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What's going on,

My name is Kris and I have a 93 C3500 2WD 454, NV4500, and 3.73 gears. The goal is basically a Chevelle I can haul heavy duty diesels back and forth in the bed and tow a boat with.

Currently finishing up welding in patch panels on the cab corners. The only spots left to be welded before prime and paint are around the back of the cab, so the bed needs to come off.

I got all the bolts out, but there's 4 rivets holding the bed to the top of the frame rails. They're not the huge ones that go through the cross members. They're smaller, which is good, and 2 were easy to grind and punch, but 2 are up behind the front leaf spring brackets, and impossible to get a tool into.

All the bed removal threads and YouTube videos I've seen are for 1500s, which don't seem to have them.

At this point, I'm thinking an air hammer and chisel, but I can't find any long enough at any of the places I've been (because you basically have to have the hammer right up on the frame above the bracket, but waaaaay back).

If I had an acetylene torch, they'd be liquid by now, if you catch my drift..

Anybody come up with a better way?

Thanks for any help,

Kris
 

Erik the Awful

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I think I used an air chisel on the rivets on my '89 C1500.Stepside. I have an extra-long (30") chisel that works great on reaching into difficult areas.
 
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I think I used an air chisel on the rivets on my '89 C1500.Stepside. I have an extra-long (30") chisel that works great on reaching into difficult areas.
Thanks. I found up to 18" long online. It might work. The only longer ones I found were the hex drive for jackhammers.

You have any idea where you found the 30"?

Appreciate it

Kris
 

454cid

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I got all the bolts out, but there's 4 rivets holding the bed to the top of the frame rails. They're not the huge ones that go through the cross members. They're smaller, which is good, and 2 were easy to grind and punch, but 2 are up behind the front leaf spring brackets, and impossible to get a tool into.

What? There should be 8 bolts holding the bed on. Where are these rivets?

All the bed removal threads and YouTube videos I've seen are for 1500s, which don't seem to have them.

I've had my bed off twice.... there have never been any rivets. My truck is a 1-ton 4x4.
 

GoToGuy

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Are you sure that's not a frame riveted support piece? Beds usually are not permanently fastened to frame as could be outfitted with service body, ambulance, fire, flatbed, and so on. :hmm:
 
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