Gravity Bed

John 37A · Oct 22, 2014

How do you guys fasten your gravity beds to the running gears? I have seen several different ways. I have a couple apart right now for some repair and paint and thought I would check here before reassembling them.

Thanks,
John

Dave H (MI) · Oct 22, 2014

That is a curiosity. I have four of the things and they have different ways. I have been told to bolt them in the front and chain them in the rear. Only one of my boxes is fastened that way. The others are all bolted front and rear. One of those with the bolts has busted about half it's angle brackets. I go with the folks who say it must flex on the field. However you do that is up to you but the chain in the back seems to work just fine.

paul · Oct 22, 2014

Loose bolt in the back, allowed to float in the front, or semi
loose chain on all 4 corners with blocks on stringers to keep
them centered on reaches seems to work well here. Have all
different too tho.

Paul

Mark W. · Oct 22, 2014

I bolt one front and one opposite rear. Loose chains on opposing corners.

RGMartin · Oct 22, 2014

The newest Killbros 350 box I have has a sticker that says to bolt tight at all 4 corners.

Part Time Pete · Oct 22, 2014

I go with bolted in the front and chained in the rear on all my wagons, especially if you have hills.
When pulling up hills, you don't want the load to be transmitted from the rear bolsters and through the reach. If it's bolted in the front, all the pulling load stays in the front.
Pete

donjr · Oct 22, 2014

When I was still picking back in the 70's, I had
three wagons. The oldest one- an economy with the
shallow slope and wooden purlins, was bolted on the
front and chained on the back. The other two were
newer eZeeflows, and wouldn't take bolts very well,
so I just chained them loose on all four corners. It
allowed the running gear to flex because the box
wouldn't. It worked great...

JMS/.MN · Oct 22, 2014

When using loose chains, just make sure the chain is not long enough that the box can rise above the bolster brackets. Boxes do need to flex. I don"t believe in bolting 4 corners. Two bolts on one bolster is ok, but I"d still use at least one chain on the other.

Leroy · Oct 23, 2014

All I ever had were bolted solid on all corners. Unless you have a rocking bolster or spring bolster ( made so the front bolster has basicaly one center mounting point) even with the bed not tied down sollid with a load on it will do that same bending as with it bolted solid as the weight in the bed will make sure that it is resting sollid at all 4 spots. Only an unloaded bed will not do the twist. And then if the unloaded bed is bolted solid if the ground is that uneven it will lift one wheel off the ground instead of twisting.

caterpillar guy · Oct 26, 2014

Well this is the best method to solve the flexing,tires and all such maladies. The old truck frame has never let me down. And with 25-30 years use only put about 3 tires on it those were only god knows how old when we started using it.

Gravity Bed

John 37A

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Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member

paul

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Mark W.

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RGMartin

Well-known Member

Part Time Pete

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donjr

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JMS/.MN

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Leroy

Well-known Member

caterpillar guy

Well-known Member

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