Free Tool Box for bed

Guy I am friends with at church gave me a brand new toolbox for my truck bed...only problem is, it’s slightly smaller than the bed sides. Will need some angle iron drilling into the bed to make it work. Think it is worth doing? Been wanting one for a while to store jackets and stuff for work. Smaller diamond plate box with keys, never installed.

 

That's killer. I say go for it and snap some pictures of the process for us to see. It's the type that runs parallel to the bed sides and not at the front of the bed against the back window? I'm not versed in the mounting process for these, but perhaps you could make rail on the bedside it mounts to.

 

Got a pic of it? I only see a smiley thumbs up face.

 

Can you just lay it inside the bed instead of on the bedsides?
Alternatively, add the angle iron to the toolbox to make it wider instead of the truck to make it narrower, that way you don't have to drill holes in the truck.

Photos of the box and how it sits?

 

There are also some holes in the bed that are threaded and others that are just waiting for Rivnuts and bolts so no drilling might be possible too,we need to see exactly what you are looking at though to really be any help?

 

Sorry about no pics yet. Playing Santa's helper as a UPS driver so time is very limited. Just picked up after church yesterday. Was thinking of angle iron drilled into the bedrails, then place the box on top of them. Will post pics soon, I promise. And the attached emoji was accidental....lol

 

And it is a box that mounts behind the rear window. It is a Better Built brand box.

 

Think I found a solution that may work, and can be purchased locally...
https://www.lifebetterbuilt.com/products/accessories/BetterBuiltAccessories/29510402

 

Nope, didn’t work. Guess it’s bolts and angle iron time.

 

Do you have access to a welder?
Back-to-back angle iron welded together and then bolted to the tool box instead of the bed will be your best bet.

 

Then how should I secure it to the bed?

 

if it sits low enough just mount it to the bed floor and drill holes on the bottom and use the bed bolts (Assuming they're long enough.) use washers between the box and bed floor so you dont crush the ribs. aint no stealing anything with the box literally bolted to the frame

 

Unfortunately it’s a low profile so it won’t go deep enough to hit bottom

 

A couple of thread-forming sheet metal screws in the bottom and BOOM!

 

My dilemma is, it’s TOO wide for the top to open....

 

I personally would build 6-8” risers to get the box over the bed sides but still have the weight on the bed, not the sides.

 

WHY is this so hard??

 

Cause life is hard....lol...
It’s not, was just looking for other ideas before I do what PHM wrote. Was my initial plan from the get go, just wanted to get other opinions and alternatives before drilling into the bed rails

 

Be careful as you’ll be voiding your warranty by drilling holes.

 

All of the good ideas are gone but I'll throw this out there (though it isn't my favorite option) -

https://www.uwsta.com/part/SM-LEGS

 

You could also clamp Strut across the bed underneath the bed rails in front of and behind the box with no drilling and then use short pieces on the top sides of the cross bed strut to bring a flush with the top rails surface to mount the box to.

Kind of like this but under the rails and tight to the front and back of the box and then add short ones between the long ones to sit the box on.

 

And it’s done

 

I guess I would have turned the bracket the other way, lengthened it, and made the top either flush with the rails or even slightly below them.

Dave

 

Then the lid would not close properly. See post #15.

 

Got it...

 

Good job!