Mount Ammo Can to Bed Rails - How-To

End Result First...


Here is what you need to be able to complete this.
Drill with a 1/2 Drill Bit
Hammer and some sort of punch
Sharpie
.50 Cal Ammo Can

You can get all of the following at your local Lowes store.
2 - 1/2" x 1 1/2" Bolt - Item Number 396472 - $1.43 ea
4 - 5/16 1 1/2" SS Fender Washer - Item Number 365174 - $0.45 ea
2 - 1/2" x 3/8" Nylon Spacers - Item Number 137094 - $1.51
5 pack - 1/2" Spring Nut - Item Number 598780 - $5.18 - Found in ELECTRICAL! Leaves you with three left over for other projects!



Step 1. Drill 1/2" Holes in the Ammo Cans, Does not matter the spacing, I just put them closer to the ends, account for the fender washers. Mark the holes and use something to make a smell dent in the side of the ammo can so it will be easier to drill.



Step 2. Put the spring nuts in the bed rail

Step 3. Attach the Ammo Can with the bolt and washer in the follow order.

Bed Rail - Spring Nut - Nylon Spacer - Fender Washer - Ammo Can Side - Fender Washer - Bolt through all of that.

Done!
You can leave the ammo can green, or you can paint it like I did with some Rustoleum spray paint.

I plan on figuring out a way to be able to lock this up in an easy way, it is impossible to steal this unless someone carries a 19mm wrench around with them. All I plan on keeping in here are tie down straps for the bed and some stuff that I just want to keep dry.

Total cost for all of this was less than $30.00 for the Lowes hardware and the Ammo Can at my local Army Navy Store.

 

Nice! I have been thinking about doing this. I want to do one on each side.

 

definitely doing this soon!

 

It is a pretty easy mod to do. I keep all of my tie down straps and a extra set of gloves in it all the time and they stay dry very well. Now that I have the SnugTop on the bed, I am moving this box to the end of the bed to the tailgate area.

FYI. I would be sure to get either correct T-slot nuts or get the 1/2" Spring Nuts from Lowes. Don't get the 1/4" as they wont hold things well as I found out when building a CB Antenna mount.

 

Thanks for the advise man! Ill prolly use it and make a lock for it and put recovery gear, flares, and other emergency stuff since most of it is behind my rear seat and the other day when I saw a motor cycle accident and stopped to help my falres weren't accessible so I had to use my maglight to move traffic around it

 

Love mine! I added carriage bolts to the bottom to keep the box front twisting down when its loaded up with stuff...

 

Good plan. Since I am 6'3" no one can really sit behind the drivers seat. So I ended up buying a BlueRidge Overland Gear seat back Molle panel from them and using that as like my easy to reach stuff. So I keep flares, some tools, and other needed things on that. Could look into something like that?

 

That is actually a really good idea that I was trying to figure out a way to do that. Mine rattles a lot when going over bumps and such or when it has some heavy stuff in it. So that right there may be a great way to prevent that.

 

Very Cool! I'd do this in a heartbeat, but I'm running out of real estate on my bedrails

 

I hear ya! I have a Hi-Lift taking up my passenger side and now that I have the SnugTop I don't have easy access to the front of the bed. Going to have to figure something out on that.


One thing I did think about it, if you can find a taller ammo can, you could almost make it to where it sits on the bed side possibly if it is mounted at the front of the bed.

 

Interesting thought... access to the front gets get pretty difficult when I'm ready to hit the trail with a bestop, hi-lift on R, axle/shovel mount on L and husky box with winch and gear at the front... this ammo box solution looks as handy as a shirt pocket though... may have to rearrange.

 

lol yeah Im 6'3" but when I need to I make that front seat fit a 5'10" lol
Ive thought about the molle cover tho but now sure if I would loose comfort that my wetokoles give

 

can you show a pic of the inside? curious how the carriage bolts look in there

 

Sure, it's at home now, but the round carriage bolt head sits up against the bed, the ammo box is sandwiched between a pair of fender washers and a pair of nuts. Use the inside nut to adjust for plumb, then lock it down with the nut between the bed and the box.

 

I never even noticed the bottom strap part of the panel. It is so low on the seat it doesn't mess with me.

 

If you have them in the front corners just utilize both the bed side rails as well as the front rail and the boxes don't budge. I did that with mine and they're rock solid.

 

Hey how did you paint this? would like more info please!

 

Just simple rustoleum flat black paint is all I used.

 

good idea thanks man, give it a try

 

Did you mount the bolt high enough so that the top of the can is below the bedrail?
Definitely interested in this mod, but I also want to be able to use a cover.