessories

FEBRUARY 2005 Body - Pick Up Box Reinforcement Installation

Now if i can just score the actual numbers!

 

Awesome, the first part you described is exactly what happened. I know it's too late to prevent it now, but I want to prevent it from getting any worse.

 

Wingnut is on the right track for what a solution would be. I think if I could find the numbers sonjaab has stumbled upon, I'd be able to fix it.

 

 

Thanks for the fast responses.

 

 

James

 

 

So did GM fix this in later models? I run plastic bed rail caps on my 06 in-between the box and the bedrail so I'm not easily able to check for damage. Is this something I should worry about? I don't run alot of weight back there all the time, but it does get fully packed from time to time.

 

Thanks

Bruno

[sahls01gmc]

Bruno,

 

Looking at your pic, you have the same style of toolbox I have. Fully loaded, I was putting about 450lbs of weight on the bedrails. The combination of that and heavy use & off-roading has caused mine to split like they have.

 

If you don't have a whole lot of weight in there, and your bed rail caps go all the way over the bulkhead of the bed (the back part that is closest to the cab), you should be ok. It's a couple of bolts holding the toolbox on there, so it would take 2 minutes to move the box and check the bed if you were that concerned.

 

 

 

James

[Silverado_Monkey]

Bruno,

 

Looking at your pic, you have the same style of toolbox I have. Fully loaded, I was putting about 450lbs of weight on the bedrails. The combination of that and heavy use & off-roading has caused mine to split like they have.

 

If you don't have a whole lot of weight in there, and your bed rail caps go all the way over the bulkhead of the bed (the back part that is closest to the cab), you should be ok. It's a couple of bolts holding the toolbox on there, so it would take 2 minutes to move the box and check the bed if you were that concerned.

 

 

 

James

 

 

Thanks James! I just might have to do that. I was planning to take the box off this summer to apply TBC to it, so this just gives me another reason! Thanks for the heads up, I would have never thought to look!

 

Bruno