What do the different colored lines in Fig. 1 mean?

Green lines show the truck frame under the bed, red lines are the first cut lines, orange lines are the second cut lines, and the dashed line shows where the bed is flat — cut next to that line as shown in Fig. 2.

What is the first step in narrowing a truck bed?

Mark and then cut where shown in red in Fig. 1 & 2, making sure the bed side is supported before the cuts are complete.

How do you determine how much floor sheetmetal to remove?

Trim the floor in the area of the orange lines in Fig. 1 until the bed is at the desired width.

Where exactly should the cut be made on the bedside sheetmetal?

Fig. 2 shows the cut is made at the lower bend of the truckbed sheetmetal, next to the dashed line where the bed floor is flat.

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How to Narrow (Dovetail) a Truck Bed - Cut Lines & Welding Procedure Diagram

Diagram and numbered steps for narrowing or dovetailing a truck bed with color-coded cut lines

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Step-by-step service procedure for narrowing a truck bed, with figures showing color-coded cut lines and numbered instructions.

AI caption July 2006 · Photo 461 of 595

This document is an illustrated how-to guide for narrowing, or "dovetailing," a truck bed. It consists of two figures and a five-step procedure. Figure 1 is a top-down diagram of a truck bed showing the truck frame under the bed (green lines), the first cut lines (red), the second cut lines (orange), and a dashed line indicating where the bed floor is flat — the area next to which the cut in Figure 2 should be made. Figure 2 is a cross-section of the truckbed sheetmetal showing exactly where to cut at the base of the bedside. The written procedure instructs the reader to: (1) mark and cut along the red lines in both figures; (2) ensure the bed side is supported before completing the cuts; (3) lift the bed side slightly so the attached floor sheetmetal overlaps the remaining floor, then pull the bedside toward the truck's center; (4) trim the floor in the area of the orange lines until the bed reaches the desired width; and (5) once enough sheetmetal is removed, pull the bedside in, overlap the floors, and weld them together. The document is generic and does not specify a vehicle make, model, or year.

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Frequently asked questions

What do the different colored lines in Fig. 1 mean?: Green lines show the truck frame under the bed, red lines are the first cut lines, orange lines are the second cut lines, and the dashed line shows where the bed is flat — cut next to that line as shown in Fig. 2.
What is the first step in narrowing a truck bed?: Mark and then cut where shown in red in Fig. 1 & 2, making sure the bed side is supported before the cuts are complete.
How do you determine how much floor sheetmetal to remove?: Trim the floor in the area of the orange lines in Fig. 1 until the bed is at the desired width.
How is the narrowed bed joined back together?: After enough sheetmetal is removed, pull the bedside in, overlap the floors, and weld them together.
Where exactly should the cut be made on the bedside sheetmetal?: Fig. 2 shows the cut is made at the lower bend of the truckbed sheetmetal, next to the dashed line where the bed floor is flat.