M105 bed placement on 4x4 M35A3

Where should an M105 bed be in relation to the back of the frame and pintle hitch on a deuce? My frame is not shortened. Should the rear gate be able to fold clear down and not hit the pintle? That would require that the bed stick 9" minimum past the frame. Should the bed be even with the frame or a couple inches past, where the gate would have to be restricted to laying flat, or hitting the pintle would dent it?

The distance from the back of the bed to the center of the wheel well is 50" which will determine axle mount and spring perch location.

I want the gate to come down vertical and have an inch clearance or so to the pintle so I think I'll go with 10" rear overhang. The bumper has to go back too but not as far as the bed deck. Positioning of the rear axle ends up only 5" forward of the present rear rear axle to have the wheel centered on the wheel well and 10" overhang over the rear frame. The rear spring perch will come back to where the tie down is on the photo's. They are removed now.

Since I don't have the 105 bed yet, if someone would confirm measurements on an M105A2, I would appreciate it. I have the back part of a 105 frame with the axle and springs to work from, but not the bed itself. Center of axle to the back of the frame measured 50" on the frame segment that is the spring donor. It appears that the frame and the bed are even on the back, so that dimension should be correct.

My 105 drawing shows 110" length, but I am not sure if that is outside or inside. If you have a 105A2 trailer bed, please measure the overall length of the bed (not including the gate). Please confirm that the center of the wheel-well to the tail gate (back) end is 50". Thanks for your help.

I had to think about the hole idea and it's grown on me. Thanks. Placement of the axle and back spring mount will be at a better place.

A 4" overhang clears the clevis mounts and just the pintle will stick through, so the hole does not have to be as large, like you say MW.

Please, anyone with an M105A2 trailer or just bed, will you verify dimensions! I need OL length of the bed only and distance from rear of the bed (not gate) to the center of the wheel-well. Thanks

I'd put a trap door on it, so it slides up to use the hole with the tailgate open, but slides closed when in the "tailgate shut" position.

Yea Chris, thanks, a slider would work. The 105 gate is not all that robust at the bottom, so may require a bit of framing, which could incorporate a (gravity) slider door. I had a hinge in mind, but it would have been in the way when laying horizontal. The slider could be on the outside, not inside....cool.

On another note, what do you think of putting a center pull ball hitch up above the rear axle and having a trap door in the bed? I have these plates that I can make one a donor for a really heavy duty mount and use a 2 5/16" ball. One side of this is 1/2" and the other is 3/8", so a piece of it is heavy enough to set on the top of the (reinforced) frame for a HD hitch, but below the bed floor. I'll cut a "2 channel" piece off of the end (about 12" wide).

Where would one be located, directly over the axle, a little in front or to the back?

Working on the rear end. To make it dump and go over the hitch requires a low hinge point, attached to the bumper. Until all the dump is in place, 3 bolts on each side will hold it in place through 1/2" plate.

I have not not cut the above hitch plate, I used a 1/2"x9" hr flat and have yet to determine the spot to the frame.

The spare is going to be held in a fold up holder, that when folded down rests so the tire is just rotated to take it off or put the old on and folded up into place. This does require a front of bed modification. First is to get the uprights into place that goes above the top and to the bottom (this is the frame of roll protection and winch mount).

tobyS said:

Yea Chris, thanks, a slider would work. The 105 gate is not all that robust at the bottom, so may require a bit of framing, which could incorporate a (gravity) slider door. I had a hinge in mind, but it would have been in the way when laying horizontal. The slider could be on the outside, not inside....cool.

On another note, what do you think of putting a center pull ball hitch up above the rear axle and having a trap door in the bed? I have these plates that I can make one a donor for a really heavy duty mount and use a 2 5/16" ball. One side of this is 1/2" and the other is 3/8", so a piece of it is heavy enough to set on the top of the (reinforced) frame for a HD hitch, but below the bed floor. I'll cut a "2 channel" piece off of the end (about 12" wide).

Where would one be located, directly over the axle, a little in front or to the back?

Click to expand...

I like that sliding door idea too, would be cool and simple to build!

My $.02 your gooseneck ball placement, you typically never want it behind the axle. I would run about 6” in front of the axle, if it doesn’t make your swing radius too big for typical trailers. I don’t have a trailer close by to check, but for reference the factory location on my 8’ bed f350 is 3” in front of the axle, 56” straight forward of the back edge of the bumper, 65” from the ball to the outer end of the bumper.

Thanks Jbulach. Since I don't have a gooseneck, your dimensions help a lot.

My back of bed to the axle is 50", so I'm within a reasonable distance there, but since I'm going to 395's, I'm hoping the sides of the bed and gate don't get too high. I'll go compare the corner to ball dimensions in a few minutes. While not a preferred position, just back of the axle about 6" is a possibility too. Given my frame is left long, I don't think even a heavy loaded gooseneck trailer would cause a light front end. Also, the center build, part between the cab and bed, will weight about a ton, so has some offset value.

My history is to fix up and sell, thus I don't want to spend a lot of time on things that don't bring a return for the investment. I hope to keep this truck, I'm putting so much into it, but when cash gets scarce....well, sale does become an option. I don't participate in the auctions any longer (no LMTV or CUCV), so my buy-repair-sell strategy (16 trucks) has reached the end.

Sorry if I missed it with us junking up Tobys thread, but can anyone verify the measurement from the back of the M105 bed, forward to the center of the axle/wheel well. I would like to know as well...

It didn't make it to this thread, but that is 50".

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showt...d-boom-wrecker-AKA-Project-Spare-Parts/page26

Go to post 256....nobody answered on this thread.

I've always used bumperetts then used rubber bumpers on tail gate to catch the gate. The tailgate falls straight down then you don't risk it crashing into the hitch. But the gooseneck probably throws a wrench in that equation.

tobyS said:

It didn't make it to this thread, but that is 50".

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showt...d-boom-wrecker-AKA-Project-Spare-Parts/page26

Go to post 256....nobody answered on this thread.

Click to expand...

50 1/4" rear of bed to center of wheel arch. Tailgate adds 2 5/16" of thickness. Total bed length is 112" from frontmost top lip. Since I am all about hitches on everything I own... If you were to center a ball directly over the axle in the center of the m105 bed, 67 inches would be the minimum to clear trailer swing for gooseneck. Let me know if you need any other measurements.