NEED TO KNOW THE STEPS TO REMOVE THE BED OF MY 03 SPORT TRAC XLT.

[TRACNMAC]

BE MUCH OBLIGED IF ONE OF YOU NICE FOLKS COULD GIVE ME THE STEPS FOR REMOVING THE BED OF MY 03 SPORT TRAC XLT. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME... MARV

 

[koda2000]

BE MUCH OBLIGED IF ONE OF YOU NICE FOLKS COULD GIVE ME THE STEPS FOR REMOVING THE BED OF MY 03 SPORT TRAC XLT. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME... MARV

@429CJ-3X2 recently did a bed swap on his '01 ST. An '03 should be pretty much the same thing. PM him. I Imagine it requires disconnecting the fuel and vent hoses from the fuel tank, unplugging the tail/brake light wiring and the removal of 4 (?) bolts that hold the bed to the frame.

 

[swshawaii]

Phil pretty much nailed it. Just be aware the four T-55 bed bolts have LOTS of factory blue threadlock on them. With a cheater bar, swing room is very restricted on the front two bolts. Unfortunately, heating the bolt heads is NOT an option
with the ST's composite bed. Large as T-55 heads are, I've read stories of people stripping them causing more grief.

bed removal and shock questions

Removing the bed

 

[429CJ-3X2]

Here's my thread from last summer.
Bed and Bumper Swap

koda got it pretty close. You only have to remove the 3 screws inside the fuel fill door to disconnect the fuel lines from the bed. The fill hose and vent hose will bend out of the way, so you don't have to disconnect at the tank. Despite the rust on the underside of my truck the bed bolts came out easily. They aren't really exposed to the elements. I don't know if you can get them loose with a regular ratchet, but my 25" breaker bar (inexpensive at Harbor Freight) was more than I needed. It came in handy for my bumper bolts though. I changed bumpers when I did the bed swap, but those are 2 separate projects.

Two people can easily lift the bed. I'd remove the tailgate to lighten the bed considerably. The tailgate weighs probably half of what the bed does, maybe more. If you have a bed cover of any type, take it off. The factory cover weighs about as much as the bed itself. If you do remove the tailgate, the bed has all the weight in the front so be prepared. I think I lifted with 1 hand in the front of the wheelwell and the other on the front tie-down cleat. The bed has a steel framework the cleats fasten to, so there's no danger of tearing the cleats out.

Easy job for 2 people, and it really shouldn't take long. I'm thinking to put air shocks on my truck this summer, and I'll take the 4 bolts loose and lift the bed a little to get to the top shock bolts. That will be a whole lot easier than the fight I had getting to the driver's side bolt the last time I changed shocks on it. Don't bother trying to get the bed square with both the cab and the bumper like I did. Just space it evenly from the cab near both corners and tighten it down. There's not really much wiggle room for adjustment anyway.

 

[allmyEXes]

I know that this thread is a few years old however there are at least two of you that posted in it that are still active users that can answer my question. I didn't see the point in starting a whole new thread.
Can the back bumper and hitch stay in place and can the top cover be removed by one person?

 

[429CJ-3X2]

Based on a couple of sentences in the thread linked to above about my bed and bumper swap (it's been 5 years, so I don't remember the details), I took the bed off before I removed the bumper. Bed removal is pretty straightforward. No need to remove the aftermarket Curt hitch for either bed removal or bumper removal. The bed itself, minus the tailgate, probably weighs 150 lbs at most. The tailgate is maybe 75 lbs.

If you're asking if the factory bed cover can be removed by one person, yes - just don't plan to carry it far. I remember reading once that they weigh 85 lbs. I took one off by myself earlier this year at a salvage yard. It is doable, but the cover is a beast - heavy and too big to really get a good hold of.