Converting my truck to a flatbed

I bought my 2000 Ranger about ten years ago because it had a Reading utility body mounted and I thought that would be handy for my blacksmithing work.  It was handy to a degree, in that the stock rack was very useful for hauling 20' lengths of steel, but the tool body didn't live up to my expectations.  The tool cabinets are just too damn shallow to be much use to me, and the bed area is even narrower than the standard pickup bed would be.  After the newness of it all wore off, the blush was off the rose, so to speak and I wished I'd just gotten a regular pickup.
 

Well, the utility body finally rusted badly enough that it had to go.  So I'm converting it to a flatbed dump.  This is entirely a do-it-myself project, no kit no stock parts.  In other words, it will probably be marked as “slightly irregular” when/if I ever sell  it.

Used the Jinma to lift the utility body off.  There was only one bolt really remaining to hold the thing to the frame, so it's a good thing I got it off before a hard turn on the highway did it for me. 

After some heavy duty head and butt-scratching , I came up with a design that I think will work for me.   The flatbed will be a bit over 8' long for carrying full sheets of plywood and the like, and I figure I might as well make it so it could be a dump bed while I was at it.  I won't add the hydraulics just now though, that can wait until I have more need for a dump (or more money).

The subframe is made and the riser blocks and mounts including  absurdly heavy-duty pivots.  I just happened to have on hand some heavy-wall stainless steel tube just the right size to use some scrap Nascar race axles for pivot pins, so that's what I worked with.  If the truck gets wrecked I can probably sell those hinges to someone with a 10-yard dump.  What can I say?   I'm cheap and so I use what I have, even if it's overkill. 

Here's the subframe with the panel for the rear lighting and license plate, and a detail of where I boxed it to put in the stainless tube pivots.  It will get a couple of cross members later when I know where they need to be for the lift assembly.
 

This shows the front riser tube with centering ears and the rear riser with hinge pivots.  I'm happy to report that the subframe drops right in place just perfectly – anyone who didn't know me might be fooled into thinking I know what the hell I'm doing.  They'd be wrong, however.  Fake it 'til ya make it is my motto! 

I'm starting on the main deck framing today.   The deck will be treated 2×6's with a 3″ channel frame and cross members.  I'm planning to have removable, hinged drop-down sideboards and tailboard, and the headachhe rack will have diamond plate bulkhead below the window and either expanded mesh or scrollwork (hey, I'm a blacksmith, after all) to protect the window.  Whichever method I choose, it will also be hinged so I can clean the rear window easily.

More pictures as I get things made.