While I'm waiting for some Holley parts, a friend of mine called me up and asked If I'd like one of those bed extenders. You would have to make it work for you Chopped top. I said how much and he said if you drive over I'll give it to you. I was gone in a flash. If its free then I'll make it work LOL.
Here it is just setting on the bed. The width is fine but no way will it work with out some serious hinging.
The next problem was how was I to carry it with or with out the tailgate. It will not lay flat in the bed like their made for. But it did stand straight up at a 90 deg. angle. I thought that looked pretty cool.
Then knowing how it had to lay out to extend the bed and how it had to lay to stow it. The next problem was to make some kind of 2-way pivoting hinge thingy.
First I needed a striker bolt that is on back of a Ranger for the tailgate. That is what this was originally for. But problem I needed it threaded up to the head. I found these B2 bolts that held the seat belts in and found them the right diameter at the head. But was way to thick, so a few minutes at the grinder solved that problem.
And now it's got that slim head thickness just like the striker bolts. On the Bed extender it's made to slip over that bolt and clicks to lock it in.
Here is that modified bolt now locked into the extender latch. This is where one of my hinges will pivot.
I just tapped the end of the hinge and making sure bolt does screw into it.
At this time the bolt head was not grounded down.
Then I made my bottom two hinge points.
Here is one side with the bottom hinge bolted to bed with the hinge arm attached and connected to that modified pivot bolt that is slipped into extender. I had to cut the gas shroud that goes over the rubber fill pipe. No biggie, I'll just make a sheet metal covering.
Next was to make a top locking latch that the push pull pin will slip into.
This was just some flat 16 ga. stock that I cut it out of.
And here is the locking pin pushed through the hole.
And all done except to prime and paint the hardware that I made. To stow in the up-right position all you do is to pull pin and lift up and flold over. This will come in mighty handy hauling the venison home. Or any other large objects.
And here it is in the stowed position with the tailgate up.
Using just scrap metal I had laying around, the only thing I had to buy was some 3/8" bolts. So I don't think this was a bad deal at all. Not to mention it keeps with the built theme.