I have a 2001 F-150 SuperCrew with the plastic Ford Bedliner. I am interested in buying the Delta Champion (diamond plate) Toolbox for the bed. I really want the deep box but am not sure if it is going to fit since the wheel wells are so close to the front of the cab. It looks like the box will hit the wheel wells. Has anyone ran into this?

Thanks in advance,
John

 

Yep, wheel wells are too far forward for a full width floor mounted box. I have a big diamond plate box that I took out of my '99 SWB, one that fits down flush with the bed sides, and it won't fit in my new S-crew.

I used the box mostly to hold camping gear when I go fourwheelin'..... guess I'll mount the box to the trailer that I use to haul my 4x4.

 

Hey JDiGiovanni/John,

I've got a Better Built aluminim diamond plate deep box with a single lid design and I had it in my '00 Scab. It wouldn't fit in the screw so I had it notched in the bottom on each end to clear the fender wells. I've installed it temporarily to make sure it fits and it does, like a glove. Talked with the manufacturer (Daws Better Built) and they told me I would not be able to use the box. I said, well, can't you guys make one that does and she couldn't give me an answer yes or no. I asked if I could ship it to them and they do the mods for me since that is what they do, right, build aluminum boxes. She told me they don't do work like that but they make a skinny shallow one that will work and the deep box will just not fit, period. I told her I was going to do it myself and she said that I wouldn't be able to.

Hell, I design electric fork lifts for a living and she tells me I can cut a stupid box and weld it back together, sheit. I guess you got to hold a degree in aluminum metal box building to make one of those damn things. Anyway, I laughed it off and just figured she was doing her best and was not familiar with fabrication. Seems like she could've just forwarded me to the Engineering dept. and maybe they could have shed some light on what I needed/wanted to do.

In the end, I wanted to let her have it but I just said thanks and goodbye. I drew up the changes and had a local fab shop do the changes for $125. I'm now refinishing it in black since the original shiney finish coating had faded on the top lid. I'll post some pics as soon as I can on the mod. Hope this helps you out dude.

Good Luck!

DaveMan

 

Okay guys,

Here some photos taken yesterday. I took some with enamel primer and then I took some after I painted it enamel black. All the paint used was Rust-Oleum brand. I used light grey enamel primer, gloss black enamel and a clear top coat which is actually lacquer. The top coat cannot be applied for seven days and I had to learn that one the hard way. After one day of drying, with several hours under a heat lamp for faster curing, I sprayed the clear coat on the back to test it and it wrinkled up real bad.

At first I blamed it on the cold weather but then I decided to write an email to Rust-Oleum. Rust-Oleum wrote back and said that wrinkeling was normal if you apply the lacquer clear coat onto enamel paint that hasn't had seven days to cure. Damn, I didn't remember reading that on the can.

Oh well, now I know what to do. Also, to prep the surface, I used brass wire brush to scuff up the surface and to clean off the old coating that looks like chrome plating when new. Actually, the brushed aluminum looked real good and I was tempted to just clear coat that but I talked myself out of it.

Take note of the notch in each of the bottom sides. That is all that is needed to make a full deep aluminum tool box work in a Screw.

Actually, the distance from the bed rails to the notch at the bottom is 9-1/4" and the distance the notch was cut from either end was 4-1/8" horizontally and 5-1/2" vertically. The net inside dimension on the notch across the box was 49-1/2".

I'll post another pic to this thread once I get it into the truck and mounted. All I need to do now is put on the top clear coat and she'll be ready for mounting.





Hope that helps guys.

DaveMan

 

Good info DAVEMAN! I'm gonna take my box over to the local metal-fab shop and see if they can make it fit in my new truck.

BTW guys, just got a call from the dealership..... they made a mistake last week when I bought my truck, they overcharged me almost $200. So my payment is dropping a whopping $3!!!!

 

Okay guys,

These are some photos of the modified deep tool box for the Screw. I thought I had already posted them and then I realized I didn't. Oh well, guess I'm just getting old.

For those who like toolboxes on their Screw, here's some pics with the toolbox installed.





Later,

DaveMan

 

Great idea modifying the Better Built deep box. I just ordered a shallow box from Better Builit. It was the biggest box I could find that would fit.

 

Hey scooksey,

I contacted Daws (The makers of Better Built) and they had no idea how to modify the box as I did. Big deal, right? I've since emailed them to see if they want to get the info and I'm hoping they haven't read this post yet and they might throw a couple bucks my way for doing their job for them.

Maybe eventually, they will get smart and offer a deep box for the Screw as it sure seemed awful simple to me to make it work yet they say they don't have a deep box for the Screw, go figure.

Good luck,

DaveMan

 

Daveman........

I installed my BetterBuilt box two days ago. Fits well, looks good. Would have sure liked that extra room in the bottom though. It's a good 8" from the floor. Oh well........

I'll buy yours someday! :-)